Bacteria on skin, LOG or STAT?

[RuNkLi]

Lately we discussed in our group, if bacteria like s. aureus on skin are present as stationary bacteria or growing bacteria e.g. in logarithmic phase?

surely you can't show this, but for me it is logically that they are present on skin as stationary bacteria.

what do you guys think about it?

THX

[biohazard]

I've understood that bacteria rarely occur in log phase in their natural environment - they have usually occupied all the living space they can, and must compete for space and nutrients with other microbes (as well as each other).

Only when they colonise a new environment, where there aro no competitors and there's enough room & nutrients for growth, they are in log phase until they run out of one of those.

This being said, they aren't completely stationary either, in terms of growth vs. no growth: they do grow on skin, but they are stationary only in the sense that there are approximately equal number of dividing and dying bacteria, and so their overall number remains "stationary".