Microbiology: A Systems Approach 4th Edition by Marjorie Kelly Cowan

Exercise 8

Critical thinking is the ability to reason and solve problems using facts and concepts. These questions can be approached from a number of angles and, in most cases, they do not have a single correct answer.
While preparing food for the class picnic, Morgan introduces 20 bacterial cells into the pasta salad.
a. During the 3 hours prior to the picnic, the salad sits at room temperature in the classroom. How many bacterial cells are now present, assuming that the generation time is 20 minutes
b. Using principles learned in this and previous chapters, explain how the microbial contamination of the salad could have been prevented or reduced.