It takes 40 minutes to completely replicate the E. coli chromosome, even in an optimally nourished cell. However, bacterial cells can divide as frequently as every 20 minutes. How can cells divide more rapidly, apparently, than their DNA can be copied?

Biology Today and Tomorrow without Physiology (MindTap Course List)
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ISBN:9781305117396
Author:Cecie Starr, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr
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Chapter10: Biotechnology
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It takes 40 minutes to completely replicate the E. coli chromosome, even in an optimally nourished cell. However, bacterial cells can divide as frequently as every 20 minutes. How can cells divide more rapidly, apparently, than their DNA can be copied?

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