Life Sciences: Logistic and geometric growth
curves
Grade 11
Lesson 47
Presenter: Dr. Grizelda van Wyk
GROWTH CURVES
Populations have characteristic patterns of growth. When population
sizes are plotted over time, two different growth patterns can be found
in nature.
• Geometric (or a J-shaped growth curve)
• Logistic (or S-shaped growth curve) growth
GEOMETRIC GROWTH CURVES
• Is characteristic of many micro-organisms e.g. bacteria and protists.
• The reproduce quickly and double their numbers after every reproductive division
in favourable conditions.
• Eventually resources become limited and/or waste products accumulate and
adversely affect the population.
• This causes death or an extinction event.
GEOMETRIC GROWTH CURVES
Lag phase
Population number increases slowly because:
o individuals may still be acclimatising to their environment
o they need time to find mates
o most of the population is sexually immature
GEOMETRIC GROWTH CURVES
Geometric (or accelerated) growth phase
Individuals have acclimatised
Many reproducing individuals exist and in favourable conditions produce
many offspring.
The birth rate is higher than the death rate.
There is very little environmental resistance.
GEOMETRIC GROWTH CURVES
Extinction or death phase
Resources become limited, i.e. food, space, etc.,
and the population is no longer able to reproduce as effectively.
The mortality rate becomes greater than the natality rate.
The population decreases rapidly.
LOGISTIC GROWTH CURVE
• Logistic S-shaped growth is normally found in higher-order organisms (e.g.
mammals) which typically reproduce slower.
• Populations tend not to exceed the carrying capacity and, if they do, they show
higher levels of resilience to environmental resistance.
LOGISTIC GROWTH CURVE
Lag phase
As in the geometric growth curve, the population numbers increase slowly.
LOGISTIC GROWTH CURVE
Exponential or accelerating growth phase:
The population can reach higher natality levels because of
• more sexually mature individuals procreating
• environmental resistance being low (because of enough food, space an
shelter)
LOGISTIC GROWTH CURVE
Decelerating growth phase:
Natality rate is still higher than the mortality rate
The mortality rate is increasing because of higher levels of environmental
resistance and old age
LOGISTIC GROWTH CURVE
Equilibrium / stationary phase:
• Carrying capacity of the environment has been reached.
• One or more limiting factors are exerting a toll on population
• The carrying capacity is somewhat stable and able to maintain the
population at a set value.
LOGISTIC GROWTH CURVE
Death / extinction phase :
Some populations cannot regulate their resource usage and/or changes to
abiotic and biotic factors in their environment and are then unable to sustain
themselves.
QUESTION
Indicate whether each of the statements in COLUMN I applies to A ONLY, B ONLY, BOTH A AND B or
NONE of the items in COLUMN II. Write A only, B only, both A and B, or none next to the question
number.
none
ACTIVITY
Tabulate two major differences between logistic and geometric growth forms.
Include an example of a species representing each growth form.
(6)
Table: ✓ Example per growth form: ✓
Any 2 comparisons: ✓✓ per correct comparison
ACTIVITY
Identify the growth form in the graph.
Logistic growth ✓
Identify the phases 1 to 4 in the graph.
phase 1: lag phase ✓
phase 2: exponential phase ✓
phase 3: decelerating phase ✓
phase 4: equilibrium phase ✓
ACTIVITY
In an experiment, yeast cells were grown in a glucose solution in a test tube and kept at a temperature
of 30°C. Every two hours, a drop was taken from the mixture and examined under a microscope. The
number of cells per unit area was counted. The results of the experiment are shown in the table.
Draw a line graph to illustrate these results.
On your graph, indicate the various phases.
ANSWER
A - lag phase
B - the exponential growth phase (or log phase)
C - stable phase.
ACTIVITY
In an experiment, yeast cells were grown in a glucose solution in a test tube and kept at a temperature
of 30 °C. Every two hours, a drop was taken from the mixture and examined under a microscope. The
number of cells per unit area was counted. The results of the experiment are shown in the table.
Identify the growth form indicated by the graph
S-shaped/Logistic growth ✓
During which time period did the greatest increase in the
number of yeast cells occur?
6 to 10 hour ✓✓
ACTIVITY
In an experiment, yeast cells were grown in a glucose solution in a test tube and kept at a temperature
of 30 °C. Every two hours, a drop was taken from the mixture and examined under a microscope. The
number of cells per unit area was counted. The results of the experiment are shown in the table.
Give two reasons why the growth rate of the population
might have slowed down.
Because of limited space ✓, nutrients in the test tube ✓
THANK YOU
