Synchronous growth is the growth of bacteria such that all the bacteria are at the same stage in their growth cycle (e.g., exponential phase, stationary phase). Because the same cellular reactions occur simultaneously throughout the bacterial population, synchronous growth permits the detection of events not normally detectable in a single cell or in a population consisting of bacteria in various stages of growth.

In a normal batch culture of fluid, or on an agar plate, bacteria in the population exhibit a range of sizes, ages, and growth rates. In contrast, the bacteria in a synchronized culture are virtually identical in terms of these parameters.

Synchronized growth is imposed in the laboratory. A population of bacteria can be filtered to obtain bacteria of a certain size range. Usually, the filter that is used has very small holes. All but the smallest bacteria in a population are...