Final answer:
The quantification technique that can distinguish living cells from dead cells in culture is metabolic activity, as it measures the production of metabolic products that only occur in live cells. The correct option is B) metabolic activity
Step-by-step explanation:
The quantification technique that can distinguish living cells from dead cells in a culture is metabolic activity. This method involves measuring cell activity by following the production of metabolic products or disappearance of reactants such as ATP formation, biosynthesis of proteins and nucleic acids, and consumption of oxygen.
Other methods like a Coulter counter, microscopic counts, turbidity, and dry weight do not provide information on whether the cells are alive or dead. For example, a Coulter counter counts all cells regardless of their viability, turbidity measures the cloudiness caused by cells in suspension but does not distinguish between living and dead cells, and dry weight is simply a measure of biomass that includes both living and dead cellular material.
Utilizing viability staining techniques alongside direct counting methods can also provide insight into the numbers of live versus dead cells. Fluorescence-based viability stains enable the differentiation of live and dead bacteria since live cells and dead cells will fluoresce different colors based on the integrity of their cytoplasmic membrane. The correct option is B) metabolic activity