The chain of infection is a model of which of the following?

• A. The development of antibiotic resistance in bacterial populations
• B. The metabolic pathways used by microorganisms to obtain energy
• C. The classification of microorganisms based on their genetic material
• D. The process by which infectious diseases are transmitted from one host to another

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the 'chain of infection' is a conceptual model used in microbiology and epidemiology to describe how infectious diseases spread from one host to another.
2. Recognize that the chain consists of several linked components: the infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host.
3. Analyze each option given in the problem to see which best fits the idea of disease transmission between hosts.
4. Note that antibiotic resistance development, metabolic pathways, and classification of microorganisms are important microbiology topics but do not describe the transmission process of infectious diseases.
5. Conclude that the correct interpretation of the chain of infection is the process by which infectious diseases are transmitted from one host to another.