With reference to the microorganisms involved in production, identify the odd combination.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Lactic acid - industrial product
Bread, Penicillin, and Biogas are all products where the combination of the product and its use/category is accurate and commonly known. The odd one is likely related to Lactic Acid. While lactic acid is produced industrially, its primary association as a product of microorganisms in a biological context is often with curd/yogurt (a household food product), rather than a purely industrial chemical product, which may be the intended contrast. However, Lactic Acid is also a major industrial chemical.
- Bread - house hold product: Bread is a food/household product made using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. (Accurate)
- Penicillin - antibiotic: Penicillin is the classic example of an antibiotic drug produced by the fungus Penicillium notatum. (Accurate)
- Biogas - energy source: Biogas (primarily methane) is a major energy source and biofuel produced by methanogenic bacteria. (Accurate)
- Lactic acid - industrial product: While lactic acid is a major industrial product used to make PLA plastics, cosmetics, etc., in the context of common microbial products, it is often more directly associated with food/fermentation products like curd, yogurt, and cheese. The combination is considered "odd" because:
Lactic acid itself is primarily a direct metabolite of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and the agent that creates the food product (yogurt/curd), whereas the others are the final products/categories.