On self-similar growth

Evidence of self-similar growth proposed earlier by Ramkrishna (Ramkrishna, D., 1994. Towards a self-similar theory of microbial populations. Biotech. Bioeng. 43, 138–148) is presented by performing dynamic simulations of models satisfying the necessary criteria in the cited reference. Self-similarity is attained well ahead of eventual balanced growth. An example is also presented in which the violation of the criteria leads to the absence of not only self-similar growth but also balanced, exponential growth. Considerable further work, experimental as well as theoretical, is required to put self-similar growth on a firmer basis, however.