MICROBIOLOGY FINAL BRCC
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026
FULL QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◍ A 15-year-old dirt-bike rider visiting southern California the first time has
developed pneumonia. The causative organism has environmental form that
consists of hyphae that break up into arthroconidia, which become airborne.
What is the agent?
A. Aspergillus fumigatus
B. Blastomyces dermatitidis
C. Coccidioides immitis
D. Histoplasma capsulatum
E. Sporothrix schenckii.
Answer: C. Coccidioides immitis
◍ Microorganism.
Answer: are organisms that are too small to see with the unaided eye
◍ A filamentous fungus subunit is a
A. Coenocyte
B. Hypha
C. Mycelium
D. Septum
E. Yeast.
Answer: B. Hypha
◍ A florist presents with a subcutaneous lesion on the hand, which she thinks
resulted from a jab wound she received while she was making a sphagnum
moss-wire frame for a floral wreath. The nodule has ulcerated and not
, healed despite use of antibacterial cream, and a new nodule is forming
above the original lesion. What is most likely to be an appropriate treatment
for this infection?
A. Oral itraconazole or potassium iodide
B. Miconazole cream
C. Cortisone cream
D. Oral griseofulvin
E. Penicillin.
Answer: A. Oral itraconazole or potassium iodide
◍ examples of microorganisms.
Answer: bacteria fungiprotozoamicroscopic algaeviruses
◍ what kind of microscope do you use when you are working with
microorganisms you can't see?.
Answer: bright field microscope
◍ what are the different magnifications of a bright field microscope.
Answer: 4x10x40x100x
◍ what is the kind of microscope that you use when looking at a virus.
Answer: electron microscope
◍ what are the different magnifications of the electron microscope.
Answer: 1 mil 2 mil10 mil
◍ How are microbes helpful.
Answer: decompose organic wastegenerate O2produce chemical products
such as ethanol and othersproduce fermented foods ex: vinegar, cheese, and
bread produce products used in manufacturing ex: cellulose and insulin
◍ How many microbes are pathogenic out of all the microorganisms.
Answer: 70/10 mil
◍ A noncompliant, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patient has
been complaining of a stiff neck and a severe headache. The headache was
initially lessened by analgesics, but the analgesics are no longer effective.
, His current CD4+ count is 180/mm3. He is not on any prophylactic drugs.
What is the most likely causative agent?
A. Aspergillus
B. Cryptococcus
C. Candida
D. Malassezia
E. Sporothrix.
Answer: B. Cryptococcus
◍ what knowledge do microbes give humans.
Answer: prevent diseasesallow food storage and prevent food spoilagesstop
transmission of diseases
◍ A normally healthy 8-year-old boy from Florida is visiting friends on a farm
in Iowa during the month of July. He presents on July 28 with a fever,
cough, and lower respiratory symptoms (no upper respiratory tract
symptoms). He has been ill for 4 days. His chest sounds are consistent with
pneumonia, so a chest radiograph is obtained. The radiograph shows small,
patchy infiltrates with hilar adenopathy. His blood smear shows small,
nondescript yeast forms inside monocytic cells. What is the most likely
causative agent?
A. Aspergillus fumigatus
B. Blastomyces dermatitidis
C. Coccidioides immitis
D. Histoplasma capsulatum
E. Pneumocystis jiroveci.
Answer: D. Histoplasma capsulatum
◍ Microbiology.
Answer: the study of organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye
◍ microbial ecology.
Answer: the study of the relationship between microorganisms and their
environment
◍ A patient has a dry, scaly, erythematous penis. Skin scales stained with
, calcofluor white show fluorescent blue-white yeasts and a few
pseudohyphae. What is the causative agent of this dermatophytic look-alike?
A. Candida
B. Trichosporon
C. Trichophyton
D. Malassezia
E. Microsporum.
Answer: A. Candida
◍ competitive exclusion.
Answer: a way to kill the bad bacteria - change in the pH - secrete enzymes-
eat the food
◍ A patient has splotchy hypopigmentation on the chest and back with only
slight itchiness. What is most likely to be seen on a KOH mount of the skin
scraping?
A. Yeasts, pseudohyphae, and true hyphae
B. Filaments with lots of arthroconidia
C. Clusters of round fungal cells with short, curved, septate hyphae
D. Darkly pigmented, round cells with sharp interior septations
E. Cigar-shaped yeasts.
Answer: C. Clusters of round fungal cells with short, curved, septate hyphae
◍ A patient presents with paranasal swelling and bloody exudate from both his
eyes and nares, and he is nearly comatose. Necrotic tissue in the nasal
turbinates show nonseptate hyphae consistent with Rhizopus, Mucor, or
Absidia (phylum Zygomycota, class Phycomycetes). What is the most likely
compromising condition underlying this infection?
