Create Date: August 24, 2024
Last Modified Date: January 31, 2025
Calculating the doubling time of cells can be done when you know the initial reference parameter, the final reference parameter, and the time duration. The formula you would then use is:
Your result will be the total amount of time required for the cells to double. You can even enter a final value that is more than double the initial value which is where this tool can come more in handy for calculating.
We tried to make this tool as easy to use as possible. The steps required to use it include:
Let's say we are studying a dish of cells. When we start the timer we know the initial reference value is 500. After 6 hours, we count a final reference value of 2,974. We can use this tool to calculate the cell doubling time. First we will enter the initial reference value of 500 then we will enter 2,974 into the final reference value field. We can then enter 6 into the time duration field and change the unit of measurement from minutes to hours.
We are now ready to hit calculate our doubling time. We get an answer of 2 hours 19 minutes and 56 seconds.
The discovery of cells and related topics dates back to the 1670s where Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek used early microscopes to observe bacteria and single-celled organisms. Around that same time Robert Hooke was the first descriptor of cells.
Fast-forward to the year 1838, Matthias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann would propose cell theory. This theory stated that all organisms are made of cells and the cells come from other cells that have existed before them.
There were many other small steps that led us closer to understanding how cells grow, but one of the larger break throughs was in the 1950s. This is when scientists began to define bacterial growth phases and identified E. coli's doubling time which would be used as a benchmark by microbiologists in the future.
Cells double at different times, for example a typical eukaryotic cell cycle doubles in about 24 hours, while some cells that line the intestines may double in just 9 hours.
According to online sources, Kelly cells double in about 30 hours.
With optimal growth conditions, it is believed that E. coli cells can double in just 20 minutes.
Understanding cells can be difficult if some of the terms and keywords used are not ones you understand. Here we shed some more light on some of these terms.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| E. coli | E. coli is a type of bacteria which is rather common and can be found in many places like foods, water, in our bodies, and other places. |
| Initial reference | The initial reference is the number of cells at the start of your observation. |
| Final reference | The final reference is the number of cells at the end of your observation. |
There are many interesting things that can be shared about cells. Here are some of our favorites.
The human body produces about 2 million red blood cells every second! That’s nearly 173 billion new cells per day just for red blood cells.
Different cells in the body divide at different times. Brain cells almost never divide after birth while liver cells take 6 months to a year to do so.
The first human cells from Henrietta Lacks that were taken in 1951 are still alive today and used in medical research worldwide.
