A microbiologist is attempting to determine the size of a microbial population and has employed several methods. She noticed that the direct count she obtained using a counting chamber and microscope was much higher than her estimate from doing a viable plate count. This discrepancy was encountered during multiple trials. What is the most likely reason for the discrepancy?A. she counted incorrectly
B. she did not correctly do the serial dilutions prior to the viable plate count
C. many of the organisms viewed during the direct count may be dead
D. the medium and growth conditions used for the viable count will not support the growth of the organisms
E. more than one of the above but not all of the above