Microbiology:
An Evolving Science
6th Edition
Test Bank
Comprehensive Chapter Practice Questions
& Exam Review Guide
Joan L. Slonczewski & John W. Foster
2025/2026 Edition
,TEST BANK FOR
Microbiology An Evolving Science, 6th Edition, John Foster & Joan Slonczewski Chapter 1-28
CHAPTER 1: Microbial Life: Origin and Discovery
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Viruses are:
a. infectious agents that infect multi-cellular organisms
b. noncellular particles that take over the metabolism of a cell to generate
more virus particles
c. pathogens that replicate in complex growth media
d. cellular particles that belong to the archaea domain
e. microbes that consist of lipid membrane enclosed genomes
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A | I.B
MSC: Remembering
2. Analysis of DNA sequences reveals:
a. the ancient convergence of two cell types, i.e., prokaryotes and eukaryotes
b. prokaryotes and eukaryotes evolved from a common ancestral cell
c. that bacteria share common ancestor with archaea, but not with eukarya
d. prokaryotes are cells with a nucleus
e. the genome of Haemophilus influenzae has about 2 billion base pairs
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A | I.B
MSC: Remembering
3. Which of these groups are considered to be microbes but NOT considered to be cells?
a. viruses d. protists
b. bacteria e. filamentous fungi
c. archaea
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A.i
MSC: Remembering
4. A microbe is commonly defined as:
a. a virus that requires a microscope to be seen
b. a bacterium that requires a microscope to be seen
c. a single-cellular prokaryote that requires a microscope to be seen
d. a multicellular eukaryote that requires a microscope to be seen
e. a living organism that requires a microscope to be seen
ANS: E DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A.i | I.A.ii
MSC: Remembering
5. Which one of the following statements regarding microbial cells is NOT true?
a. Microbial cells acquire food, gain energy to build themselves, and
respond to environmental change.
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, b. Most single-celled organisms require a microscope to render them visible,
but some bacterial cells are large enough to be seen with naked eyes.
c. Microbes function as individual entities.
d. Many microbes form complex multicellular assemblages.
e. Viruses are not considered as microbial cells.
ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A.i | I.A.ii
MSC: Remembering
6. Which of the following statements is FALSE?
a. A genome is the total genetic information contained in an organism’s chromosomal DNA.
b. If a microbe’s genome includes genes for nitrogenase, that microbe probably
can fix nitrogen.
c. By comparing DNA sequences of different organisms, we can figure out how
closely related they are.
d. Fred Sanger developed the first applicable DNA sequencing method.
e. Fred Sanger completed the sequences of Haemophilus influenzae.
ANS: E DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.B
MSC:
Remembering
7. The first cellular genomes to be sequenced were those of:
a. humans d. prions
b. bacteria e. fungi
c. viruses
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.B.i
MSC:
Remembering
8. The environment of early Earth may have contained all of the following EXCEPT:
a. ferrous iron d. oxygen
b. methane e. hydrogen gas
c. ammonia
ANS: D DIF: Easy REF: Special Topic
TOP: 1.1 MSC: Remembering
II.D
9. The development of the theory of the ―RNA world‖ resulted from the discovery of:
a. archaea d. ribozymes
b. prions e. endosymbionts
c. bacteria
ANS: D DIF: Medium REF: Special Topic
TOP: 1.1 MSC: Remembering
II.D
10. Which microbes may resemble those of the earliest life forms?
a. archaea d. cyanobacteria
b. photosynthetic algae e. protists
c. viruses
ANS: A DIF: Medium REF: Special Topic 1.1
TOP: II.D MSC: Remembering
11. Early metabolism may have been catalyzed by:
a. DNA d. amino acids
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, b. RNA e. carbohydrates
c. protein
ANS: B DIF: Medium REF: Special Topic 1.1
TOP: II.D MSC: Remembering
12. Which of the following diseases accounts for more than half of all human mortality?
a. cardiovascular disease d. microbial disease
b. cancer e. strokes
c. accidents
ANS: D DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A
MSC: Remembering
13. Which century is known as the golden age of microbiology?
a. the seventeenth d. the twentieth
b. the eighteenth e. the twenty-first
c. the nineteenth
ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A
MSC: Remembering
14. All of the following have been found in mummies and tomb art EXCEPT:
a. tuberculosis d. smallpox
b. polio e. AIDS
c. leprosy
ANS: E DIF: Medium REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A.i
MSC: Remembering
15. How did European invaders to North America kill much of the native population?
a. tuberculosis d. HIV
b. leprosy e. bubonic plague
c. smallpox
ANS: C DIF: Medium REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A.i
MSC: Remembering
16. Nightingale:
a. is better known as the founder of professional nursing
b. was the first to use disinfectant to demonstrate the significance of aseptic technique
c. developed the pie chart of mortality data during the Crimean War
d. performed the first controlled experiment on the chemical conversion of matter,
