At the cellular level, what indicates microbial growth?

Microbial growth is primarily measured by an increase in the number of cells within a population, which reflects the ability of microbes to reproduce and multiply. This is represented by an increase in cell population. Additionally, during the growth phase, individual cells typically also increase in size as they accumulate biomass and prepare for division.

Thus, both the increase in cell size and the increase in cell population are essential indicators of microbial growth at the cellular level. Each cell enlarges before dividing, which is a characteristic feature of the growth process in microbial life. Therefore, recognizing that both aspects contribute to microbial growth better reflects the complexity of this process, supporting the notion that growth is not solely defined by the number of cells or the size of individual cells, but by both phenomena occurring simultaneously.