NVCC Bio 150 Exam 1 questions with verified
answers
List several ways in which microbes affect our lives. Ans✓✓-A lot of ways
Define microbiome, normal microbiota, and transient microbiota. Ans✓✓-
Microbiome- The collective community of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses,
fungi, etc.) and their genetic material in a specific environment, such as the
human body.
Normal Human Microbiota-The stable, resident microorganisms that naturally live
on or in a healthy host, contributing to health by aiding in digestion, protecting
against pathogens, and supporting immune function.
Transient Microbiota- Microorganisms that temporarily colonize a host but do not
establish a long-term presence, often introduced through environmental contact
or brief interactions.
Recognize the system of scientific nomenclature that uses two names: a genus
and a specific epithet. Ans✓✓-Genus then specific epithet. Italicized or underline
with first word capitalized
Differentiate the major characteristics of each group of microorganisms. Ans✓✓-
Bacteria- Prokaryotes, no nucleus, no membrae bound organelles, peptidoglycan
cell walls
Archaea- prokaryotes, no peptidoglycan, extreme halophiles, closer to eukarya
than bacteria though
Eukarya- Fungi, Alga, Animals, Protozoa, Helminths
List the three domains. Ans✓✓-Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya
,Protozoa Ans✓✓-are unicellular eukaryotic microbes. Protozoa move by
pseudopods, flagella, or cilia. Protozoa have a variety of shapes and live either as
free entities or as parasites (organisms that derive nutrients from living hosts)
that absorb or ingest organic compounds from their environment
Algae Ans✓✓-are photosynthetic eukaryotes with a wide variety of shapes and
both sexual and asexual reproductive forms The algae of interest to
microbiologists are usually unicellular (see Chapter 12). The cell walls of many
algae are composed of a carbohydrate called cellulose.
Explain the importance of observations made by Hooke and van Leeuwenhoek.
Ans✓✓-Hooke- Discovery of cells
Van Leeuwenhoek- microscopy
Compare spontaneous generation and biogenesis. Ans✓✓-Spontaneous
generation is the theory that living organisms arise from nonliving matter because
they would see flies coming out of manure and maggots coming out of dead
animals and see microorganisms appear in liquids after a day or two.
Biogenesis is the Theory that living cells can arise only from preexisting living cells
Identify the contributions to microbiology made by Needham, Spallanzani,
Virchow, and Pasteur. Ans✓✓-Needham- Supported spontaneous generation
with experiments suggesting that boiling did not kill all microbial life, leading to
the belief that life could arise spontaneously.
Spallanzani- Refuted Needham's findings by showing that boiling broth in sealed
flasks prevented microbial growth, supporting the theory that life does not
spontaneously generate but comes from preexisting life.
, Virchow- Formulated the principle of biogenesis, stating that all cells arise from
preexisting cells, which contradicted the idea of spontaneous generation.
Pasteur- Biogenesis, vaccines, pastuerization
Explain how Pasteur's work influenced Lister and Koch. Ans✓✓-Lister- Applied
Pasteur's germ theory to surgery, developing antiseptic techniques to prevent
infections- carbolic acid, greatly reducing surgical wound infections.
Built on Pasteur's germ theory to establish Koch's postulates, a set of criteria for
linking specific microorganisms to specific diseases, and developed methods for
isolating and culturing bacteria, advancing the understanding and diagnosis of
infectious diseases.
Identify the importance of Koch's postulates. Ans✓✓-Identify the microorganism
associated with a disease.
Isolate and grow it in pure culture.
Reproduce the disease in a healthy host using the cultured pathogen.
Re-isolate the pathogen from the experimentally infected host. This framework
helped establish the germ theory of disease and improved disease diagnosis and
treatment.
Identify the importance of Jenner's work. Ans✓✓-Jenner's work was pivotal for
developing the smallpox vaccine. By demonstrating that vaccination with cowpox
provided immunity against smallpox, Jenner established the principle of
vaccination.
