Which statement best describes death phase?

• A. Bacteria double rapidly
• B. Bacteria maintain constant numbers
• C. Bacteria lose all ability to reproduce
• D. Bacteria form spores

Answer: (C)

Death phase is when the number of viable cells begins to decline because deaths exceed new cells being formed. This happens as nutrients run out and waste products build up, making the environment increasingly hostile. In this phase, many cells can lose their ability to reproduce, so the population falls rather than grows. This differs from exponential growth, where cells divide rapidly; from stationary phase, where numbers stay roughly constant due to a balance of growth and death; and from sporulation, which is a survival tactic (forming spores) rather than a description of a declining population.