VBS 2032 EXAM I QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY LATEST UPDATE 2026

VBS 2032 EXAM I QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY LATEST UPDATE 2026 What does the term "ubiquity" mean? - Answers everywhere What are some surprising places microbes are found? - Answers oceans vegetables How can microbes travel? - Answers air skin to skin We do not yet know the extent of microbial diversity. Why not? - Answers Many microbes have yet to be discovered What are three ways in which microbial activity is essential for life on this planet? - Answers Nitrogen fixation, Recycling, O2 production Where are several places microbial biofilms can be found in daily life? - Answers Plaque on your teeth, pacemakers, catheters What are two ways microbes have changed that impact healthcare? - Answers They can boost your immune system, they can help protect us from autoimmune diseases, they play defense Most microbes are not harmful. What are some reasons for this? - Answers They live where we do not go, they cannot survive in our environment Your friend recently ate a salad containing a brand of spinach that was recalled for contamination with E. coli. Can you explain to her the factors that will influence whether or not she becomes ill? - Answers (number of microbes x virulence of microbe) / host immunity What are some ways that the Chain of Infection can be broken? - Answers Washing your hands, sanitizing counters, vaccinations What is the "indoor microbiome?" - Answers Microbiomes that exist indoors where we live and spend most of our time. What is the "Hygiene Hypothesis" and how might dogs (and other animals) positively impact our health? - Answers The hygiene hypothesis is about how we are almost too clean now a days that not being exposed to these microbes could be hurting us. Animals could help bring in 'outside' microbes that can help us grow our immune systems. Why are pig whipworm eggs being considered for approval as a food ingredient in Germany? - Answers It is now believed that eating these pig whipworm eggs could be a health benefit. Why use pig whipworms instead of human whipworms? - Answers Pig whipworms would be unable to multiply in the human body which would help make effects not become harmful. What two scientists discovered microorganisms? - Answers Antony Van Leeuwenhoek Robert Hooke Is a virus considered a microorganism? Why or why not? - Answers No, because they are acellular and are not alive. What are some basic differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells? - Answers Prokaryotes have no nucleus while eukaryotes have a nucleus. What are the relative sizes of a human cell? - Answers 10-100 um What are the relative sizes of a protein? - Answers 10 nm What are the relative sizes of a virus? - Answers 100 nm What are the relative sizes of most bacteria? - Answers 1-10 um How are microorganisms named? - Answers genus and species Genus - Answers commonly named after the founder, can also be named after the shape Species - Answers name after the location lived Why did some scientists have difficulty achieving the same result as Pasteur with the swan‐necked flask? - Answers Since Pasteur used a yeast extract and sugar broth there were no heat resistant microbes in his broth. What two scientists helped explain the conflicting data? - Answers Tyndall and Cohn Tyndall - Answers found some microbes have a heat resistant form Cohn - Answers discovered endospores How could the potato salad have been prepared safely? - Answers If the potato salad was used with canned potatoes using the pressure cooker method the high temperature would have killed the endospores. Why was there only one fatality? - Answers There was only one fatality because the FMC, the Fairfield Department of Health, ODH, and CDC rapidly responded to confirm the diagnosis, identify and treat additional patients, and determine the source. The scientific name of an organism includes its A. family and genus. B. first name and last name. C. genus and species. D. domain. E. genus and species AND domain. - Answers C The idea of spontaneous generation postulated that A. organisms could evolve into the next generation of organisms. B. organisms could spontaneously combust. C. organisms could spontaneously arise from other living organisms. D. living organisms could spontaneously arise from non-living material. - Answers D What is a virulence factor? - Answers Things that make you sick Make your own version of table 3.3 in the book. What are the structures of the prokaryotic cell? What are the characteristics and functions of each? - Answers Lack membrane bound organelles DNA concentrated in middle of cell in nucleoid, ribosomes involved in protein synthesis (composed of proteins and rRNA) 16s is important, cytoplasmic membrane (semipermeable... phospholipids and membrane proteins) What parts of the cell can act as virulence factors? - Answers Flagella, pili, capsule What is a ribosome composed of? - Answers Proteins and rRNA What is the function of a ribosome? - Answers they are involved in protein synthesis What are the basic components of a cell membrane? - Answers Cell membranes are in all organisms, composed