Question
A scientist has discovered that there is a correlation between people who are ill with a certain pathogen and migraines. The scientist does not know if the illness is caused by a bacteria cell or virus. To quickly find out, the scientist can —
Responses
see if the pathogen mutates rapidly
see if the pathogen mutates rapidly
try to grow the pathogen outside the body
try to grow the pathogen outside the body
examine the patient to determine the length of time the person has been ill
examine the patient to determine the length of time the person has been ill
Responses
see if the pathogen mutates rapidly
see if the pathogen mutates rapidly
try to grow the pathogen outside the body
try to grow the pathogen outside the body
examine the patient to determine the length of time the person has been ill
examine the patient to determine the length of time the person has been ill
Answers
GPT-4o mini
To quickly determine whether the pathogen causing the illness is a bacteria or a virus, the scientist can:
**See if the pathogen mutates rapidly.**
Viruses typically have higher mutation rates compared to bacteria, especially those that exhibit rapid evolution, such as RNA viruses. Therefore, observing the mutation rate of the pathogen can provide clues about its nature.
The other options, such as trying to grow the pathogen outside the body or examining the patient for the length of illness, may provide useful information but are not as direct in distinguishing between bacterial and viral pathogens compared to assessing mutation rates. Bacteria can often be cultured outside the body, whereas viruses usually cannot grow on their own without host cells, and the duration of illness does not directly indicate whether it's a bacterial or viral infection either.
**See if the pathogen mutates rapidly.**
Viruses typically have higher mutation rates compared to bacteria, especially those that exhibit rapid evolution, such as RNA viruses. Therefore, observing the mutation rate of the pathogen can provide clues about its nature.
The other options, such as trying to grow the pathogen outside the body or examining the patient for the length of illness, may provide useful information but are not as direct in distinguishing between bacterial and viral pathogens compared to assessing mutation rates. Bacteria can often be cultured outside the body, whereas viruses usually cannot grow on their own without host cells, and the duration of illness does not directly indicate whether it's a bacterial or viral infection either.