Questions: Question 5 1 pts Indicate the way in which alcohol affects bacterial cells. It coagulates proteins. Oxidation It causes mutations. It disrupts peptidoglycan.

The answer is the first one: It coagulates proteins.

Explanation for each option:

1. It coagulates proteins. - This is correct. Alcohol denatures proteins by causing them to coagulate, which disrupts the function of bacterial enzymes and structural proteins, leading to cell death.

2. Oxidation. - This is incorrect. Alcohol does not primarily kill bacteria through oxidation. Oxidation is a process more commonly associated with other disinfectants like hydrogen peroxide.

3. It causes mutations. - This is incorrect. Alcohol does not typically cause mutations in bacterial DNA. Its primary action is protein denaturation.

4. It disrupts peptidoglycan. - This is incorrect. Alcohol does not directly disrupt peptidoglycan, which is a component of bacterial cell walls. Antibiotics like penicillin target peptidoglycan synthesis.

In summary, alcohol primarily affects bacterial cells by coagulating proteins, which disrupts their normal function and leads to cell death.