Question

Which of the following is bacteriostatic? 71) ______

A) heating in an oven at 171°C for an hour
B) filtration
C) autoclaving
D) flash Pasteurization
E) freezing below 0°C

Answer 1

Freezing below 0°C is the bacteriostatic method as it inhibits bacterial growth without killing them, compared to other methods in the options which are bactericidal or physically remove microbes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The method among the options that is bacteriostatic is freezing below 0°C. Bacteriostatic means that the method inhibits the growth of bacteria rather than killing them outright. Freezing at temperatures below 0°C slows down enzyme activity which, in turn, inhibits the growth of bacteria. In comparison, heating in an oven at 171°C, autoclaving, and flash pasteurization are all methods that kill bacteria, thus they are considered bactericidal. Filtration removes microbes physically rather than inhibiting or killing them.