TEST BANK FOR
MICROBIOLOGY: AN
INTRODUCTION 14TH
EDITION BY GERARD J.
TORTORA, BERDELL R.
FUNKE & CHRISTINE L.
CASE| 9780138200398| ALL
CHAPTERS 1-28| LATEST
Test Bank for Microbiology: An Introduction, 14th
Edition (Tortora, Funke & Case)
Instructions: This exam contains 200 multiple-choice questions covering all 28 chapters.
Each question has one best answer. Correct answers are bolded, followed by a rationale
and chapter reference.
Chapter 1: The Microbial World and You
1. Microorganisms are involved in each of the following processes EXCEPT:
,A) Infection
B) Decomposition of organic material
C) O₂ production
D) Food production
E) Smog production
Rationale: Microorganisms play essential roles in infection, decomposition, oxygen
production (photosynthesis), and food production (fermentation). Smog production is
primarily a chemical process involving pollutants from combustion, not a direct function
of microorganisms .
2. Each of the following organisms would be considered a microbe EXCEPT:
A) Yeast
B) Protozoan
C) Bacterium
D) Mushroom
E) Virus
Rationale: Mushrooms are macroscopic fungi visible to the naked eye, while yeasts,
protozoa, bacteria, and viruses are microscopic. Although mushrooms are studied in
mycology, they are not classified as microbes due to their visible size .
3. The term used to describe a disease-causing microorganism is:
A) Microbe
B) Bacterium
C) Virus
D) Pathogen
E) Infection
,Rationale: A pathogen is any microorganism capable of causing disease. "Microbe" and
"bacterium" are general terms, while "infection" refers to the invasion and multiplication
of pathogens in the body .
4. Common commercial benefits of microorganisms include synthesis of:
A) Riboflavin
B) Acetone
C) Insulin
D) Aspirin
E) Riboflavin, acetone, and insulin
Rationale: Microorganisms are used industrially to produce riboflavin (vitamin B₂),
acetone (via fermentation), and insulin (via recombinant DNA technology). Aspirin is
chemically synthesized .
5. What factors contribute to the rising incidence of antibiotic resistance?
A) Overuse of specific drugs
B) Misuse of specific drugs
C) Random mutations in bacterial genomes
D) Random mutations, overuse, and misuse of specific drugs
E) Overuse and misuse of specific drugs
Rationale: Antibiotic resistance arises from random genetic mutations in bacteria,
combined with the selective pressure created by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.
This allows resistant strains to proliferate .
6. The formal system for classifying and naming organisms was developed by:
A) Robert Koch
B) Ignaz Semmelweis
C) Aristotle
, D) Carolus Linnaeus
E) Louis Pasteur
Rationale: Carolus Linnaeus developed the binomial system of nomenclature for
classifying and naming organisms. Robert Koch established Koch's postulates, and Louis
Pasteur contributed to germ theory .
7. In the name Staphylococcus aureus, aureus is the:
A) Genus
B) Domain name
C) Species
D) Kingdom
E) Family name
Rationale: In binomial nomenclature, the first name (genus) is capitalized, and the
second name (species) is lowercase. Staphylococcus is the genus, and aureus is the
specific epithet or species name .
8. A prokaryotic cell may possess each of the following cellular components
EXCEPT:
A) Flagella
B) A nucleus
C) Ribosomes
D) A cell wall
E) A cell membrane
Rationale: Prokaryotic cells lack a membrane-bound nucleus and other membrane-
enclosed organelles. They possess flagella, ribosomes, cell walls, and cell membranes .
9. Which of the following is NOT associated with viruses?
MICROBIOLOGY: AN
INTRODUCTION 14TH
EDITION BY GERARD J.
TORTORA, BERDELL R.
FUNKE & CHRISTINE L.
CASE| 9780138200398| ALL
CHAPTERS 1-28| LATEST
Test Bank for Microbiology: An Introduction, 14th
Edition (Tortora, Funke & Case)
Instructions: This exam contains 200 multiple-choice questions covering all 28 chapters.
Each question has one best answer. Correct answers are bolded, followed by a rationale
and chapter reference.
Chapter 1: The Microbial World and You
1. Microorganisms are involved in each of the following processes EXCEPT:
,A) Infection
B) Decomposition of organic material
C) O₂ production
D) Food production
E) Smog production
Rationale: Microorganisms play essential roles in infection, decomposition, oxygen
production (photosynthesis), and food production (fermentation). Smog production is
primarily a chemical process involving pollutants from combustion, not a direct function
of microorganisms .
2. Each of the following organisms would be considered a microbe EXCEPT:
A) Yeast
B) Protozoan
C) Bacterium
D) Mushroom
E) Virus
Rationale: Mushrooms are macroscopic fungi visible to the naked eye, while yeasts,
protozoa, bacteria, and viruses are microscopic. Although mushrooms are studied in
mycology, they are not classified as microbes due to their visible size .
3. The term used to describe a disease-causing microorganism is:
A) Microbe
B) Bacterium
C) Virus
D) Pathogen
E) Infection
,Rationale: A pathogen is any microorganism capable of causing disease. "Microbe" and
"bacterium" are general terms, while "infection" refers to the invasion and multiplication
of pathogens in the body .
4. Common commercial benefits of microorganisms include synthesis of:
A) Riboflavin
B) Acetone
C) Insulin
D) Aspirin
E) Riboflavin, acetone, and insulin
Rationale: Microorganisms are used industrially to produce riboflavin (vitamin B₂),
acetone (via fermentation), and insulin (via recombinant DNA technology). Aspirin is
chemically synthesized .
5. What factors contribute to the rising incidence of antibiotic resistance?
A) Overuse of specific drugs
B) Misuse of specific drugs
C) Random mutations in bacterial genomes
D) Random mutations, overuse, and misuse of specific drugs
E) Overuse and misuse of specific drugs
Rationale: Antibiotic resistance arises from random genetic mutations in bacteria,
combined with the selective pressure created by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.
This allows resistant strains to proliferate .
6. The formal system for classifying and naming organisms was developed by:
A) Robert Koch
B) Ignaz Semmelweis
C) Aristotle
, D) Carolus Linnaeus
E) Louis Pasteur
Rationale: Carolus Linnaeus developed the binomial system of nomenclature for
classifying and naming organisms. Robert Koch established Koch's postulates, and Louis
Pasteur contributed to germ theory .
7. In the name Staphylococcus aureus, aureus is the:
A) Genus
B) Domain name
C) Species
D) Kingdom
E) Family name
Rationale: In binomial nomenclature, the first name (genus) is capitalized, and the
second name (species) is lowercase. Staphylococcus is the genus, and aureus is the
specific epithet or species name .
8. A prokaryotic cell may possess each of the following cellular components
EXCEPT:
A) Flagella
B) A nucleus
C) Ribosomes
D) A cell wall
E) A cell membrane
Rationale: Prokaryotic cells lack a membrane-bound nucleus and other membrane-
enclosed organelles. They possess flagella, ribosomes, cell walls, and cell membranes .
9. Which of the following is NOT associated with viruses?
