BIOL251 - EXAM 1 STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS 2026 RATED A+
1. Characteristics of microbes-ANSWER- Microbes are too small to be seen with the unaided
eye.
They are found nearly everywhere and composed of nucleic acids surrounded by a protein coat
2. What are microbes composed of-ANSWER- Nucleic acids surrounded by a protein coat
3. The different types of microbes-ANSWER- bacteria, fungi, protozoa, algae, and viruses
4. The study of bacteria is known as-ANSWER- bacteriology
5. The study of fungi is known as-ANSWER- Mycology
6. The study of protozoa is known as-ANSWER- protozoology
7. The study of algae is known as-ANSWER- phycology
8. The study of viruses is known as-ANSWER- virology
9. What vital elements to microbes recycle-ANSWER- carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and
phosphorus
10. Microbes form the base of the food chain for ________-ANSWER- Many aquatic
environments
11. Microbes have the ability to break down organic materials. This contributes
to which beneficial effect of microbes-ANSWER- Sewage treatment
12. How do microbes contribute to bioremediation-ANSWER- They can clean up after an oil or
chemical
spill
13. How are microbes involved in insect control-ANSWER- Bacteria produce toxins that are
harmful to
insects but not the plants themselves
14. What are two ways microbes contribute to biotechnology-ANSWER- Molecular biology, and
recombinant DNA
,15. How are microbes involved in food production-ANSWER- Yeast - bread, beer, wine, and
chocolate.
Lactic acid bacteria - yogurt, sauerkraut, soy sauce, cheese, pickles, chocolate, coffee,
sourdough bread
16. What is the microbiome (normal microbiota)-ANSWER- Microbes that live stably in and on
your body.
Normall harmless and sometimes even helpful
17. How is our microbiome beneficial to us?-ANSWER- Aids digestion (E.coli)
Fight pathogens- Prevent growth of pathogenic species that might otherwise take up residence
Produce vitamins - Some synthesize vitamins that our bodies require
18. What vitamins does our microbiome synthesize and what are these vitamins
used for?-ANSWER- Vitamin B - Used for metabolism
Vitamin K - Used for blood clotting
19. What are the three detrimental effects of microbes-ANSWER- Infectious diseases
Emerging infectious diseases
Biofilms
BIOL251 - Exam 1 study guide
Study online at https-ANSWER-//quizlet.com/_8q2ke0
20. How do microbes contribute to infectious diseases-ANSWER- They can be pathogen-
disease-
producing organisms by invading a host cell and carrying out part of their life cycle
21. Define emerging infectious diseases-ANSWER- New, changing, or increasing pathogens that
have the
potential to increase in incidence in the near future
22. What are the sources of new infectious diseases-ANSWER- Evolution in organism
Spread of organisms to a new environment or host
,Increased human exposure
23. Who invented a more powerful microscope that had the resolution to see
microbes clearly-ANSWER- Anton Van Leeuwenhoek
24. When Anton Van Leeuwenhoke discovered microbes he defined that as
what-ANSWER- Animalcules
25. Who was the first scientist to experience the first observation of living mi
crobes-ANSWER- Anton Van Leeuwenhoke
26. What scientist solved the problem of lack of evidence for the theory of
biogenesis-ANSWER- Louis pasteur
27. What scientist demonstrated that microorganisms are present in the air and
can contaminate a sterile solution, but the air itself does not create microbes
-ANSWER- Louis pasteur
28. Describe the S-neck flask experiment done by Louis Pasteur-ANSWER- He boiled broth in
open
and closed flasks and realized growth only occurred in the uncovered flasks
So he decided to take a flask with a very long neck and he bent that neck into an S shape so
nothing could accidentally
fall into the broth .
The broth was then boiled and no growth was observed
29. Who founded the germ theory of disease-ANSWER- Robert Koch
30. What does the germ theory of disease say-ANSWER- Microorganisms can cause disease
31. How did Joseph Lister apply the germ theory to medicine-ANSWER- He knew that phenol
kills
bacteria so he began treating surgical wounds with a phenol solution.
His findings proved that microorganisms cause surgical wound infection
32. Who took part in the discovery of naturally occurring antibiotics-ANSWER- Alexander
f
, lemming
33. Give an example of a naturally occurring antibiotic-ANSWER- Penicillium chrysogenum
(mold) -
This mold's active inhibitor was called penicillin and thus, is an antibiotic produced by fungus
BIOL251 - Exam 1 study guide
Study online at https-ANSWER-//quizlet.com/_8q2ke0
34. How did the S-neck flask disprove the theory of spontaneous genration-ANSWER- Louis
Pasteur prevented the introduction of airborne microorganisms. If a life force besides the
airborne microorganisms
were responsible for microbial growth within the sterilized flasks, it would have access to the
broth, whereas the
microorganisms would not.
35. Define taxonomy-ANSWER- The science of classification of biological organisms / living
forms
36. What is the point of having taxonomy-ANSWER- To classify living organisms
37. Define taxon-ANSWER- A category used to classify organisms based on their relatedness.
Taxa show degrees of
similarities among organisms
38. Define phylogeny-ANSWER- The study of evolutionary history or organisms
39. What is a phylogenic tree-ANSWER- The grouping of organisms according to common
properties implies that
a group of organisms evolved from a common ancestor; each species retains some of the same
characteristics of the
ancestor
40. What is included in the three domain system-ANSWER- Domain bacteria (prokaryotic)
Domain archaea (prokaryotic)
Domain eukarya
CORRECT ANSWERS 2026 RATED A+
1. Characteristics of microbes-ANSWER- Microbes are too small to be seen with the unaided
eye.
