, Chapter 1: An Invisible World j j j j
* = Correct answer
j j j
Multiple Choice
j j
1. Which of the following is true of the microbial world?
j j j j j j j j j
A. All microbes are harmful.
j j j
B. Humans could survive without microbes. j j j j
C. Many microbes are helpful.* j j j
D. Most microbes are pathogenic. j j j
Difficulty: Easy j
ASM Standard: 23, 24
j j j
2. Which of the following is when humans first suspected the existence of microbes?
j j j j j j j j j j j j
A. during the Industrial Revolution j j j
B. in prehistoric times*
j j
C. in the last century
j j j
D. within the last 500 years j j j j
Difficulty: Easy j
ASMStandard:23
j j j
3. Which individual first observed unicellular organisms, which he called
j j j j j j j j
“animalcules,” using a microscope he developed?
j j j j j j
A. Robert Koch j
B. Louis Pasteur j
C. Thucydides
D. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek* j j
Difficulty: Easy j
ASMStandard:6
j j j
4. To reduce the risk of open flame from Bunsen burners, microbiologists are
j j j j j j j j j j j
increasingly using which of the following devices for easy, rapid benchtop
j j j j j j j j j j j
sterilization of small pieces of equipment?
j j j j j j
A. autoclaves
B. ethylene oxide j
C. incubators
D. microincinerators*
Difficulty: Easy j
ASMStandard:36
j j j
,5. The Swedish botanist known for having developed an important biological
j j j j j j j j j
classification system is which of the following people?
j j j j j j j j
A. Ernst Haeckel j
B. Carolus Linnaeus* j
C. Louis Pasteur j
D. Robert Whittaker j
Difficulty: Easy j
ASMStandard:N/A
j j j
6. Which kingdom was the only one found in Empire Prokaryota?
j j j j j j j j j
A. Animalia
B. Fungi
C. Monera*
D. Protista
Difficulty: Easy j
ASMStandard:N/A
j j j
7. Which are the three currently accepted domains?
j j j j j j
A. Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya* j j j
B. Archaea, Prokaryota, and Eukaryota j j j
C. Bacteria, Fungi, and Protista j j j
D. Bacteria, Prokaryota, and Eukarya j j j
Difficulty: Easy j
ASMStandard:N/A
j j j
8. Which two taxonomic units are typically used to identify an organism when using
j j j j j j j j j j j j
binomial nomenclature?
j j
A. domain and kingdom j j
B. genus and family j j
C. genus and species* j j
D. phylum and class j j
Difficulty: Easy j
ASMStandard:N/A
j j j
9. Which of the following is not true about the process of fermentation?
j j j j j j j j j j j
A. It can help preserve foods, preventing spoilage.
j j j j j j
B. It converts sugars to organic acids, alcohols, and/or gases such as carbon dioxide.
j j j j j j j j j j j j
C. It is carried out exclusively by unicellular eukaryotes such as yeast.*
j j j j j j j j j j
D. It is used to make foods such as cheese and bread.
j j j j j j j j j j
Difficulty: Moderate j
ASM Standard: 11, 23, 26
j j j j
, 10. The Romans may have reduced their risk of waterborne infectious diseases by using
