The Oxygen Consumption of Escherichia Coli during the Lag and Logarithmic Phases of Growth

The oxygen consumption of rapidly growing cultures of Esch. coli (S) have been measured by means of Fenn's respirometer. The rate of oxygen consumption of a growing culture uniformly attains a phase of logarithmic increase before the growth curve of the organisms becomes logarithmic. The rate of oxygen consumption per cell increases rapidly from the time of inoculation to a point of maximum respiration near the end of the lag phase of the growth curve, followed by a gradual decrease in the respiratory rate. The surface area of the average cell when plotted against time passes through a point of maximum surface area which coincides with the point of maximum oxygen consumption per cell. Figures obtained by different methods, CO(2) output and heat production when reduced to the same units, agree remarkably well.