Medical Microbiology final Latest Questions and
Answers (2026) | Updated Comprehensive
Review with Detailed Rationales | A+ Verified
Which of the following is a difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
A. prokaryotes have a cell wall, while eukaryotes do not
B. prokaryotes have multiple linear chromosomes while eukaryotes have a single, circle
chromosome
C. eukaryotes have no membrane bound organelles, while prokaryotes do contain them
D. prokaryotes have a nucleus while eukaryotes do not
E. prokaryotes contain the bacteria and archea, while eukaryotes include all other living
organisms -✓✓E. prokaryotes contain the bacteria and archea, while eukaryotes include
all other living organisms
Which of the following is found in ALL bacterial cells?
A. flagella
B. cell wall
C. pili
D. spore
E. none of the above -✓✓E. none of the above
Microbes are beneficial in that they have been used to:
A. treat waste water
B. clean up toxic spills
C. decompose organic material
D. all of the above
E. none of the above -✓✓D. all of the above
Scientists use microbes to produce drugs, hormones, and enzymes. This type of
biotechnology involves the transfer of foreign genetic material into a microbe, a process
called:
A. recombinant DNA technology
B. gene therapy
C. bioremediation
D. polymerase chain reaction -✓✓A. recombinant DNA technology
Which of the following is the smallest cause of infectious disease?
A. protozoans
B. bacteria
C. helminths
D. viruses
E. none of the above -✓✓D. viruses
,Gram negative bacteria differ from gram positive in that they:
A. are non-pathogenic
B. do not have a cell wall
C. have flagella
D. have an outer membrane surrounding the cell wall
E. none of the above -✓✓D. have an outer membrane surrounding the cell wall
Which of the following is mismatched?
A. ribosomes - protein synthesis
B. inclusions - excess cell nutrients and materials
C. plasmids - genes essential for growth and metabolism
D. nucleoid - hereditary material
E. cytoplasm - dense, gelatinous solution -✓✓C. plasmids - genes essential for growth
and metabolism
Bacterial endospores are not produced by:
A. staphylococcus
B. bacillus
C. clostridium
D. all of the choices produce endospores -✓✓A. staphylococcus
Which of the following is a unique characteristic of viruses that distinguishes them from
other major groups of microorganisms?
A. cause human disease
B. lack a nucleus
C. cannot be seen without a microscope
D. contain genetic material
E. lack cell structure -✓✓E. lack cell structure
Koch's postulates are criteria used to establish that:
A. microbes are found on dust particles
B. a specific microbe is the cause of a specified disease
C. life forms can only arise from preexisting life forms
D. a specific microbe should be classified in a specific kingdom
E. microbes can be used to clean up toxic spills -✓✓B. a specific microbe is the cause
of a specified disease
Which scientific field is involved in the identification, classification, and naming or
organisms?
A. nomenclature
B. taxonomy
C. phylogeny
D. woesean classification
E. none of the choices is correct -✓✓B. taxonomy
Select the correct descending taxonomic hierarchy (left to right):
, A. family, order, class
B. family, genus, species
C. genus, species, family
D. class, phylum, order
E. kingdom, domain, phylum -✓✓B. family, genus, species
Which of the following is a scientific name?
A. gram-positive streptococcus
B. staphylococcus
C. staphylococcus pyogenes
D. anthrax
E. streptobacilli -✓✓C. staphylococcus pyogenes
Aseptic technique aims to reduce the number of microbes in medical settings, thus
preventing wound infection and disease. These techniques were first introduced in a
surgical setting by:
A. Joseph Lister
B. Robert Hooke
C. Louis Pasteur
D. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek -✓✓A. Joseph Lister
The difference in cell wall structure of Mycobacterium and Norcardia compared to the
typical gram-positive bacterial cell wall structure is:
A. more peptidoglycan
B. predominance of unique, waxy lipids
C. easily decolorized
D. presence of lipopolysaccharide
E. all of the choices are correct -✓✓B. predominance of unique, waxy lipids
A capsule surrounding a bacterium may allow:
A. transfer of plasmids carrying drug resistance genes
B. evasion of the human immune response
C. adhesion to host cells
D. increased phagocytosis -✓✓B. evasion of the human immune response
Which of the following allows bacteria to survive under extremely harsh conditions?
