Question

Which one of the following statements is not true?

• A. Prebiotics are not organisms
• B. Probiotics are required by the probiotic organism
• C. Prebiotics competitively inhibits the pathogenic organism
• D. Prebiotics help to promote the growth of probiotic organisms

Hint:

Prebiotics = Food for the microbes.
Probiotics = The beneficial live microbes.
Recognizing this basic distinction makes the tautology in option (B) easy to identify as false.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Probiotics are live beneficial microorganisms, while prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients (usually oligosaccharides) that selectively stimulate the growth and activity of these beneficial microbes.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Let us evaluate each statement:
1. Option (A): "Prebiotics are not organisms" — This is true. Prebiotics are carbohydrate compounds (like FOS, GOS, inulin) and not living cells.
2. Option (B): "Probiotics are required by the probiotic organism" — This statement is false and chemically/biologically nonsensical. Probiotics are the beneficial organisms themselves.
3. Option (C): "Prebiotics competitively inhibits the pathogenic organism" — This is true. By feeding beneficial microbes, they populate the gut and exclude pathogens (competitive exclusion).
4. Option (D): "Prebiotics help to promote the growth of probiotic organisms" — This is true, as prebiotics serve as selective nutrients for beneficial gut flora.

Step 4: Final Answer
The correct option is (B).