Identify the contributions to microbiology made by Ehrlich and Fleming. Ans✓✓-
Ehrlich: Developed the concept of selective toxicity and discovered the first
answers
List several ways in which microbes affect our lives. Ans✓✓-A lot of ways
Define microbiome, normal microbiota, and transient microbiota. Ans✓✓-
Microbiome- The collective community of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses,
fungi, etc.) and their genetic material in a specific environment, such as the
human body.
Normal Human Microbiota-The stable, resident microorganisms that naturally live
on or in a healthy host, contributing to health by aiding in digestion, protecting
against pathogens, and supporting immune function.
Transient Microbiota- Microorganisms that temporarily colonize a host but do not
establish a long-term presence, often introduced through environmental contact
or brief interactions.
Recognize the system of scientific nomenclature that uses two names: a genus
and a specific epithet. Ans✓✓-Genus then specific epithet. Italicized or underline
with first word capitalized
Differentiate the major characteristics of each group of microorganisms. Ans✓✓-
Bacteria- Prokaryotes, no nucleus, no membrae bound organelles, peptidoglycan
cell walls
Archaea- prokaryotes, no peptidoglycan, extreme halophiles, closer to eukarya
than bacteria though
Eukarya- Fungi, Alga, Animals, Protozoa, Helminths
List the three domains. Ans✓✓-Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya
,Protozoa Ans✓✓-are unicellular eukaryotic microbes. Protozoa move by
pseudopods, flagella, or cilia. Protozoa have a variety of shapes and live either as
free entities or as parasites (organisms that derive nutrients from living hosts)
that absorb or ingest organic compounds from their environment
Algae Ans✓✓-are photosynthetic eukaryotes with a wide variety of shapes and
both sexual and asexual reproductive forms The algae of interest to
microbiologists are usually unicellular (see Chapter 12). The cell walls of many
algae are composed of a carbohydrate called cellulose.
Explain the importance of observations made by Hooke and van Leeuwenhoek.
Ans✓✓-Hooke- Discovery of cells
Van Leeuwenhoek- microscopy
Compare spontaneous generation and biogenesis. Ans✓✓-Spontaneous
generation is the theory that living organisms arise from nonliving matter because
they would see flies coming out of manure and maggots coming out of dead
animals and see microorganisms appear in liquids after a day or two.
Biogenesis is the Theory that living cells can arise only from preexisting living cells
Identify the contributions to microbiology made by Needham, Spallanzani,
Virchow, and Pasteur. Ans✓✓-Needham- Supported spontaneous generation
with experiments suggesting that boiling did not kill all microbial life, leading to
the belief that life could arise spontaneously.
Spallanzani- Refuted Needham's findings by showing that boiling broth in sealed
flasks prevented microbial growth, supporting the theory that life does not
spontaneously generate but comes from preexisting life.
, Virchow- Formulated the principle of biogenesis, stating that all cells arise from
preexisting cells, which contradicted the idea of spontaneous generation.
Pasteur- Biogenesis, vaccines, pastuerization
Explain how Pasteur's work influenced Lister and Koch. Ans✓✓-Lister- Applied
Pasteur's germ theory to surgery, developing antiseptic techniques to prevent
infections- carbolic acid, greatly reducing surgical wound infections.
Built on Pasteur's germ theory to establish Koch's postulates, a set of criteria for
linking specific microorganisms to specific diseases, and developed methods for
isolating and culturing bacteria, advancing the understanding and diagnosis of
infectious diseases.
Identify the importance of Koch's postulates. Ans✓✓-Identify the microorganism
associated with a disease.
Isolate and grow it in pure culture.
Reproduce the disease in a healthy host using the cultured pathogen.
Re-isolate the pathogen from the experimentally infected host. This framework
helped establish the germ theory of disease and improved disease diagnosis and
treatment.
Identify the importance of Jenner's work. Ans✓✓-Jenner's work was pivotal for
developing the smallpox vaccine. By demonstrating that vaccination with cowpox
provided immunity against smallpox, Jenner established the principle of
vaccination.
Identify the contributions to microbiology made by Ehrlich and Fleming. Ans✓✓-
Ehrlich: Developed the concept of selective toxicity and discovered the first
