00:01
For this question, we are looking at the generation time of bacteria.
00:05
So here, the first part to measuring this generation time is it has to be a variable that's easy to measure if we're going to use it as scientists.
00:15
If we try to measure something that's very difficult, it's going to be hard to use this to explain some of the results in our experiment, because bacteria replicate very quickly, and we have to be able to measure this generation time at multiple points.
00:31
Along this pathway.
00:33
So this is a process that has to be easy and quick.
00:37
So if we consider how we measure the population or the number of organisms growing in say a broth or a container, one of the best ways we do this is by measuring the optical density.
00:50
Or you could say this is the clarity of the solution or broth.
00:56
So how this works is initially you start off with a container containing only broth.
01:03
You're going to transmit some light through this broth and going to get an initial interference, absorption, and the amount of light being let through the vial.
01:17
You're going to then introduce some bacteria into that vial, and you're going to set it in a very favorable condition, such as a warm water bath.
01:28
And from there, every so often, you're going to measure the amount of light that passes.
01:33
Through it...