They are found nearly everywhere and composed of nucleic acids surrounded by a protein coat
2. What are microbes composed of-ANSWER- Nucleic acids surrounded by a protein coat
3. The different types of microbes-ANSWER- bacteria, fungi, protozoa, algae, and viruses
4. The study of bacteria is known as-ANSWER- bacteriology
5. The study of fungi is known as-ANSWER- Mycology
6. The study of protozoa is known as-ANSWER- protozoology
7. The study of algae is known as-ANSWER- phycology
8. The study of viruses is known as-ANSWER- virology
9. What vital elements to microbes recycle-ANSWER- carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and
phosphorus
10. Microbes form the base of the food chain for ________-ANSWER- Many aquatic
environments
11. Microbes have the ability to break down organic materials. This contributes
to which beneficial effect of microbes-ANSWER- Sewage treatment
12. How do microbes contribute to bioremediation-ANSWER- They can clean up after an oil or
chemical
spill
13. How are microbes involved in insect control-ANSWER- Bacteria produce toxins that are
harmful to
insects but not the plants themselves
14. What are two ways microbes contribute to biotechnology-ANSWER- Molecular biology, and
recombinant DNA
,15. How are microbes involved in food production-ANSWER- Yeast - bread, beer, wine, and
chocolate.
Lactic acid bacteria - yogurt, sauerkraut, soy sauce, cheese, pickles, chocolate, coffee,
sourdough bread
16. What is the microbiome (normal microbiota)-ANSWER- Microbes that live stably in and on
your body.
Normall harmless and sometimes even helpful
17. How is our microbiome beneficial to us?-ANSWER- Aids digestion (E.coli)
Fight pathogens- Prevent growth of pathogenic species that might otherwise take up residence
Produce vitamins - Some synthesize vitamins that our bodies require
18. What vitamins does our microbiome synthesize and what are these vitamins
used for?-ANSWER- Vitamin B - Used for metabolism
Vitamin K - Used for blood clotting
19. What are the three detrimental effects of microbes-ANSWER- Infectious diseases
Emerging infectious diseases
Biofilms
BIOL251 - Exam 1 study guide
Study online at https-ANSWER-//quizlet.com/_8q2ke0
20. How do microbes contribute to infectious diseases-ANSWER- They can be pathogen-
disease-
producing organisms by invading a host cell and carrying out part of their life cycle
21. Define emerging infectious diseases-ANSWER- New, changing, or increasing pathogens that
have the
potential to increase in incidence in the near future
22. What are the sources of new infectious diseases-ANSWER- Evolution in organism
Spread of organisms to a new environment or host
,Increased human exposure
23. Who invented a more powerful microscope that had the resolution to see
microbes clearly-ANSWER- Anton Van Leeuwenhoek
24. When Anton Van Leeuwenhoke discovered microbes he defined that as
what-ANSWER- Animalcules
25. Who was the first scientist to experience the first observation of living mi
crobes-ANSWER- Anton Van Leeuwenhoke
26. What scientist solved the problem of lack of evidence for the theory of
biogenesis-ANSWER- Louis pasteur
27. What scientist demonstrated that microorganisms are present in the air and
can contaminate a sterile solution, but the air itself does not create microbes
-ANSWER- Louis pasteur
28. Describe the S-neck flask experiment done by Louis Pasteur-ANSWER- He boiled broth in
open
and closed flasks and realized growth only occurred in the uncovered flasks
So he decided to take a flask with a very long neck and he bent that neck into an S shape so
nothing could accidentally
fall into the broth .
The broth was then boiled and no growth was observed
29. Who founded the germ theory of disease-ANSWER- Robert Koch
30. What does the germ theory of disease say-ANSWER- Microorganisms can cause disease
31. How did Joseph Lister apply the germ theory to medicine-ANSWER- He knew that phenol
kills
bacteria so he began treating surgical wounds with a phenol solution.
His findings proved that microorganisms cause surgical wound infection
32. Who took part in the discovery of naturally occurring antibiotics-ANSWER- Alexander
f
, lemming
33. Give an example of a naturally occurring antibiotic-ANSWER- Penicillium chrysogenum
(mold) -
This mold's active inhibitor was called penicillin and thus, is an antibiotic produced by fungus
BIOL251 - Exam 1 study guide
Study online at https-ANSWER-//quizlet.com/_8q2ke0
34. How did the S-neck flask disprove the theory of spontaneous genration-ANSWER- Louis
Pasteur prevented the introduction of airborne microorganisms. If a life force besides the
airborne microorganisms
were responsible for microbial growth within the sterilized flasks, it would have access to the
broth, whereas the
microorganisms would not.
35. Define taxonomy-ANSWER- The science of classification of biological organisms / living
forms
36. What is the point of having taxonomy-ANSWER- To classify living organisms
37. Define taxon-ANSWER- A category used to classify organisms based on their relatedness.
Taxa show degrees of
similarities among organisms
38. Define phylogeny-ANSWER- The study of evolutionary history or organisms
39. What is a phylogenic tree-ANSWER- The grouping of organisms according to common
properties implies that
a group of organisms evolved from a common ancestor; each species retains some of the same
characteristics of the
ancestor
40. What is included in the three domain system-ANSWER- Domain bacteria (prokaryotic)
Domain archaea (prokaryotic)
Domain eukarya
