Chapter 1: An Invisible World b b b b
* = Correct answer
b b b
Multiple Choice
b b
1. Which of the following is true of the microbial world?
b b b b b b b b b
A. All microbes are harmful.
b b b
B. Humans could survive without microbes. b b b b
C. Many microbes are helpful.* b b b
D. Most microbes are pathogenic.
b b b
Difficulty: Easy b
ASM Standard: 23, 24
b b b
2. Which of the following is when humans first suspected the existence of microbes?
b b b b b b b b b b b b
A. during the Industrial Revolution b b b
B. in prehistoric times*
b b
C. in the last century
b b b
D. within the last 500 years b b b b
Difficulty: Easy b
ASM Standard: 23
b b b
3. Which individual first observed unicellular organisms, which he called
b b b b b b b b
“animalcules,” using a microscope he developed?
b b b b b b
A. Robert Koch b
B. Louis Pasteur b
C. Thucydides
D. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek* b b
Difficulty: Easy b
ASM Standard: 6
b b b
4. To reduce the risk of open flame from Bunsen burners, microbiologists are
b b b b b b b b b b b
increasingly using which of the following devices for easy, rapid benchtop
b b b b b b b b b b b
sterilization of small pieces of equipment?
b b b b b b
A. autoclaves
B. ethylene oxide b
C. incubators
D. microincinerators*
Difficulty: Easy b
ASM Standard: 36
b b b
,5. The Swedish botanist known for having developed an important biological
b b b b b b b b b
classification system is which of the following people?
b b b b b b b b
A. Ernst Haeckel b
B. Carolus Linnaeus* b
C. Louis Pasteur b
D. Robert Whittaker b
Difficulty: Easy b
ASM Standard: N/A
b b b
6. Which kingdom was the only one found in Empire Prokaryota?
b b b b b b b b b
A. Animalia
B. Fungi
C. Monera*
D. Protista
Difficulty: Easy b
ASM Standard: N/A
b b b
7. Which are the three currently accepted domains?
b b b b b b
A. Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya* b b b
B. Archaea, Prokaryota, and Eukaryota b b b
C. Bacteria, Fungi, and Protista b b b
D. Bacteria, Prokaryota, and Eukarya b b b
Difficulty: Easy b
ASM Standard: N/A
b b b
8. Which two taxonomic units are typically used to identify an organism when using
b b b b b b b b b b b b
binomial nomenclature?
b b
A. domain and kingdom b b
B. genus and family b b
C. genus and species* b b
D. phylum and class b b
Difficulty: Easy b
ASM Standard: N/A
b b b
9. Which of the following is not true about the process of fermentation?
b b b b b b b b b b b
A. It can help preserve foods, preventing spoilage.
b b b b b b
B. It converts sugars to organic acids, alcohols, and/or gases such as carbon dioxide.
b b b b b b b b b b b b
C. It is carried out exclusively by unicellular eukaryotes such as yeast.*
b b b b b b b b b b
D. It is used to make foods such as cheese and bread.
b b b b b b b b b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: 11, 23, 26
b b b b
,10. The Romans may have reduced their risk of waterborne infectious diseases by using
b b b b b b b b b b b b
bwhich of the following?
b b b
A. a variety of pharmaceutical products
b b b b
B. aqueducts and a sewer system* b b b b
C. prophylactic antibiotics b
D. quarantine of people with leprosy b b b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: 23
b b b
11. For which of the following is Thucydides known?
b b b b b b b
A. developing an effective sewer system in ancient Greece, helping to reduce
b b b b b b b b b b
blevels of disease in cities
b b b b
B. observing microbes, using a microscope, for the first time, even distinguishing
b b b b b b b b b b
bbetween bacteria and fungi b b b
C. proposing that disease was caused by microorganisms b b b b b b
D. realizing that people who had been infected by the Athenian plague had
b b b b b b b b b b b
bimmunity to reinfection* b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: 23, 31
