George and Maria are discussing the odds of becoming sick from a food-borne illness. George says that the majority of microorganisms are helpful or harmless and only a small percentage are harmful. Maria disagrees and says that all microorganisms are harmful if we come in contact with them. Who is correct?

Question

Question 5 options:

A)

Neither George nor Maria is correct.

B)

Maria is correct.

C)

George is correct.

D)

Both George and Maria are correct.

Answer 1

C) George is correct.

George is correct because the majority of microorganisms are harmless or beneficial to humans. While some microorganisms can cause foodborne illnesses, the vast majority are either neutral or play important roles in processes such as digestion and fermentation. Maria's viewpoint is overly generalized, as it does not take into account the beneficial roles that many microorganisms play in our lives.