Ask A Scientist© Molecular Biology Archive

name         Diane T.
status       educator
age          50s

Question -   Does freezing water remove
bacteria and cause it to
become unionized as boiling does ?
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To freeze bacteria in water does not do them any good,
and the number of viable organisms certainly goes
down, but not to zero, especially the spore-forming
bacteria will survive. Freezing is certainly less
efficient to kill bacteria than boiling is. I do not
know about unionizing the water.

Trudy Wassenaar
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Bacteria are adapted to living in every environmental niche on earth, from
boiling water springs to polar ice.  So it depends to which bacteria you are
referring.  Pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria are usually adapted to
living at human body temperature and freezing temps may kill them.  Some
however may just be inhibited from growing and when the conditions are right
again, can start multiplying.  You really can't make a general statement
about all bacteria being killed by freezing.

vanhoeck
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