b b b b
12. Ernst Haeckel proposed a classification system consisting of which of the
b b b b b b b b b b
bfollowing subgroups? b
A. five kingdoms
b
B. four kingdoms* b
C. two domains and three kingdoms
b b b b
D. two domains and five kingdoms
b b b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: N/A
b b b
13. Viruses not included in phylogenetic trees for which of the following reasons?
b b b b b b b b b b b
A. It is too difficult to observe their characteristics.
b b b b b b b
B. They are acellular and nonliving.*
b b b b
C. They do not have any genes, which prevents genetic analysis.
b b b b b b b b b
D. They lack a nucleus. b b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: 5
b b b
14. Which is the best description of the primary purpose of a phylogeny?
b b b b b b b b b b b
A. Phylogenies show all the alterative names for each species. b b b b b b b b
B. Phylogenies show all the common names for each species. b b b b b b b b
C. Phylogenies show evolutionary relatedness between organisms.* b b b b b
, D. Phylogenies show interactions between species in a shared habitat. b b b b b b b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: 5
b b b
15. Current phylogenetic analyses include which of the following?
b b b b b b b
A. information from a range of sources, including morphological, genetic, and
b b b b b b b b b
bbiochemical data* b
B. information on visible similarities only b b b b
C. information regarding how to classify organisms on the basis of external
b b b b b b b b b b
bmorphological characteristics and visible behaviors b b b b
D. varied morphological and structural characteristics, with preference for leaving
b b b b b b b b
bhistorical classifications to prevent confusion
b b b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: 5
b b b
16. Diatoms are classified within which of the following domains?
b b b b b b b b
A. Archaea
B. Bacteria
C. Eukarya*
D. Prokaryota
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: N/A
b b b
17. Horizontal gene transfer involves which of the following?
b b b b b b b
A. any transfer of genes in a laboratory setting
b b b b b b b
B. the transfer of genes from a virus to a bacterium or vice versa but not any
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b
bother form of gene transfer
b b b b
C. the transfer of genes from one individual to another, including from one
b b b b b b b b b b b
bspecies to another, but not from parent to offspring*
b b b b b b b b
D. the transfer of genes from parent to offspring
b b b b b b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: 2, 4
b b b b
18. Bacteria are generally identified to species by using which of the following?
b b b b b b b b b b b
A. a combination of genetic, biochemical, and microscopic approaches*
b b b b b b b
B. a combination of microscopic and physiological approaches, but not genetics
b b b b b b b b b
C. primarily characteristics such as motility that can be visualized using microscopy
b b b b b b b b b b
D. primarily morphological characteristics of individual cells
b b b b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: 34, 36
b b b b
* = Correct answer
b b b
Multiple Choice
b b
1. Which of the following is true of the microbial world?
b b b b b b b b b
A. All microbes are harmful.
b b b
B. Humans could survive without microbes. b b b b
C. Many microbes are helpful.* b b b
D. Most microbes are pathogenic.
b b b
Difficulty: Easy b
ASM Standard: 23, 24
b b b
2. Which of the following is when humans first suspected the existence of microbes?
b b b b b b b b b b b b
A. during the Industrial Revolution b b b
B. in prehistoric times*
b b
C. in the last century
b b b
D. within the last 500 years b b b b
Difficulty: Easy b
ASM Standard: 23
b b b
3. Which individual first observed unicellular organisms, which he called
b b b b b b b b
“animalcules,” using a microscope he developed?
b b b b b b
A. Robert Koch b
B. Louis Pasteur b
C. Thucydides
D. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek* b b
Difficulty: Easy b
ASM Standard: 6
b b b
4. To reduce the risk of open flame from Bunsen burners, microbiologists are
b b b b b b b b b b b
increasingly using which of the following devices for easy, rapid benchtop
b b b b b b b b b b b
sterilization of small pieces of equipment?
b b b b b b
A. autoclaves
B. ethylene oxide b
C. incubators
D. microincinerators*
Difficulty: Easy b
ASM Standard: 36
b b b
,5. The Swedish botanist known for having developed an important biological
b b b b b b b b b
classification system is which of the following people?
b b b b b b b b
A. Ernst Haeckel b
B. Carolus Linnaeus* b
C. Louis Pasteur b
D. Robert Whittaker b
Difficulty: Easy b
ASM Standard: N/A
b b b
6. Which kingdom was the only one found in Empire Prokaryota?
b b b b b b b b b
A. Animalia
B. Fungi
C. Monera*
D. Protista
Difficulty: Easy b
ASM Standard: N/A
b b b
7. Which are the three currently accepted domains?
b b b b b b
A. Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya* b b b
B. Archaea, Prokaryota, and Eukaryota b b b
C. Bacteria, Fungi, and Protista b b b
D. Bacteria, Prokaryota, and Eukarya b b b
Difficulty: Easy b
ASM Standard: N/A
b b b
8. Which two taxonomic units are typically used to identify an organism when using
b b b b b b b b b b b b
binomial nomenclature?
