Final answer:
Unpreserved N. gonorrhoeae should be stored at room temperature, approximately 25°C, for short-term preservation to maintain viability as refrigeration can inhibit microbial metabolism and growth.option a is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
For the preservation and storage of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, an organism that grows best at body temperature, it is important to choose the correct storage temperature to maintain viability. When long-term storage is not possible and the specimen needs to be kept alive for a short period, the bacteria should be stored at room temperature, which is generally accepted to be approximately 25°C.
You should not refrigerate or freeze N. gonorrhoeae if it needs to be quickly recovered for laboratory study. The option (a) Room temperature fits this requirement, as refrigeration typically ranges from 0°C to 7°C, which inhibits microbial metabolism and would slow the growth of this particular organism significantly.