A. AIDS
B. Ketoacidotic diabetes
C. Neutropenia
D. B-cell defects
E. Chronic sinusitis.
Answer: B. Ketoacidotic diabetes
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026
FULL QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◍ A 15-year-old dirt-bike rider visiting southern California the first time has
developed pneumonia. The causative organism has environmental form that
consists of hyphae that break up into arthroconidia, which become airborne.
What is the agent?
A. Aspergillus fumigatus
B. Blastomyces dermatitidis
C. Coccidioides immitis
D. Histoplasma capsulatum
E. Sporothrix schenckii.
Answer: C. Coccidioides immitis
◍ Microorganism.
Answer: are organisms that are too small to see with the unaided eye
◍ A filamentous fungus subunit is a
A. Coenocyte
B. Hypha
C. Mycelium
D. Septum
E. Yeast.
Answer: B. Hypha
◍ A florist presents with a subcutaneous lesion on the hand, which she thinks
resulted from a jab wound she received while she was making a sphagnum
moss-wire frame for a floral wreath. The nodule has ulcerated and not
, healed despite use of antibacterial cream, and a new nodule is forming
above the original lesion. What is most likely to be an appropriate treatment
for this infection?
A. Oral itraconazole or potassium iodide
B. Miconazole cream
C. Cortisone cream
D. Oral griseofulvin
E. Penicillin.
Answer: A. Oral itraconazole or potassium iodide
◍ examples of microorganisms.
Answer: bacteria fungiprotozoamicroscopic algaeviruses
◍ what kind of microscope do you use when you are working with
microorganisms you can't see?.
Answer: bright field microscope
◍ what are the different magnifications of a bright field microscope.
Answer: 4x10x40x100x
◍ what is the kind of microscope that you use when looking at a virus.
Answer: electron microscope
◍ what are the different magnifications of the electron microscope.
Answer: 1 mil 2 mil10 mil
◍ How are microbes helpful.
Answer: decompose organic wastegenerate O2produce chemical products
such as ethanol and othersproduce fermented foods ex: vinegar, cheese, and
bread produce products used in manufacturing ex: cellulose and insulin
◍ How many microbes are pathogenic out of all the microorganisms.
Answer: 70/10 mil
◍ A noncompliant, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patient has
been complaining of a stiff neck and a severe headache. The headache was
initially lessened by analgesics, but the analgesics are no longer effective.
, His current CD4+ count is 180/mm3. He is not on any prophylactic drugs.
What is the most likely causative agent?
A. Aspergillus
B. Cryptococcus
C. Candida
D. Malassezia
E. Sporothrix.
Answer: B. Cryptococcus
◍ what knowledge do microbes give humans.
Answer: prevent diseasesallow food storage and prevent food spoilagesstop
transmission of diseases
◍ A normally healthy 8-year-old boy from Florida is visiting friends on a farm
in Iowa during the month of July. He presents on July 28 with a fever,
cough, and lower respiratory symptoms (no upper respiratory tract
symptoms). He has been ill for 4 days. His chest sounds are consistent with
pneumonia, so a chest radiograph is obtained. The radiograph shows small,
patchy infiltrates with hilar adenopathy. His blood smear shows small,
nondescript yeast forms inside monocytic cells. What is the most likely
causative agent?
A. Aspergillus fumigatus
B. Blastomyces dermatitidis
C. Coccidioides immitis
D. Histoplasma capsulatum
E. Pneumocystis jiroveci.
Answer: D. Histoplasma capsulatum
◍ Microbiology.
Answer: the study of organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye
◍ microbial ecology.
Answer: the study of the relationship between microorganisms and their
environment
◍ A patient has a dry, scaly, erythematous penis. Skin scales stained with
, calcofluor white show fluorescent blue-white yeasts and a few
pseudohyphae. What is the causative agent of this dermatophytic look-alike?
A. Candida
B. Trichosporon
C. Trichophyton
D. Malassezia
E. Microsporum.
Answer: A. Candida
◍ competitive exclusion.
Answer: a way to kill the bad bacteria - change in the pH - secrete enzymes-
eat the food
◍ A patient has splotchy hypopigmentation on the chest and back with only
slight itchiness. What is most likely to be seen on a KOH mount of the skin
scraping?
A. Yeasts, pseudohyphae, and true hyphae
B. Filaments with lots of arthroconidia
C. Clusters of round fungal cells with short, curved, septate hyphae
D. Darkly pigmented, round cells with sharp interior septations
E. Cigar-shaped yeasts.
Answer: C. Clusters of round fungal cells with short, curved, septate hyphae
◍ A patient presents with paranasal swelling and bloody exudate from both his
eyes and nares, and he is nearly comatose. Necrotic tissue in the nasal
turbinates show nonseptate hyphae consistent with Rhizopus, Mucor, or
Absidia (phylum Zygomycota, class Phycomycetes). What is the most likely
compromising condition underlying this infection?
A. AIDS
B. Ketoacidotic diabetes
C. Neutropenia
D. B-cell defects
E. Chronic sinusitis.
Answer: B. Ketoacidotic diabetes
