Final answer:
Treponema pallidum, the pathogen causing syphilis, cannot survive for long outside a host and is difficult to culture, making the statement false.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that Treponema pallidum can last a long time outside of a host and therefore is easily cultured is false. Treponema pallidum, which is the pathogen that causes syphilis, is notoriously difficult to culture in a laboratory setting because it requires very specific and difficult-to-mimic environmental conditions to survive. This bacterium is an obligate parasite, meaning it must live within host tissues to survive, thrive, and reproduce. The bacteria are typically viewed under microscopes using darkfield microscopy, silver staining, or scanning electron microscopy, as this allows for better visualization of the spirochetes since they are otherwise hard to culture and examine.