Stationary phase is defined as what?

• A. Growth continues exponentially
• B. The number of newly generated cells is the same as the number dying
• C. The population declines rapidly
• D. No growth occurs due to nutrients exhaustion, cell adaptation

Answer: (B)

In this part of the microbial growth cycle, the key idea is that the rate of new cell formation balances the rate of cell death, so the total population remains roughly constant. That balance—new cells produced equals cells that die—defines the stationary phase.

So the best description is: the number of newly generated cells is the same as the number dying, resulting in no net increase in population. The other statements refer to other phases or conditions: exponential growth is when cells divide rapidly, the population declining rapidly points to the death phase, and while nutrient exhaustion can trigger stationary conditions, saying “no growth occurs due to nutrients exhaustion” describes a cause rather than the defining state of zero net growth.