BIOLOGY MAJOR FIELD EXAMS 2026.pdf 1. Document information

BIOLOGY MAJOR FIELD EXAMS 2026/2027 QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔Acidophiles - ✔✔Microorganisms whose optimum growth is between a pH of 0.0-5.5

Fungi & Algae

✔✔Neutrophiles - ✔✔Microorganisms whose optimum growth is between a pH of 5.5 -
8.0

Most bacteria

✔✔Alkalophiles - ✔✔Microorganisms whose optimum growth is between 8.5-11.5

✔✔Buffers - ✔✔Prevent drastic pH changes

Normally a phosphate

✔✔Psychophiles - ✔✔Microorganisms whose optimum growth is at low temperatures
(0-20C)

✔✔Mesophiles - ✔✔Microorganisms whose optimum growth is at temperatures
between 15-45C

✔✔Thermophiles - ✔✔Microorganisms whose optimum growth is at temperatures
between 45-80C

✔✔Hyperthermophiles - ✔✔Microorganisms whose optimum growth is at temperatures
between 80-113C

✔✔Aerobes - ✔✔Organisms that are capable of living in the presence of O2

✔✔Anaerobes - ✔✔Organisms that are capable of living in the absence of O2

✔✔Obligate Aerobes - ✔✔Organisms that can only grow in the presence of O2

✔✔Obligate Anaerobes - ✔✔Organisms that can only grow in the absence of O2

✔✔Facultative Anaerobes - ✔✔Organisms that do not require the presence of O2 to
grow but grow best in its presence

✔✔Aero-tolerant - ✔✔Organisms that are indifferent to the levels of O2

,✔✔Biofilms - ✔✔Communities of microorganisms that cling together to a surface to
provide community protection against drugs and antibiotics

✔✔Quorum Sensing - ✔✔Method of density-dependent bacterial cell communication

✔✔Fungi Characteristics - ✔✔Spore-bearing
Eukaryotic
Lack chlorophyll
Reproduce a/sexually
Primarily terrestrial - yeasts, molds, mushrooms

✔✔Fungi - Thallus - ✔✔Body/vegetative structure

✔✔Fungi - Hyphae - ✔✔A long, branched, thread-like filament of cells needed growth
due to increased turgor pressure against hyphae cell membranes

✔✔Spore - ✔✔Reproductive structure adapted for dispersal and survival in unfavorable
conditions

✔✔Mycorrhizal symbionts - ✔✔Form mutualistic relationships with the root systems of
plants by providing access to phosphorus

✔✔Protist Characteristics - ✔✔-Eukaryotic
-Lack unified tissue organization
-Single celled
-A/Sexual reproductive phases
-Cytoplasm
-Vacuoloes
-Mitochondria(-like) structure
-Cilia/Flagella

✔✔Protozoa - ✔✔Chemoheterotrophic protists

✔✔Algae - ✔✔Photoautotrophic protists

✔✔Bacteria shape: cocci - ✔✔spherically shaped

✔✔Bacteria shape: bacilli - ✔✔rod-shaped

✔✔Bacteria shaped: spirochetes/spirilla - ✔✔Spiral shaped

✔✔Bacteria Cell Organization - ✔✔-Plasma membrane
-Ribosomes
-Inclusion bodies

, -Nucleoid
-Cell wall
-Capsule
-Periplasmic space
-Pili
-Flagella

✔✔Bacteria cell inclusion bodies - ✔✔storage of carbon, phosphate, and other
materials

✔✔Bacteria cell periplasmic space - ✔✔contains hydrolytic enzymes and binding
proteins for nutrient processing and uptake

✔✔Ribosome sites and centers:A site, P site, E site, and peptidyltransferase center -
✔✔A site: Aminoacyl site - site in the ribosome that BINDS the incoming aminoacyl-
tRNA (anticodon)

P site: Peptidyl site - site in the ribosome to which a rRA with a growing polypeptide
chain is bound

E site: exit site - site on the ribosome where the deacylated tRNA is found

Peptidyltransferase center - site in the large ribosomal subunit at which the joining of
two amino acids is catalyzed

✔✔Bacteria Plasmid - ✔✔Small, double stranded piece of DNA that exists and
replicated independently of the bacterial chromosome; usually circular

✔✔Endospore - ✔✔An extremely heat and chemical resistant, dormant, thick walled
spore that develops within bacteria

develops in response to lack of nutrients

✔✔Refraction - ✔✔The deflection of a light ray from a straight path as it passed from
one medium to another

✔✔Robert Hooke (1635-1703) - ✔✔Credited with the first publication of microscopic
organisms "cells"

✔✔Antony van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) - ✔✔Father of microbiology

✔✔Prokaryotes - ✔✔Lack a cell nucleus
Lack membrane bound organells

Bacteria and Archaea