One method of counting bacteria that does NOT suffer from a major disadvantage of a “cell count” is a A. plate count. B. smear count. C. membrane filter count. D. serial-dilution count. E. turbidimetric count.

The first thing to do is to understand what each of these methods involve. A plate count is a method that involves spreading a diluted sample of bacteria on an agar plate and counting the colonies that form. A smear count involves preparing a smear of the sample on a slide and looking at it under a microscope. A membrane filter count is conducted by passing a sample through a filter that collects the bacteria which are then stained and counted under a microscope. A serial-dilution count involves diluting the sample in a series of steps and using a plate count on the dilutions. Turbidimetric count involves the measurement of the cloudiness of a bacterial culture in a liquid medium as an indicator of bacterial growth.

The cell count method involves direct counting of individual cells which can be quite time-consuming and inaccurate due to the small size and vast number of bacteria. If we compare this to the methods listed, it seems that each of them can have similar challenges. Especially smear count and membrane filter count since they also involve individually counting cells under a microscope.

Now, looking at these methods, it becomes clear that the serial-dilution count method doesn't involve identifying individual bacterial cells. Instead, it focuses on counting colonies which can be more accurate and less time-consuming than counting individual cells. So, this method doesn’t suffer from the same disadvantage as a cell count.