In a microbiology laboratory, the technician uses heat to sterilise the nutrient solution that is used to grow a fungus. When the heating system broke down, he sterilised the solution by passing it (in a sterile environment) through a sterile filter with a pore size of 0.2 micrometers. When the fungus was grown on the filtered nutrient solution, it stopped growing and looked unhealthy within a few days. Which statements is the most likely explanation for the observed effects on the fungus?

Question

In a microbiology laboratory, the technician uses heat to sterilise the nutrient solution that is used to grow a fungus. When the heating system broke down, he sterilised the solution by passing it (in a sterile environment) through a sterile filter with a pore size of 0.2 micrometers. When the fungus was grown on the filtered nutrient solution, it stopped growing and looked unhealthy within a few days. Which statements is the most likely explanation for the observed effects on the fungus? (A) The nutrient solution contained a virus (B) Heating makes the glucose in the nutrient solution more digestible (C) Filtering removed one of the larger nutrient molecules (D) The nutrient solution contained a bacterium that was pathogenic to the fungus

Tardigrade Admin · Accepted Answer

The nutrient solution could have contained a virus which passed easily through the sterile filter of pore size of 0. 2.micrometer. This caused retarded and unhealthy growth of the fungus.

The nutrient solution contained a virus

Heating makes the glucose in the nutrient solution more digestible

Filtering removed one of the larger nutrient molecules

The nutrient solution contained a bacterium that was pathogenic to the fungus

The nutrient solution could have contained a virus which passed easily through the sterile filter of pore size of 0.2.micrometer. This caused retarded and unhealthy growth of the fungus.

The nutrient solution could have contained a virus which passed easily through the sterile filter of pore size of $0.2$ .micrometer. This caused retarded and unhealthy growth of the fungus.