known today as chemotherapy
e. all of the above
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A.ii
MSC: Remembering
17. Who developed the concept of medical statistics?
a. Francis Crick d. Louis Pasteur
b. Florence Nightingale e. Alexander Fleming
c. Edward Jenner
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A.ii
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An Evolving Science
6th Edition
Test Bank
Comprehensive Chapter Practice Questions
& Exam Review Guide
Joan L. Slonczewski & John W. Foster
2025/2026 Edition
,TEST BANK FOR
Microbiology An Evolving Science, 6th Edition, John Foster & Joan Slonczewski Chapter 1-28
CHAPTER 1: Microbial Life: Origin and Discovery
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Viruses are:
a. infectious agents that infect multi-cellular organisms
b. noncellular particles that take over the metabolism of a cell to generate
more virus particles
c. pathogens that replicate in complex growth media
d. cellular particles that belong to the archaea domain
e. microbes that consist of lipid membrane enclosed genomes
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A | I.B
MSC: Remembering
2. Analysis of DNA sequences reveals:
a. the ancient convergence of two cell types, i.e., prokaryotes and eukaryotes
b. prokaryotes and eukaryotes evolved from a common ancestral cell
c. that bacteria share common ancestor with archaea, but not with eukarya
d. prokaryotes are cells with a nucleus
e. the genome of Haemophilus influenzae has about 2 billion base pairs
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A | I.B
MSC: Remembering
3. Which of these groups are considered to be microbes but NOT considered to be cells?
a. viruses d. protists
b. bacteria e. filamentous fungi
c. archaea
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A.i
MSC: Remembering
4. A microbe is commonly defined as:
a. a virus that requires a microscope to be seen
b. a bacterium that requires a microscope to be seen
c. a single-cellular prokaryote that requires a microscope to be seen
d. a multicellular eukaryote that requires a microscope to be seen
e. a living organism that requires a microscope to be seen
ANS: E DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A.i | I.A.ii
MSC: Remembering
5. Which one of the following statements regarding microbial cells is NOT true?
a. Microbial cells acquire food, gain energy to build themselves, and
respond to environmental change.
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, b. Most single-celled organisms require a microscope to render them visible,
but some bacterial cells are large enough to be seen with naked eyes.
c. Microbes function as individual entities.
d. Many microbes form complex multicellular assemblages.
e. Viruses are not considered as microbial cells.
ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A.i | I.A.ii
MSC: Remembering
6. Which of the following statements is FALSE?
a. A genome is the total genetic information contained in an organism’s chromosomal DNA.
b. If a microbe’s genome includes genes for nitrogenase, that microbe probably
can fix nitrogen.
c. By comparing DNA sequences of different organisms, we can figure out how
closely related they are.
d. Fred Sanger developed the first applicable DNA sequencing method.
e. Fred Sanger completed the sequences of Haemophilus influenzae.
ANS: E DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.B
MSC:
Remembering
7. The first cellular genomes to be sequenced were those of:
a. humans d. prions
b. bacteria e. fungi
c. viruses
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.B.i
MSC:
Remembering
8. The environment of early Earth may have contained all of the following EXCEPT:
a. ferrous iron d. oxygen
b. methane e. hydrogen gas
c. ammonia
ANS: D DIF: Easy REF: Special Topic
TOP: 1.1 MSC: Remembering
II.D
9. The development of the theory of the ―RNA world‖ resulted from the discovery of:
a. archaea d. ribozymes
b. prions e. endosymbionts
c. bacteria
ANS: D DIF: Medium REF: Special Topic
TOP: 1.1 MSC: Remembering
II.D
10. Which microbes may resemble those of the earliest life forms?
a. archaea d. cyanobacteria
b. photosynthetic algae e. protists
c. viruses
ANS: A DIF: Medium REF: Special Topic 1.1
TOP: II.D MSC: Remembering
11. Early metabolism may have been catalyzed by:
a. DNA d. amino acids
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, b. RNA e. carbohydrates
c. protein
ANS: B DIF: Medium REF: Special Topic 1.1
TOP: II.D MSC: Remembering
12. Which of the following diseases accounts for more than half of all human mortality?
a. cardiovascular disease d. microbial disease
b. cancer e. strokes
c. accidents
ANS: D DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A
MSC: Remembering
13. Which century is known as the golden age of microbiology?
a. the seventeenth d. the twentieth
b. the eighteenth e. the twenty-first
c. the nineteenth
ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A
MSC: Remembering
14. All of the following have been found in mummies and tomb art EXCEPT:
a. tuberculosis d. smallpox
b. polio e. AIDS
c. leprosy
ANS: E DIF: Medium REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A.i
MSC: Remembering
15. How did European invaders to North America kill much of the native population?
a. tuberculosis d. HIV
b. leprosy e. bubonic plague
c. smallpox
ANS: C DIF: Medium REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A.i
MSC: Remembering
16. Nightingale:
a. is better known as the founder of professional nursing
b. was the first to use disinfectant to demonstrate the significance of aseptic technique
c. developed the pie chart of mortality data during the Crimean War
d. performed the first controlled experiment on the chemical conversion of matter,
known today as chemotherapy
e. all of the above
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A.ii
MSC: Remembering
17. Who developed the concept of medical statistics?
a. Francis Crick d. Louis Pasteur
b. Florence Nightingale e. Alexander Fleming
c. Edward Jenner
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A.ii
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