The discrepancy between the number of microbial cells observed by microscopic examination and the number of colonies that can be cultivated from the same natural sample may be due to ______.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The discrepancy between the number of observed microbial cells and the number of colonies that can be cultivated may be due to nonviable organisms that cannot be grown in culture and incorrect culture conditions that might not support the growth of certain microorganisms. Additionally, microbial motility may also play a role in this discrepancy, as motile bacteria may not remain on the culture medium to form colonies.

The Discrepancy Between the Number of Microbial Cells Observed by Microscopic