NEW YEAR WAVE /PARASITOLOGY COMPREHENSIVE
STUDY GUIDE WITH QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 2025
LATEST UPDATE.
QUESTION: What four areas of study are encompassed by clinical microbiology - ANSWER-Viruses, fungi,
bacteria, and parasites
QUESTION: What is the difference between a pathogen and an opportunistic pathogen - ANSWER-
Pathogen: a bacteria capable of causing a disease
Opportunistic pathogen: microorganisms that invade the body and cause illness only when the body's
immune defense are impaired or absent
QUESTION: How do bacterial pathogens cause host damage - ANSWER-The damage is caused by
bacterial growth in tissues or y the toxins bacteria produce
QUESTION: What are the morphological types of bacteria - ANSWER-Coccus, bacillus, and spirochete
QUESTION: What are the morphological forms of fungi - ANSWER-Molds and yeast
,QUESTION: What is a gram stain? - ANSWER-A test that uses a series of stains to differentiate the
composition of their cell walls
Gram positive- violet (retain the crystal violet stain)
Gram negative- pink (lose the crystal violet and retain the safranin)
QUESTION: What is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic bacteria - ANSWER-Aerobic bacteria
grow in the presence of oxygen
Anaerobic bacteria grow in the absence or decreased levels of oxygen
QUESTION: How are viruses different from microorganisms? Name 3 viral diseases - ANSWER-Viruses
are not living cells, and can only replicate by invading a cell, viruses can only contain either a DNA or RNA
not both
Epstein-Barr virus (mono), rubella, rhinoviruses
QUESTION: What type of specimen is used to detect malaria and giardia - ANSWER-Malaria requires
blood specimen
Giardia requires fecal specimen
QUESTION: Five methods used to help identify bacteria - ANSWER-microscopic morphology- coccus,
bacillus, spirochete
colony morphology- how the colony grows on the plate
,reactions with Gram stain and other stains,
biochemical reactions,
gene probes
antibody reactions- antibiotic susceptibility testing
QUESTION: antibiotic susceptibility testing - ANSWER-can be routine like strep
only works for bacteria
finding the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to inhibit the bacterial growth
QUESTION: fastidious bacteria - ANSWER-bacteria that require special nutritional factors to survive
QUESTION: immunoassay - ANSWER-a diagnostic method using antigen-antibody reactions
QUESTION: Diagnostic Testing - ANSWER-The standard method for isolating and identifying viruses have
been cell culture. As well as serum testing for anti-viral antibodies using enzyme immunoassays.
QUESTION: What can cause contamination of a throat swab during collection? - ANSWER-Touching the
tongue and inside of the mouth will contaminate the swab with normal flora
QUESTION: What mistakes can occur in the collection of urine for culture? - ANSWER-The patient can
insufficiently cleanse the area around the urethral opening and contaminate the urine with skin
microorganisms, epithelial cells and mucus
, QUESTION: Why stool specimens in an infants disposable diaper may not grow microorganisms -
ANSWER-because diapers often contain bacteriostatic chemicals inhibiting microorganisms from growing
QUESTION: Why should the patient rinse their mouth with water before collecting sputum sample? -
ANSWER-to reduce the number of oral bacteria present that can contaminate the sputum sample
QUESTION: why is an aspirate of a wound preferred over a swab? - ANSWER-the swab is more prone to
drying and in addition may not pick up sufficient bacteria for culture
QUESTION: why are both alcohol and iodine used in preparation for a blood culutre - ANSWER-if
cleansing is not thorough, skin bacteria or fungi can contaminate the culture and produce false-positive
results
QUESTION: 3 important properties of transport systems for bacteriology specimens - ANSWER-A
container capable of providing the correct environment until the bacteria can be inoculated, the test
requisition form and specimen label
QUESTION: What type of culture performed to determine MRSA - ANSWER-nasal swab specimen
QUESTION: carrier - ANSWER-an individual who harbors an organism and is capable of spreading the
organism to others, but has no symptoms or signs of disease
STUDY GUIDE WITH QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 2025
LATEST UPDATE.
