,Test Bank For Microbiology: An Evolving Science, 6th Edition
by Joan L. Slonczewski | All Chapters (Newest Edition 2026)
Already graded A+ 2026 Upgraded
Chapter 1: Microbial Life: Origin and Discovery
MULTIPLE CHOICES
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
b. bacteria
c. archaea
d. protists
e. filamentous fungi
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.
b. Microbial cells evolve rapidly to display new biological properties.
c. Microbial cells include both pathogens and beneficial species.
d. Microbial cells are all microscopic and cannot be seen without a microscope.
e. Microbial cells can exist as single cells or in multicellular communities.
ANS: D DIF: Medium REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A.ii MSC: Analyzing
6. The first person to observe and describe microorganisms using a simple microscope
was:
a. Robert Hooke
b. Louis Pasteur
c. Ferdinand Cohn
d. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
e. Robert Koch
ANS: D DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A MSC: Remembering
7. The theory of spontaneous generation stated that:
a. life arises only from preexisting life
b. microorganisms cause disease
c. living organisms can arise from nonliving matter
d. all cells come from other cells
e. microbes evolve over time
ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.B MSC: Remembering
8. Which experiment most directly disproved the theory of spontaneous generation for
microorganisms?
a. Koch's postulates using anthrax bacteria
b. Pasteur's swan-neck flask experiment
c. Leeuwenhoek's observation of "animalcules"
d. Hooke's observation of fungal hyphae
e. Woese's rRNA sequencing studies
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.B MSC: Understanding
, 9. Louis Pasteur's contributions to microbiology include all of the following EXCEPT:
a. development of the germ theory of disease
b. development of vaccines for rabies and anthrax
c. demonstration that fermentation is caused by microorganisms
d. development of the process of pasteurization
e. discovery of the structure of DNA
ANS: E DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.C MSC: Remembering
10. Koch's postulates are used to:
a. prove that a specific microorganism causes a specific disease
b. classify bacteria into taxonomic groups
c. determine the evolutionary relationships between microbes
d. sterilize laboratory equipment
e. measure microbial growth in culture
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.D MSC: Remembering
11. Which of the following is NOT a requirement of Koch's postulates?
a. The same pathogen must be present in every case of the disease.
b. The pathogen must be isolated from the diseased host and grown in pure culture.
c. The pathogen must be shown to contain DNA as its genetic material.
d. The cultured pathogen must cause the same disease when inoculated into a healthy
host.
e. The same pathogen must be re-isolated from the experimentally infected host.
ANS: C DIF: Medium REF: 1.2 TOP: II.D MSC: Understanding
12. The development of the electron microscope allowed microbiologists to:
a. observe living microorganisms in real time
b. visualize viruses and internal cellular structures
c. grow microbes in pure culture
d. prove that DNA is the genetic material
e. sequence entire microbial genomes
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.3 TOP: III.A MSC: Remembering
13. The three-domain system of classification divides all living organisms into:
a. Prokaryota, Eukaryota, and Viruses
b. Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya
c. Monera, Protista, and Animalia
d. Eubacteria, Archaebacteria, and Protista
e. Plants, Animals, and Fungi
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.3 TOP: III.B MSC: Remembering
by Joan L. Slonczewski | All Chapters (Newest Edition 2026)
Already graded A+ 2026 Upgraded
Chapter 1: Microbial Life: Origin and Discovery
MULTIPLE CHOICES
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
b. bacteria
c. archaea
d. protists
e. filamentous fungi
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.
b. Microbial cells evolve rapidly to display new biological properties.
c. Microbial cells include both pathogens and beneficial species.
d. Microbial cells are all microscopic and cannot be seen without a microscope.
e. Microbial cells can exist as single cells or in multicellular communities.
ANS: D DIF: Medium REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A.ii MSC: Analyzing
6. The first person to observe and describe microorganisms using a simple microscope
was:
a. Robert Hooke
b. Louis Pasteur
c. Ferdinand Cohn
d. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
e. Robert Koch
ANS: D DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A MSC: Remembering
7. The theory of spontaneous generation stated that:
a. life arises only from preexisting life
b. microorganisms cause disease
c. living organisms can arise from nonliving matter
d. all cells come from other cells
e. microbes evolve over time
ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.B MSC: Remembering
8. Which experiment most directly disproved the theory of spontaneous generation for
microorganisms?
a. Koch's postulates using anthrax bacteria
b. Pasteur's swan-neck flask experiment
c. Leeuwenhoek's observation of "animalcules"
d. Hooke's observation of fungal hyphae
e. Woese's rRNA sequencing studies
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.B MSC: Understanding
, 9. Louis Pasteur's contributions to microbiology include all of the following EXCEPT:
a. development of the germ theory of disease
b. development of vaccines for rabies and anthrax
c. demonstration that fermentation is caused by microorganisms
d. development of the process of pasteurization
e. discovery of the structure of DNA
ANS: E DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.C MSC: Remembering
10. Koch's postulates are used to:
a. prove that a specific microorganism causes a specific disease
b. classify bacteria into taxonomic groups
c. determine the evolutionary relationships between microbes
d. sterilize laboratory equipment
e. measure microbial growth in culture
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.D MSC: Remembering
11. Which of the following is NOT a requirement of Koch's postulates?
a. The same pathogen must be present in every case of the disease.
b. The pathogen must be isolated from the diseased host and grown in pure culture.
c. The pathogen must be shown to contain DNA as its genetic material.
d. The cultured pathogen must cause the same disease when inoculated into a healthy
host.
e. The same pathogen must be re-isolated from the experimentally infected host.
ANS: C DIF: Medium REF: 1.2 TOP: II.D MSC: Understanding
12. The development of the electron microscope allowed microbiologists to:
a. observe living microorganisms in real time
b. visualize viruses and internal cellular structures
c. grow microbes in pure culture
d. prove that DNA is the genetic material
e. sequence entire microbial genomes
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.3 TOP: III.A MSC: Remembering
13. The three-domain system of classification divides all living organisms into:
a. Prokaryota, Eukaryota, and Viruses
b. Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya
c. Monera, Protista, and Animalia
d. Eubacteria, Archaebacteria, and Protista
e. Plants, Animals, and Fungi
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.3 TOP: III.B MSC: Remembering
