Bacteria cannot survive in a highly salted pickle because

Options

A. Salts inhibit reproduction
B. Bacteria do not get enough light for photosynthesis
C. They become plasmolysed and consequ- ently killed
D. The pickle does not contain nutrients necessary for bacteria to live.

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding the Environment**: Bacteria are living organisms that require a suitable environment to survive. One important factor is the concentration of solutes in their surroundings.

2. **Hypertonic Medium**: A highly salted pickle creates a hypertonic environment. This means that the concentration of salt outside the bacterial cells is higher than the concentration of solutes inside the cells.

3. **Osmosis Process**: In a hypertonic solution, water moves out of the bacterial cells to balance the concentration of solutes. This process is known as osmosis.

4. **Plasmolysis**: As water leaves the bacterial cells, they lose their turgor pressure, leading to a condition called plasmolysis. During plasmolysis, the cell membrane pulls away from the cell wall, causing the cell to shrink.

5. **Cell Death**: When the bacterial cells become plasmolyzed and lose too much water, they can no longer function properly, leading to cell death. Without sufficient water, essential cellular processes cannot occur, ultimately resulting in the death of the bacteria.

6. **Conclusion**: Therefore, the reason bacteria cannot survive in a highly salted pickle is that they become plasmolyzed and consequently die.

**Correct Option**: The correct answer is that bacteria become plasmolized and consequently killed (Option 3).

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