of phospholipids and are semi-permeable. What are some functions that membrane proteins serve? - Answers used for structure and protection How do bacteria move? How might this increase a pathogen's ability to cause disease? - Answers Bacteria can move by twitching, gliding and axial filaments, they can move with flagella and pili. What is "C. diff"? Why is it difficult to control in a hospital setting? - Answers C. diff is Clostridium difficile which causes colitis. It is hard to control in a hospital setting because it contains endospores which are resistant to heat, UV desiccation and toxic chemicals. Could penicillin be used to treat a patient with pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumonia? Why or why not? - Answers No, because Mycoplasma does not contain a cell wall which is what penicillin works against. A spherical bacterium would be called A. bacillus B. coccus C. spirillum D. vibrio - Answers B A research laboratory is investigating factors that would inhibit the growth of Archaea. One question they have is if adding the antibiotic penicillin would be effective in controlling growth. What do you think the outcome would be if they tried this? A. The penicillin wouldn't affect the Archaea because it prevents crosslinking of peptidoglycan-Archaea don't have this compound in their cell walls. B. The penicillin will inhibit cell wall formation in the Archaea, killing them. C. The penicillin will slow down the growth of the Archaea by damaging the cell wall, but they will still be able to grow somewhat. D. The penicillin will enhance the growth of the Archaea by providing a rich nutrient source. - Answers A Autotrophic - Answers self feeding Heterotrophs - Answers cannot self feed Chitin - Answers carb structure Saprophytes - Answers from on dead things Yeast - Answers unicellular fungus Mold - Answers multicellular fungus Mycobacteria - Answers have a waxy coating that prevents entry of gram stains Mycoplasma - Answers lack cell walls Myoeces - Answers infection Dimorphism - Answers have two forms yeasts or molds What properties of bacterial cell walls allow for discrimination by the Gram stain? - Answers gram positive have a thick peptidoglycan wall, gram negative has an extra cell outer membrane What properties of bacterial cell walls allow for discrimination by the Acid-fast stain? - Answers have a waxy coat that prevents the gram stain from staying What group of bacteria is considered "acid-fast"? - Answers mycobacteria; have a waxy coating that prevents entry of the gram stain What kinds of bacteria lack cell walls? - Answers mycoplasma What is an example of an obligate intracellular bacterium? - Answers Chlamydia What does obligate intracellular mean? - Answers have to live inside your cells What are the basic differences between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria? - Answers Gram Positive: have a thick peptidoglycan layer, stains, purple Gram Negative: have an extra membrane, outer membrane, pink, LPS What is a porin? - Answers pore, protein, allows certain things to come into the cell and some not What is the medical significance of LPS? - Answers important in gram - cell walls, stimulates immune system response Which group of bacteria is likely to be most resistant to disinfectants and antibiotics? Why? - Answers Gram positive, because they lack that extra semi permeable wall that gram negative has According to the Endosymbiotic Theory, what is the origin of mitochondria? - Answers double membrane, DNA sequence of chromosomes is similar to Rickettsia, similar ribosomes (70S) According to the Endosymbiotic Theory, what is the origin of chloroplasts? - Answers double membrane, DNA sequence similar of chromosomes is similar to cyanobacteria What is the function of cholesterol in some eukaryotic membranes? - Answers stabilizes some eukaryotic membranes How do bacteria maintain their shape? - Answers cholesterol gives membrane structure How are bacterial and eukaryotic ribosomes different? - Answers All ribosomes synthesis proteins Bacterial: 70S Eukaryotic: 80S Why don't most people get fungal lung infections? - Answers Fungus almost never enter the body and grow Algae and Protozoa share the following characteristics A. Both can be unicellular or multicellular B. Both have cell walls C. Both have nuclei D. In the body, both are trophozoites - Answers B What is the difference between an enveloped and non-enveloped virus? What is the envelope composed of and where do viruses obtain an envelope? - Answers Enveloped: nucleic acid and protein with a lipid bilayer outside the capsule Non-Enveloped: nucleic acid and protein What is lytic phages? - Answers attach, inject their genome, synthesize, assemble and burst What is temperate phage? - Answers attach, inject genome, viral genome is integrated (latent phase), viral genome is triggered for release then it returns back to the lytic phase ending, lyses/burst What is an example of a human disease caused by reactivation of a latent virus? - Answers cold sores How do viruses attach to cells? - Answers Attach to host cell membrane at receptor sites Why are there relatively few antiviral drugs (as opposed to antibacterial