The document describes the bacterial growth curve, which plots the growth of bacteria over time in a batch culture. It discusses the four phases of the bacterial growth curve: 1) Lag phase, where bacteria adapt to their environment and do not multiply significantly; 2) Log or exponential phase, where bacteria multiply at their maximum rate; 3) Stationary phase, where growth equals death rate due to nutrient exhaustion and waste accumulation; 4) Death or decline phase, where bacterial death exceeds growth and their numbers decrease exponentially.