CFU/ml

CFU/ml stands for "colony-forming units per milliliter." It is a measure used in microbiology to estimate the number of viable bacteria or fungal cells in a liquid sample. Each CFU represents a cell that can grow into a colony, indicating it's alive and capable of reproduction. By counting the colonies that develop after incubating a diluted sample, scientists can calculate how many were present in the original sample per milliliter. This measurement helps assess microbial contamination in water, food, and other environments, providing essential information for health and safety standards.