Which of the following best describes the pattern of microbial death?

• A. Microbes die at a constant rate over time.
• B. All microbes die simultaneously when exposed to a lethal agent.
• C. Microbes become dormant rather than dying when exposed to lethal conditions.
• D. Microbial death occurs only after a threshold concentration of agent is reached.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that microbial death refers to the loss of the ability of microbes to reproduce and grow under favorable conditions.
2. Recognize that microbial death does not happen all at once; instead, it follows a predictable pattern over time.
3. Recall that when exposed to a lethal agent, microbes die at a constant rate, meaning a fixed percentage of the population dies per unit time, not all simultaneously.
4. This constant rate of death can be represented mathematically by a logarithmic decline in the number of viable cells over time.
5. Therefore, the best description of microbial death is that microbes die at a constant rate over time, which is why this option is correct.