How does a bacterial cell grow during the division cycle? This question is answered by the codeveloper of the Cooper-Helmstetter model of DNA replication. In a unique analysis of the bacterial division cycle, Cooper considers the major cell categories (cytoplasm, DNA, and cell surface) and presents a lucid description of bacterial growth during the division cycle.

The concepts of bacterial physiology from Ole Maaloe's Copenhagen school are presented throughout the book and are applied to such topics as the origin of variability, the pattern of DNA segregation, and the principles...