What happens in the stationary phase of bacterial growth?

In the stationary phase of bacterial growth, the population reaches its maximum density and the rate of cell growth slows down and balances with the rate of cell death. This occurs because the nutrients in the environment become limited and waste products build up, inhibiting further growth. During this phase, while some bacteria may continue to divide, the overall number remains relatively constant since there are equal numbers of bacteria growing and dying. The changes in environmental conditions lead to a stabilization of the population size, hence the description that bacteria continue to grow until conditions get unfavorable accurately reflects what happens in this phase.

The other options represent different phases or states of bacterial growth. Rapid growth occurs in the log phase, where conditions are still favorable and nutrients are abundant. The die-off takes place in the death phase when the number of dying cells exceeds new growth due to severe nutrient depletion or accumulation of toxic substances. Dormancy generally refers to a state where bacteria are inactive, which can occur under extreme conditions, but in the stationary phase, while growth is halted, bacteria are still metabolically active and not truly dormant.