Textbook Question
All cells recycle the essential element ___________ from amino acids and nucleotides.
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10. Dynamics of Microbial Growth
Nutritional Factors of Microbial Growth
Multiple Choice
In the context of nutritional factors affecting microbial growth, which of the following foods is least likely to support bacterial growth under normal storage conditions due to very low water activity?
A
Pasteurized milk
B
Cooked rice left at room temperature
C
Honey
D
Fresh ground beef
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the concept of water activity (a\_w), which measures the availability of free water in a food for microbial growth. Microorganisms require a certain minimum water activity to grow, typically above 0.90 for most bacteria.
Recognize that foods with high water activity, such as pasteurized milk, cooked rice left at room temperature, and fresh ground beef, provide sufficient moisture to support bacterial growth under normal storage conditions.
Identify that honey has a very low water activity (usually around 0.6), due to its high sugar concentration, which binds water molecules and makes them unavailable to microbes.
Conclude that because honey's low water activity inhibits bacterial growth, it is the least likely among the listed foods to support bacterial growth under normal storage conditions.
Summarize that the key factor limiting bacterial growth in honey is its low water activity, which creates an environment unsuitable for most bacteria to thrive.
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