what happens to e. coli when lactose is not present ?
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Robert E. Gothard
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When lactose is not present, Escherichia coli, often abbreviated as E. coli, undergoes a process called catabolite repression. In simpler terms, this means that the bacterium will resort to utilizing other available carbon sources for energy and growth. In the absence of lactose, E. coli will primarily rely on glucose as its main energy source. This is because glucose is a readily available and easily metabolizable sugar. Without lactose, the genes responsible for lactose metabolism are not expressed, and instead, E. coli will prioritize the utilization of glucose through pathways like glycolysis for energy production.