Mitosis is a process of cell reproduction in which one cell divides into two identical cells. E. coli is a fast-growing bacterium that is often responsible for food poisoning in uncooked meat. It can reproduce itself in 15 minutes. If you begin with 100 E. coli bacteria, how many will there be in 1 hour?
The bacteria double every 15 minutes. In 1 hour, there are 60 ÷ 15 = 4 doubling periods, so the count becomes 100 × 2⁴ = 1,600. The correct choice is 1,600 bacteria.
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