UPSC Prelims 2021 question on Culturing Microbes Artificial Medium

Statement by statement

Statement 1 – CORRECT: Microbes like bacteria can be grown on nutritive media to form colonies that can be seen with the naked eyes. Such cultures are useful in studies on micro-organisms.

Statement 2 – CORRECT: Fungi can also be grown on nutritive media to form colonies. Such cultures are useful in studies on micro-organisms.

Statement 3 – INCORRECT: Unlike bacteria, many of which can be grown on an artificial nutrient medium, viruses require a living host cell for replication. Infected host cells (eukaryotic or prokaryotic) can be cultured and grown, and then the growth medium can be harvested as a source of virus.