Question

select the independent clause.
because bacteria and viruses can be transmitted from one patient to another,
physicians must sterilize all reusable medical and surgical equipment.
submit

Explanation:

An independent clause can stand alone as a complete sentence, having a subject and a predicate that expresses a full thought. The first part starts with "Because", making it a dependent (subordinate) clause that cannot stand alone. The second part has a subject ("physicians") and a predicate ("must sterilize all reusable medical and surgical equipment") that forms a complete, standalone thought.

Answer:

physicians must sterilize all reusable medical and surgical equipment.