Question

Prior to the invention of refrigeration, meat was often preserved by soaking it in brine (a solution of water with a high concentration of salt) to kill any microorganisms that might have tried to use the meat as their own food source. Which of the following BEST explains how a brine solution could be lethal to those microorganisms?

Answer 1

Water would move into the cells of the microorganisms by osmosis causing it to swell and burst.

The salt would move into the cells of the microorganisms by facilitated diffusion causing the membrane to become rigid and less permeable.

The salt would be pulled from the cells of the microorganisms by active transport removing necessary nutrients and destroying the cells.

Water would move out of the cells of the microorganisms by osmosis and the cytoplasm would become dehydrated, killing the cells.

Answer 2

@Abhisar

Answer 3

I also need an explanation because I don't understand.

Answer 4

why don't u make a guess first ?

Answer 5

I believe it is the last one.

Answer 6

Indeed it's the last one, let's see how !

Answer 7

u know anything about osmosis ?

Answer 8

Um, yes. It is about concentrations of water and how it has to even everything out

Answer 9

yes it tries to balance the concentrations

Answer 10

So I am thinking that the brine is trying to even everything out and the water from meat goes into the brine killing the organisms?

Answer 11

Or is the other way around?

Answer 12

Soaking in brine solution means the salt concentration outside the cell will be greater than the inside. Thus osmosis will occur and water from inside the cell will move outside in order to dilute the salt solution and will occur until concentrations are equal (inside and outside)