b b
A. domain and kingdom b b
B. genus and family b b
C. genus and species* b b
D. phylum and class b b
Difficulty: Easy b
ASM Standard: N/A
b b b
9. Which of the following is not true about the process of fermentation?
b b b b b b b b b b b
A. It can help preserve foods, preventing spoilage.
b b b b b b
B. It converts sugars to organic acids, alcohols, and/or gases such as carbon dioxide.
b b b b b b b b b b b b
C. It is carried out exclusively by unicellular eukaryotes such as yeast.*
b b b b b b b b b b
D. It is used to make foods such as cheese and bread.
b b b b b b b b b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: 11, 23, 26
b b b b
,10. The Romans may have reduced their risk of waterborne infectious diseases by using
b b b b b b b b b b b b
bwhich of the following?
b b b
A. a variety of pharmaceutical products
b b b b
B. aqueducts and a sewer system* b b b b
C. prophylactic antibiotics b
D. quarantine of people with leprosy b b b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: 23
b b b
11. For which of the following is Thucydides known?
b b b b b b b
A. developing an effective sewer system in ancient Greece, helping to reduce
b b b b b b b b b b
blevels of disease in cities
b b b b
B. observing microbes, using a microscope, for the first time, even distinguishing
b b b b b b b b b b
bbetween bacteria and fungi b b b
C. proposing that disease was caused by microorganisms b b b b b b
D. realizing that people who had been infected by the Athenian plague had
b b b b b b b b b b b
bimmunity to reinfection* b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: 23, 31
b b b b
12. Ernst Haeckel proposed a classification system consisting of which of the
b b b b b b b b b b
bfollowing subgroups? b
A. five kingdoms
b
B. four kingdoms* b
C. two domains and three kingdoms
b b b b
D. two domains and five kingdoms
b b b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: N/A
b b b
13. Viruses not included in phylogenetic trees for which of the following reasons?
b b b b b b b b b b b
A. It is too difficult to observe their characteristics.
b b b b b b b
B. They are acellular and nonliving.*
b b b b
C. They do not have any genes, which prevents genetic analysis.
b b b b b b b b b
D. They lack a nucleus. b b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: 5
b b b
14. Which is the best description of the primary purpose of a phylogeny?
b b b b b b b b b b b
A. Phylogenies show all the alterative names for each species. b b b b b b b b
B. Phylogenies show all the common names for each species. b b b b b b b b
C. Phylogenies show evolutionary relatedness between organisms.* b b b b b
, D. Phylogenies show interactions between species in a shared habitat. b b b b b b b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: 5
b b b
15. Current phylogenetic analyses include which of the following?
b b b b b b b
A. information from a range of sources, including morphological, genetic, and
b b b b b b b b b
bbiochemical data* b
B. information on visible similarities only b b b b
C. information regarding how to classify organisms on the basis of external
b b b b b b b b b b
bmorphological characteristics and visible behaviors b b b b
D. varied morphological and structural characteristics, with preference for leaving
b b b b b b b b
bhistorical classifications to prevent confusion
b b b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: 5
b b b
16. Diatoms are classified within which of the following domains?
b b b b b b b b
A. Archaea
B. Bacteria
C. Eukarya*
D. Prokaryota
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: N/A
b b b
17. Horizontal gene transfer involves which of the following?
b b b b b b b
A. any transfer of genes in a laboratory setting
b b b b b b b
B. the transfer of genes from a virus to a bacterium or vice versa but not any
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b
bother form of gene transfer
b b b b
C. the transfer of genes from one individual to another, including from one
b b b b b b b b b b b
bspecies to another, but not from parent to offspring*
b b b b b b b b
D. the transfer of genes from parent to offspring
b b b b b b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: 2, 4
b b b b
18. Bacteria are generally identified to species by using which of the following?
b b b b b b b b b b b
A. a combination of genetic, biochemical, and microscopic approaches*
b b b b b b b
B. a combination of microscopic and physiological approaches, but not genetics
b b b b b b b b b
C. primarily characteristics such as motility that can be visualized using microscopy
b b b b b b b b b b
D. primarily morphological characteristics of individual cells
b b b b b
Difficulty: Moderate b
ASM Standard: 34, 36
b b b b