QUESTION: What four areas of study are encompassed by clinical microbiology - ANSWER-Viruses, fungi,
bacteria, and parasites
QUESTION: What is the difference between a pathogen and an opportunistic pathogen - ANSWER-
Pathogen: a bacteria capable of causing a disease
Opportunistic pathogen: microorganisms that invade the body and cause illness only when the body's
immune defense are impaired or absent
QUESTION: How do bacterial pathogens cause host damage - ANSWER-The damage is caused by
bacterial growth in tissues or y the toxins bacteria produce
QUESTION: What are the morphological types of bacteria - ANSWER-Coccus, bacillus, and spirochete
QUESTION: What are the morphological forms of fungi - ANSWER-Molds and yeast
,QUESTION: What is a gram stain? - ANSWER-A test that uses a series of stains to differentiate the
composition of their cell walls
Gram positive- violet (retain the crystal violet stain)
Gram negative- pink (lose the crystal violet and retain the safranin)
QUESTION: What is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic bacteria - ANSWER-Aerobic bacteria
grow in the presence of oxygen
Anaerobic bacteria grow in the absence or decreased levels of oxygen
QUESTION: How are viruses different from microorganisms? Name 3 viral diseases - ANSWER-Viruses
are not living cells, and can only replicate by invading a cell, viruses can only contain either a DNA or RNA
not both
Epstein-Barr virus (mono), rubella, rhinoviruses
QUESTION: What type of specimen is used to detect malaria and giardia - ANSWER-Malaria requires
blood specimen
Giardia requires fecal specimen
QUESTION: Five methods used to help identify bacteria - ANSWER-microscopic morphology- coccus,
bacillus, spirochete
colony morphology- how the colony grows on the plate
,reactions with Gram stain and other stains,
biochemical reactions,
gene probes
antibody reactions- antibiotic susceptibility testing
QUESTION: antibiotic susceptibility testing - ANSWER-can be routine like strep
only works for bacteria
finding the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to inhibit the bacterial growth
QUESTION: fastidious bacteria - ANSWER-bacteria that require special nutritional factors to survive
QUESTION: immunoassay - ANSWER-a diagnostic method using antigen-antibody reactions
QUESTION: Diagnostic Testing - ANSWER-The standard method for isolating and identifying viruses have
been cell culture. As well as serum testing for anti-viral antibodies using enzyme immunoassays.
QUESTION: What can cause contamination of a throat swab during collection? - ANSWER-Touching the
tongue and inside of the mouth will contaminate the swab with normal flora
QUESTION: What mistakes can occur in the collection of urine for culture? - ANSWER-The patient can
insufficiently cleanse the area around the urethral opening and contaminate the urine with skin
microorganisms, epithelial cells and mucus
, QUESTION: Why stool specimens in an infants disposable diaper may not grow microorganisms -
ANSWER-because diapers often contain bacteriostatic chemicals inhibiting microorganisms from growing
QUESTION: Why should the patient rinse their mouth with water before collecting sputum sample? -
ANSWER-to reduce the number of oral bacteria present that can contaminate the sputum sample
QUESTION: why is an aspirate of a wound preferred over a swab? - ANSWER-the swab is more prone to
drying and in addition may not pick up sufficient bacteria for culture
QUESTION: why are both alcohol and iodine used in preparation for a blood culutre - ANSWER-if
cleansing is not thorough, skin bacteria or fungi can contaminate the culture and produce false-positive
results
QUESTION: 3 important properties of transport systems for bacteriology specimens - ANSWER-A
container capable of providing the correct environment until the bacteria can be inoculated, the test
requisition form and specimen label
QUESTION: What type of culture performed to determine MRSA - ANSWER-nasal swab specimen
QUESTION: carrier - ANSWER-an individual who harbors an organism and is capable of spreading the
organism to others, but has no symptoms or signs of disease
