Boiling Water for 10 Minutes is Effective in Ridding It

Question

Boiling water for 10 minutes is effective in ridding it of
A) actively growing bacteria.
B) enveloped viruses.
C) bacterial endospores.
D) protozoan cysts.
E) both growing bacteria and enveloped viruses.

Accepted Answer

Boiling water for 10 minutes is effective in killing actively growing bacteria and enveloped viruses. The high temperature denatures proteins and disrupts membranes, which are critical for the survival of these microorganisms. However, bacterial endospores and protozoan cysts are more resistant to heat and may not be effectively eliminated by boiling for this duration.