A. pili
B. flagella
C. capsules
D. plasmids
E. endospores -✓✓E. endospores
The term that refers to the purposeful addition of microorganisms into a laboratory
nutrient medium is:
A. isolation
B. inoculation
Answers (2026) | Updated Comprehensive
Review with Detailed Rationales | A+ Verified
Which of the following is a difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
A. prokaryotes have a cell wall, while eukaryotes do not
B. prokaryotes have multiple linear chromosomes while eukaryotes have a single, circle
chromosome
C. eukaryotes have no membrane bound organelles, while prokaryotes do contain them
D. prokaryotes have a nucleus while eukaryotes do not
E. prokaryotes contain the bacteria and archea, while eukaryotes include all other living
organisms -✓✓E. prokaryotes contain the bacteria and archea, while eukaryotes include
all other living organisms
Which of the following is found in ALL bacterial cells?
A. flagella
B. cell wall
C. pili
D. spore
E. none of the above -✓✓E. none of the above
Microbes are beneficial in that they have been used to:
A. treat waste water
B. clean up toxic spills
C. decompose organic material
D. all of the above
E. none of the above -✓✓D. all of the above
Scientists use microbes to produce drugs, hormones, and enzymes. This type of
biotechnology involves the transfer of foreign genetic material into a microbe, a process
called:
A. recombinant DNA technology
B. gene therapy
C. bioremediation
D. polymerase chain reaction -✓✓A. recombinant DNA technology
Which of the following is the smallest cause of infectious disease?
A. protozoans
B. bacteria
C. helminths
D. viruses
E. none of the above -✓✓D. viruses
,Gram negative bacteria differ from gram positive in that they:
A. are non-pathogenic
B. do not have a cell wall
C. have flagella
D. have an outer membrane surrounding the cell wall
E. none of the above -✓✓D. have an outer membrane surrounding the cell wall
Which of the following is mismatched?
A. ribosomes - protein synthesis
B. inclusions - excess cell nutrients and materials
C. plasmids - genes essential for growth and metabolism
D. nucleoid - hereditary material
E. cytoplasm - dense, gelatinous solution -✓✓C. plasmids - genes essential for growth
and metabolism
Bacterial endospores are not produced by:
A. staphylococcus
B. bacillus
C. clostridium
D. all of the choices produce endospores -✓✓A. staphylococcus
Which of the following is a unique characteristic of viruses that distinguishes them from
other major groups of microorganisms?
A. cause human disease
B. lack a nucleus
C. cannot be seen without a microscope
D. contain genetic material
E. lack cell structure -✓✓E. lack cell structure
Koch's postulates are criteria used to establish that:
A. microbes are found on dust particles
B. a specific microbe is the cause of a specified disease
C. life forms can only arise from preexisting life forms
D. a specific microbe should be classified in a specific kingdom
E. microbes can be used to clean up toxic spills -✓✓B. a specific microbe is the cause
of a specified disease
Which scientific field is involved in the identification, classification, and naming or
organisms?
A. nomenclature
B. taxonomy
C. phylogeny
D. woesean classification
E. none of the choices is correct -✓✓B. taxonomy
Select the correct descending taxonomic hierarchy (left to right):
, A. family, order, class
B. family, genus, species
C. genus, species, family
D. class, phylum, order
E. kingdom, domain, phylum -✓✓B. family, genus, species
Which of the following is a scientific name?
A. gram-positive streptococcus
B. staphylococcus
C. staphylococcus pyogenes
D. anthrax
E. streptobacilli -✓✓C. staphylococcus pyogenes
Aseptic technique aims to reduce the number of microbes in medical settings, thus
preventing wound infection and disease. These techniques were first introduced in a
surgical setting by:
A. Joseph Lister
B. Robert Hooke
C. Louis Pasteur
D. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek -✓✓A. Joseph Lister
The difference in cell wall structure of Mycobacterium and Norcardia compared to the
typical gram-positive bacterial cell wall structure is:
A. more peptidoglycan
B. predominance of unique, waxy lipids
C. easily decolorized
D. presence of lipopolysaccharide
E. all of the choices are correct -✓✓B. predominance of unique, waxy lipids
A capsule surrounding a bacterium may allow:
A. transfer of plasmids carrying drug resistance genes
B. evasion of the human immune response
C. adhesion to host cells
D. increased phagocytosis -✓✓B. evasion of the human immune response
Which of the following allows bacteria to survive under extremely harsh conditions?
A. pili
B. flagella
C. capsules
D. plasmids
E. endospores -✓✓E. endospores
The term that refers to the purposeful addition of microorganisms into a laboratory
nutrient medium is:
A. isolation
B. inoculation
