Exam Questions and Answers
All microorganisms are best defined as organisms that:
A. cause human disease
B. lack a cell nucleus
C. are infectious particles
D. are too small to be seen with the unaided eye
E. can only be found growing in laboratories - Correct Answers: D. are too small to be seen with the
unaided eye
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 -
Correct Answers: 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 - Correct Answers: 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 - Correct Answers: 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 - Correct Answers: 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 - Correct Answers: 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 - Correct Answers: 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 - Correct Answers: 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 - Correct Answers: 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 - Correct Answers: 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 - Correct Answers: 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 - Correct Answers: 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 - Correct Answers: 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 - Correct Answers: 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 - Correct Answers: 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