WGU D311 MICROBIOLOGY 2026 STUDY FOR OA QUESTION AND ANSWERS
What is a characteristic of rhizospheres? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The rhizosphere is where plants
release organic compounds that can be metabolized by microbes into soil.
Which environment would contain microbes that are psychrophilic? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Glaciers
What is the role of nematodes in soil? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅They photosynthesize and fix nitrogen.
Which eukaryote is responsible for producing antibiotics to ward off bacterial competitors? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Fungi
Which symbiotic relationship is an example of mutualism? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The relationship
between humans and the Escherichia coli colonizing the human gut
Which type of symbiotic relationship exists between the Escherichia coli (E. coli) that inhabit the human
gut and the humans who utilize the vitamin K produced by E. coli? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Mutualism
Which description of resident microbiota is true? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Resident microbiota
constantly live on the human body.
Which relationship is exhibited by intestinal Escherichia coli and their human host? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Mutualism
Which type of disease is transmitted from animals to humans? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Zoonotic
diseases
Which type of disease is acquired in hospital settings? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Nosocomial diseases
Which portal of exit can expel the most viral particles? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Respiratory
,Which type of disease is sickle cell anemia? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Noninfectious
Which type of transmission occurs when tuberculosis is spread through small particles expelled by a
cough? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Droplet transmission
Which type of transmission occurs when pathogens are spread from mother to child during
breastfeeding? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Vertical direct contact transmission
Which type of transmission occurs when an arthropod carries a viral pathogen inside of its body? -
CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Biological vector transmission
Which type of transmission occurs through contact with a fomite? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Indirect
contact transmission
Which infected host would be considered a passive carrier? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A healthcare
professional who does not wash their hands after seeing an infected patient
How is Giardia lamblia, the causative agent of giardiasis, transmitted? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Contaminated food or water
Which organism is the definitive host of Toxoplasma gondii? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Birds
Which disease is transmitted by animals but not arthropods? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Rabies
How can adhesins be described? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Adhesins found on the surface of pathogens
bind to receptors of host cells.
Which description indicates a portal of entry? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Body features through which
pathogens can enter host tissue
, Pathogens produce proteins to prevent the fusion of the phagosome and the lysosome
(phagolysosome).Why does this virulence factor facilitate invasion? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅It prevents
the exposure of pathogens to lethal digestive enzymes.
Which action refers to a secondary infection? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅An infection by one pathogen
enables another pathogen to cause an infection.
What differentiates signs from symptoms of disease? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Signs are measurable;
symptoms are subjective.
Which procedure does a clinician use to measure a symptom? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Asking patients
to rate pain on a numerical scale
During which stage of an infection does a patient feel the worst? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The period of
illness stage
What defines the end of the incubation period for an infectious disease? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The
appearance of nonspecific signs or symptoms of disease
How does the epidermis help prevent infection and disease? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅It provides a harsh
environment for most pathogens and periodically sheds
How does the complement system contribute to the innate immune response? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅It is composed of proteins that can be activated by the presence of pathogens to form the
membrane attack complex (MAC).
Why are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) considered an innate immune function? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅AMPs are produced both routinely and as a response to pathogens.
Which terms refer to monocytes when they differentiate into tissue-specific phagocytes? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Macrophages and dendritic cells
What is a characteristic of rhizospheres? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The rhizosphere is where plants
release organic compounds that can be metabolized by microbes into soil.
Which environment would contain microbes that are psychrophilic? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Glaciers
What is the role of nematodes in soil? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅They photosynthesize and fix nitrogen.
Which eukaryote is responsible for producing antibiotics to ward off bacterial competitors? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Fungi
Which symbiotic relationship is an example of mutualism? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The relationship
between humans and the Escherichia coli colonizing the human gut
Which type of symbiotic relationship exists between the Escherichia coli (E. coli) that inhabit the human
gut and the humans who utilize the vitamin K produced by E. coli? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Mutualism
Which description of resident microbiota is true? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Resident microbiota
constantly live on the human body.
Which relationship is exhibited by intestinal Escherichia coli and their human host? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Mutualism
Which type of disease is transmitted from animals to humans? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Zoonotic
diseases
Which type of disease is acquired in hospital settings? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Nosocomial diseases
Which portal of exit can expel the most viral particles? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Respiratory
,Which type of disease is sickle cell anemia? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Noninfectious
Which type of transmission occurs when tuberculosis is spread through small particles expelled by a
cough? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Droplet transmission
Which type of transmission occurs when pathogens are spread from mother to child during
breastfeeding? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Vertical direct contact transmission
Which type of transmission occurs when an arthropod carries a viral pathogen inside of its body? -
CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Biological vector transmission
Which type of transmission occurs through contact with a fomite? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Indirect
contact transmission
Which infected host would be considered a passive carrier? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A healthcare
professional who does not wash their hands after seeing an infected patient
How is Giardia lamblia, the causative agent of giardiasis, transmitted? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Contaminated food or water
Which organism is the definitive host of Toxoplasma gondii? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Birds
Which disease is transmitted by animals but not arthropods? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Rabies
How can adhesins be described? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Adhesins found on the surface of pathogens
bind to receptors of host cells.
Which description indicates a portal of entry? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Body features through which
pathogens can enter host tissue
, Pathogens produce proteins to prevent the fusion of the phagosome and the lysosome
(phagolysosome).Why does this virulence factor facilitate invasion? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅It prevents
the exposure of pathogens to lethal digestive enzymes.
Which action refers to a secondary infection? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅An infection by one pathogen
enables another pathogen to cause an infection.
What differentiates signs from symptoms of disease? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Signs are measurable;
symptoms are subjective.
Which procedure does a clinician use to measure a symptom? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Asking patients
to rate pain on a numerical scale
During which stage of an infection does a patient feel the worst? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The period of
illness stage
What defines the end of the incubation period for an infectious disease? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The
appearance of nonspecific signs or symptoms of disease
How does the epidermis help prevent infection and disease? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅It provides a harsh
environment for most pathogens and periodically sheds
How does the complement system contribute to the innate immune response? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅It is composed of proteins that can be activated by the presence of pathogens to form the
membrane attack complex (MAC).
Why are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) considered an innate immune function? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅AMPs are produced both routinely and as a response to pathogens.
Which terms refer to monocytes when they differentiate into tissue-specific phagocytes? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Macrophages and dendritic cells