drugs)? - Answers Because viruses use the host cell's machinery to replicate and mutate quickly. You would be hurting your own cell make up. What is the difference between an acute, chronic and latent viral infection? Which one is most likely to spread when the host is asymptomatic? - Answers Acute: onset, hits you and leaves Chronic: onset, hits you and stays with you Latent: onset, hits you, leaves and then returns Is there a cure for prion disease? - Answers no Can viroids infect humans? - Answers no Viroids are known to infect A. All organisms B. Plant C. Algae D. Viruses E. Animals - Answers B An antiviral drug that binds to a viral spike protein would directly prevent A. Budding B. Protein Synthesis C. Nucleic Acid Replication D. Attachment E. Host Cell Lysis - Answers D What does the term generation time mean? How can the total number of cells in a population be calculated if the generation time is known? (What is the formula and can you use it?) - Answers The time it takes for the bacterial population to double Lag Phase - Answers preparing for growth Log Phase - Answers exponential Stationary Phase - Answers equal amount of cells dividing as dying Death Phase - Answers more cells dying than dividing Prolonged Decline - Answers bacteria not dividing, but still alive Planktonic - Answers free floating What is EPS? What does it do? - Answers Extracellular polymeric substances; coating in a biofilm What is an example of a way in which microbes can cooperate in a biofilm? - Answers Microbes that need O2 sit closed to the O2 and those that don't stay away What is a way in which microbes can compete in a biofilm? - Answers When multiple microbes need O2 to survive Why are microbes generally more resistant to antibiotics and disinfectants when growing in a biofilm? - Answers Due to their EPS biofilm extra layer and the fact that most cells are presistors at that point and are therefore resistant to antibiotics Why would an infection involving a biofilm be difficult to treat? Why might the microorganisms be difficult to identify? - Answers Infection involving a biofilm can be difficult because it can to hard to detect the cause of the infection because some microbes cannot be cultures, also many microbes in biofilms are resistant to antibiotic as they are not dividing. What are two enzymes that obligate aerobes and facultative anaerobes make that protect the cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS)? - Answers Catalase Superoxide dismutase Acidophile - Answers grow in a pH 5.5 Neutrophile - Answers live and multiply within a pH of 5-8, optimum 7 Why is salt a good preservative? - Answers Many microbes can live in areas with high salt concentration What is a chemoorganoheterotroph? - Answers use organic compounds for energy and Carbon What is a photoautotroph? - Answers use energy to make organic compounds from CO2 A bacterial species was isolated from the middle of a compost pile where the temperature was 55-65oC. The group that best describes this microorganism would be: A. Hyperthermophile B. Mesophile C. Thermophile D. Psychrotroph E. Psychrophile - Answers C Which statement about the stationary phase of bacterial growth is NOT true: A. bacteria have stopped dividing B. endospores may be formed C. growth is no longer exponential D. secondary metabolites are synthesize - Answers A Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) - Answers energy currency of cells Anabolism - Answers process that synthesizes and assembles the subunits of macromolecules, using ATP Catabolism - Answers process that harvest energy released from the breakdown of macromolecules Electron Transport Chain (ETC) - Answers group of membrane embedded electron carriers that pass electrons from one to another Enzyme - Answers a molecule, usually a protein, that functions as a catalyst, speeding up a biological reaction Fermentation - Answers metabolic process that stops short of oxidizing glucose or other organic compounds Oxidative Phosporylation - Answers synthesis of ATP using the energy of a proton motive force yield 34 ATP Precursor Metabolites - Answers metabolic intermediates that can be either made into subunits of macromolecules, or oxidized to generate ATP Proton Motive Force - Answers form of energy generated as an electron transport chain moves protons across a membrane Respiration - Answers metabolic process that transfers electrons stripped form a chemical energy source to an ETC Substrate Level Phosphorylation - Answers synthesis of ATP using energy released in an exergonic reaction yields 4 ATP Terminal Electron Acceptor - Answers chemical that is reduced Metabolism - Answers sum of all chemical reactions in a cell Photoautotroph - Answers energy from sunlight, carbon from organic compounds, photosynthesis Chemoorganoheterotrophs - Answers energy course and carbon source, organic compounds Reducing Power - Answers having electrons, have H+ What are precursor metabolites used for? - Answers generate ATP What are enzymes generally composed of? - Answers Proteins Why are enzymes necessary? - Answers They speed up reactions, control metabolites, lower activation energy Can enzymes be used again? - Answers Yes