Final answer:
The statement that satellite colonies within a zone of inhibition represent resistant cells is false; these colonies can arise due to factors like nutritional support from lysed cells or antibiotic degradation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The expression satellite colonies within a zone of inhibition can be misleading. Satellite colonies often occur when there is a high density of bacterial cells, and some of these cells can grow in the presence of an antibiotic due to the proximity to the main colony, which may be metabolizing the antibiotic, altering the local environment or due to the presence of resistant cells. Therefore, the statement mentioned is false; satellite colonies do not necessarily represent resistant cells from the original population but can result from various factors, including the nutritional support from the lysed cells within the inhibition zone or the partial degradation of the antibiotic.
In the Kirby-Bauer assay, to accurately determine whether bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, measurements of the zone of inhibition are compared to standard charts that can define susceptibility and resistance. However, satellite colonies complicate this analysis and cannot be directly equated to antibiotic resistance without further investigation.