A Student Complains That It Makes No Sense to Worry

question 57

Multiple Choice

A student complains that it makes no sense to worry about coliform bacteria in water, since we naturally have harmless coliforms in our intestines anyway. Is the student correct?

• A) No. The coliforms in our intestines are usually harmful, causing intestinal infections. We need to constantly be on guard against this happening. Coliforms in water might add to this potential problem.
• B) No. Not all coliforms are harmless to humans. It's best to keep coliforms OUT of our drinking water, since it's difficult to identify which ones might be harmless and which ones might be harmful.
• C) No. Multiple types of coliforms in water might lead to greater antibiotic resistance in other aquatic bacteria, creating an environmental problem.
• D) Yes. Regulatory agencies that monitor coliform levels in water simply need something to do to justify their existence. There is no real danger from coliforms in water supplies.
• E) No. Clean water should not have any bacteria in it at all, so if any are present, they automatically pose a health risk to anyone swimming in or drinking that water.

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Definitions:

Modern Psychologists

Specialists in psychology who focus on current theories and practices to understand human behavior and mental processes.

Ineffable

Describing an experience, feeling, or quality that is too great or extreme to be expressed in words.

Conscious Experiences

The felt aspect of being aware of internal or external existence, encompassing thoughts, feelings, and perceptions.

Blindsight

The ability of a person with a lesion in the visual cortex to reach toward or correctly “guess” about objects in the visual field even though the person reports seeing nothing.