A Note on Koch & Schaechter's Hypothesis about Growth and Fission of Bacteria

SUMMARY: The hypothesis of Koch & Schaechter (1962) in its general form gives rise to mathematical relationships of great complexity. The formulae are simplified when certain conditions are met; the most important condition is that the smallest organism about to divide should not be smaller than the largest newly formed organism. Real cultures often satisfy the condition, and they can then fairly be used to test the hypothesis.