Alexander Fleming had been running tests using Staphylococcus,and left some plates out to incubate.Evidently,after returning to his lab after the weekend,he found that Penicillium mold was growing on his agar plates containing the growth of Staphylococcus.Looking more closely,he found a large,clear area around the mold colony where Staphylococcus colonies did not grow.Given this situation,a valid hypothesis would be that:

Question

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The observation of a clear area around the mold colony where Staphylococcus colonies did not grow suggests that something in the Penicillium mold is inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus. This is a valid hypothesis to explain the observed phenomenon. Option B can be ruled out since there is no evidence to suggest that Staphylococcus is able to kill the Penicillium mold. Option C and D are less likely explanations since the growth medium and incubation conditions had been previously established, and they did not show any inhibitory effects on the Staphylococcus growth before the introduction of the Penicillium mold.

Alexander Fleming Had Been Running Tests Using Staphylococcus,and Left Some