lag or induction phase
This phase, during which little increase in cell density occurs, is relatively long when
an algal culture is transferred from a plate to liquid culture. Cultures inoculated with
exponentially growing algae have short lag phases, which can seriously reduce the time required for upscaling. The lag in growth is attributed to the physiological adaptation of the cell metabolism to growth, such as the increase of the levels of enzymes and metabolites involved in cell division and carbon fixation