j j j j j j j j j j j j
jwhich of the following?j j j
A. a variety of pharmaceutical products
j j j j
B. aqueducts and a sewer system* j j j j
C. prophylactic antibiotics j
D. quarantine of people with leprosy j j j j
Difficulty:Moderate j
ASM Standard: 23
j j j
11. For which of the following is Thucydides known?
j j j j j j j
A. developing an effective sewer system in ancient Greece, helping to reduce j j j j j j j j j j
jlevels of disease in cities
j j j j
B. observing microbes, using a microscope, for the first time, even distinguishing j j j j j j j j j j
jbetween bacteria and fungi j j j
C. proposing that disease was caused by microorganisms j j j j j j
D. realizing that people who had been infected by the Athenian plague had j j j j j j j j j j j
jimmunity to reinfection* j j
Difficulty: Moderate j
ASMStandard:23,31
j j j j
12. Ernst Haeckel proposed a classification system consisting of which of the
j j j j j j j j j j
jfollowing subgroups? j
A. five kingdoms j
B. four kingdoms* j
C. two domains and three kingdoms
j j j j
D. two domains and five kingdoms
j j j j
Difficulty: Moderate j
ASM Standard: N/A
j j j
13. Viruses not included in phylogenetic trees for which of the following reasons?
j j j j j j j j j j j
A. It is too difficult to observe their characteristics.
j j j j j j j
B. They are acellular and nonliving.* j j j j
C. They do not have any genes, which prevents genetic analysis.
j j j j j j j j j
D. They lack a nucleus. j j j
Difficulty:Moderate j
ASM Standard: 5
j j j
14. Which is the best description of the primary purpose of a phylogeny?
j j j j j j j j j j j
A. Phylogenies show all the alterative names for each species. j j j j j j j j
B. Phylogenies show all the common names for each species. j j j j j j j j
C. Phylogenies show evolutionary relatedness between organisms.* j j j j j
* = Correct answer
j j j
Multiple Choice
j j
1. Which of the following is true of the microbial world?
j j j j j j j j j
A. All microbes are harmful.
j j j
B. Humans could survive without microbes. j j j j
C. Many microbes are helpful.* j j j
D. Most microbes are pathogenic. j j j
Difficulty: Easy j
ASM Standard: 23, 24
j j j
2. Which of the following is when humans first suspected the existence of microbes?
j j j j j j j j j j j j
A. during the Industrial Revolution j j j
B. in prehistoric times*
j j
C. in the last century
j j j
D. within the last 500 years j j j j
Difficulty: Easy j
ASMStandard:23
j j j
3. Which individual first observed unicellular organisms, which he called
j j j j j j j j
“animalcules,” using a microscope he developed?
j j j j j j
A. Robert Koch j
B. Louis Pasteur j
C. Thucydides
D. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek* j j
Difficulty: Easy j
ASMStandard:6
j j j
4. To reduce the risk of open flame from Bunsen burners, microbiologists are
j j j j j j j j j j j
increasingly using which of the following devices for easy, rapid benchtop
j j j j j j j j j j j
sterilization of small pieces of equipment?
j j j j j j
A. autoclaves
B. ethylene oxide j
C. incubators
D. microincinerators*
Difficulty: Easy j
ASMStandard:36
j j j
,5. The Swedish botanist known for having developed an important biological
j j j j j j j j j
classification system is which of the following people?
j j j j j j j j
A. Ernst Haeckel j
B. Carolus Linnaeus* j
C. Louis Pasteur j
D. Robert Whittaker j
Difficulty: Easy j
ASMStandard:N/A
j j j
6. Which kingdom was the only one found in Empire Prokaryota?
j j j j j j j j j
A. Animalia
B. Fungi
C. Monera*
D. Protista
Difficulty: Easy j
ASMStandard:N/A
j j j
7. Which are the three currently accepted domains?
j j j j j j
A. Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya* j j j
B. Archaea, Prokaryota, and Eukaryota j j j
C. Bacteria, Fungi, and Protista j j j
D. Bacteria, Prokaryota, and Eukarya j j j
Difficulty: Easy j
ASMStandard:N/A
j j j
8. Which two taxonomic units are typically used to identify an organism when using
j j j j j j j j j j j j
binomial nomenclature?
j j
A. domain and kingdom j j
B. genus and family j j
C. genus and species* j j
D. phylum and class j j
Difficulty: Easy j
ASMStandard:N/A
j j j
9. Which of the following is not true about the process of fermentation?
j j j j j j j j j j j
A. It can help preserve foods, preventing spoilage.
j j j j j j
B. It converts sugars to organic acids, alcohols, and/or gases such as carbon dioxide.
j j j j j j j j j j j j
C. It is carried out exclusively by unicellular eukaryotes such as yeast.*
j j j j j j j j j j
D. It is used to make foods such as cheese and bread.
j j j j j j j j j j
Difficulty: Moderate j
ASM Standard: 11, 23, 26
j j j j
, 10. The Romans may have reduced their risk of waterborne infectious diseases by using
j j j j j j j j j j j j
jwhich of the following?j j j
A. a variety of pharmaceutical products
j j j j
B. aqueducts and a sewer system* j j j j
C. prophylactic antibiotics j
D. quarantine of people with leprosy j j j j
Difficulty:Moderate j
ASM Standard: 23
j j j
11. For which of the following is Thucydides known?
j j j j j j j
A. developing an effective sewer system in ancient Greece, helping to reduce j j j j j j j j j j
jlevels of disease in cities
j j j j
B. observing microbes, using a microscope, for the first time, even distinguishing j j j j j j j j j j
jbetween bacteria and fungi j j j
C. proposing that disease was caused by microorganisms j j j j j j
D. realizing that people who had been infected by the Athenian plague had j j j j j j j j j j j
jimmunity to reinfection* j j
Difficulty: Moderate j
ASMStandard:23,31
j j j j
12. Ernst Haeckel proposed a classification system consisting of which of the
j j j j j j j j j j
jfollowing subgroups? j
A. five kingdoms j
B. four kingdoms* j
C. two domains and three kingdoms
j j j j
D. two domains and five kingdoms
j j j j
Difficulty: Moderate j
ASM Standard: N/A
j j j
13. Viruses not included in phylogenetic trees for which of the following reasons?
j j j j j j j j j j j
A. It is too difficult to observe their characteristics.
j j j j j j j
B. They are acellular and nonliving.* j j j j
C. They do not have any genes, which prevents genetic analysis.
j j j j j j j j j
D. They lack a nucleus. j j j
Difficulty:Moderate j
ASM Standard: 5
j j j
14. Which is the best description of the primary purpose of a phylogeny?
j j j j j j j j j j j
A. Phylogenies show all the alterative names for each species. j j j j j j j j
B. Phylogenies show all the common names for each species. j j j j j j j j
C. Phylogenies show evolutionary relatedness between organisms.* j j j j j
