BIO 320 FINAL ACTUAL EXAM REVIEW 2025
UPDATED QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
1 Microorganisms do not generally reproduce sexually; therefore, species are
usually defined by phenotypic and genotypic similarities.
• False
2 In an approach called taxonomy, relatedness is determined by a wide
range of phenotypic and genotypic information.
• Polyphasic
3 Serovars are strains of a species that have distinctive antigenic properties.
• True
4 Microbial species are collections of strains that share many stable properties in
common but differ significantly from other strains.
• True
5 The type strain is a well-characterized strain to which other strains are compared
for inclusion in or exclusion from a particular species.
• True
6 The type strain is the most representative strain of a particular species.
• False
7 Bacterial strains that are characterized by biochemical differences are called
.
• Biovars
8 Bacterial strains that have distinct antigenic properties are called .
• Serovars
9 rRNA signature sequences can be used to place microorganisms in the correct
domain.
• True
10 The G + C content of a DNA sample can be estimated from its TM of a DNA.
• True
11 Coagulation is useful for determining relatedness between bacteria at the species
level because it never occurs between organisms of different genera.
• False
12 Phylogenetic trees are usually constructed using either a distance-based
( ) approach, or a characteristic ( ) approach.
• Phonetic, cladistics
13 Phylogenetic trees show inferred evolutionary relationships in the form of multiple
branching lineages connected by nodes.
, • True
14 Transformation is not useful in determining relatedness between two organisms
because it frequently crosses genera.
• False
15 The hypothesis proposes that mitochondria and chloroplasts
developed from free-living prokaryotes that invaded a precursor to the eukaryotes
and established a stable relationship.
• Endosymbiotic
, 16 Chromosomal gene exchange is not useful in classification studies because
prokaryotes do not reproduce sexually.
• False
17 Extensive horizontal gene transfer between domains greatly simplifies the
construction of phylogenetic trees.
• False
18 The pace of evolution does no always occur at a constant rate but is periodically
interrupted by rapid bursts of speciation, this is known as .
• Punctuated equilibrium
19 Although there are other classification schemes for prokaryotes, the one used in
Bergey’s Manual is currently considered by most microbiologists to be the most
accurate.
• True
20 The second edition of Bergey’s Manual groups pathogenic species together rather
than in phylogenetic groups.
• False
21 The scientific study of organisms with the ultimate goal of characterizing and
arranging them in an orderly manner is
• A taxonomy
• Classification
• Systematics
• Identification
22 The assignment of names to taxonomic groups is referred to as
• Taxonomy
• Nomenclature
• Systematics
• Identification
23 The determination of the taxon to which an organism belongs is called
• Taxonomy
• Classification
• Systematics
• Identification
24 The scientific dealing with classification is called
• Taxonomy
• Nomenclature
• Systematics
• Identification
25 The arrangement of organisms into groups is best described as
• Taxonomy
• Classification
• Systematics
• Identification
26 A classification system is based on mutual similarity that involves comparing as
many characteristics as possible is called a system.
UPDATED QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
1 Microorganisms do not generally reproduce sexually; therefore, species are
usually defined by phenotypic and genotypic similarities.
• False
2 In an approach called taxonomy, relatedness is determined by a wide
range of phenotypic and genotypic information.
• Polyphasic
3 Serovars are strains of a species that have distinctive antigenic properties.
• True
4 Microbial species are collections of strains that share many stable properties in
common but differ significantly from other strains.
• True
5 The type strain is a well-characterized strain to which other strains are compared
for inclusion in or exclusion from a particular species.
• True
6 The type strain is the most representative strain of a particular species.
• False
7 Bacterial strains that are characterized by biochemical differences are called
.
• Biovars
8 Bacterial strains that have distinct antigenic properties are called .
• Serovars
9 rRNA signature sequences can be used to place microorganisms in the correct
domain.
• True
10 The G + C content of a DNA sample can be estimated from its TM of a DNA.
• True
11 Coagulation is useful for determining relatedness between bacteria at the species
level because it never occurs between organisms of different genera.
• False
12 Phylogenetic trees are usually constructed using either a distance-based
( ) approach, or a characteristic ( ) approach.
• Phonetic, cladistics
13 Phylogenetic trees show inferred evolutionary relationships in the form of multiple
branching lineages connected by nodes.
, • True
14 Transformation is not useful in determining relatedness between two organisms
because it frequently crosses genera.
• False
15 The hypothesis proposes that mitochondria and chloroplasts
developed from free-living prokaryotes that invaded a precursor to the eukaryotes
and established a stable relationship.
• Endosymbiotic
, 16 Chromosomal gene exchange is not useful in classification studies because
prokaryotes do not reproduce sexually.
• False
17 Extensive horizontal gene transfer between domains greatly simplifies the
construction of phylogenetic trees.
• False
18 The pace of evolution does no always occur at a constant rate but is periodically
interrupted by rapid bursts of speciation, this is known as .
• Punctuated equilibrium
19 Although there are other classification schemes for prokaryotes, the one used in
Bergey’s Manual is currently considered by most microbiologists to be the most
accurate.
• True
20 The second edition of Bergey’s Manual groups pathogenic species together rather
than in phylogenetic groups.
• False
21 The scientific study of organisms with the ultimate goal of characterizing and
arranging them in an orderly manner is
• A taxonomy
• Classification
• Systematics
• Identification
22 The assignment of names to taxonomic groups is referred to as
• Taxonomy
• Nomenclature
• Systematics
• Identification
23 The determination of the taxon to which an organism belongs is called
• Taxonomy
• Classification
• Systematics
• Identification
24 The scientific dealing with classification is called
• Taxonomy
• Nomenclature
• Systematics
• Identification
25 The arrangement of organisms into groups is best described as
• Taxonomy
• Classification
• Systematics
• Identification
26 A classification system is based on mutual similarity that involves comparing as
many characteristics as possible is called a system.
