MIC 102 ACTUAL EXAM PAPER 2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ Helminths. Answer: multicellular parasitic organisms commonly
called worms or flukes
they are included in the field of microbiology because their eggs and
larvae are often microscopic
◉ What are the two types of microbes microbiologists study? Answer:
Cellular
-fungi, protists, bacteria, archaea
Acellular
-viruses, viroids, satellites, prions
◉ Can you characterize microbes by just shape? Answer: No
◉ Prokaryote vs. Eukaryote cells. Answer: Eukaryotic cells
Membrane bound organelles
Nucleus
,Prokaryotic cells
Simple cells
No nucleus
◉ What is LUCA? Answer: last universal common ancestor
A microbe that has
DNA
RNA
Protein
Lipid Membrane
◉ 3 Domains of Life. Answer: Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya
◉ On phylogenetic tree what are Eukarya most related to? Answer:
Archaea
◉ How to determine phylogenetic relationships? Answer: Molecular
Clock
◉ Carl Woese and George Fox. Answer: three domain based on r RNA
(eukarya, bacteria, archaea)
,-used small subunit ribosomal RNA to create tree (found archaea)
◉ Importance of Size in Microorganisms. Answer: Surface-to-Volume
ratio
For a sphere
Doubling R
-increases SA by 4x
-increase Volume by 8x
Double r = half SA:volume ratio
helps with diffusion
◉ Where can you find microbes? Answer: everywhere
microbial biomass is equal to or greater than all other living things on
Earth
In the human body:
9/10 cells are microbes
~10,000 different species make up the human microbe
, ◉ Importance of Microbes. Answer: Poisoned the atmosphere with
oxygen
-Cyanobacteria - O2
-Involved in carbon and nitrogen cycle
-Gut bacteria make Vitamins B and K
◉ Father of Microbiology + Microscope History. Answer: Antonie van
Leeuwenhoek
achieved at least 300x magnification ~1670
Robert Hook discovered cells
◉ Microscope Basics. Answer: Magnification: apparent enlargement of
the specimen
Resolution: shortest distance between two objects that can still be
distinguished as two separate objects
◉ Light Microscopy. Answer: modern light microscopes that can
achieves 2000x magnification, 1000x fairly easily
limited ability to visualize bacterial components or distinguish between
bacteria without something extra
-extremely versatile
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ Helminths. Answer: multicellular parasitic organisms commonly
called worms or flukes
they are included in the field of microbiology because their eggs and
larvae are often microscopic
◉ What are the two types of microbes microbiologists study? Answer:
Cellular
-fungi, protists, bacteria, archaea
Acellular
-viruses, viroids, satellites, prions
◉ Can you characterize microbes by just shape? Answer: No
◉ Prokaryote vs. Eukaryote cells. Answer: Eukaryotic cells
Membrane bound organelles
Nucleus
,Prokaryotic cells
Simple cells
No nucleus
◉ What is LUCA? Answer: last universal common ancestor
A microbe that has
DNA
RNA
Protein
Lipid Membrane
◉ 3 Domains of Life. Answer: Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya
◉ On phylogenetic tree what are Eukarya most related to? Answer:
Archaea
◉ How to determine phylogenetic relationships? Answer: Molecular
Clock
◉ Carl Woese and George Fox. Answer: three domain based on r RNA
(eukarya, bacteria, archaea)
,-used small subunit ribosomal RNA to create tree (found archaea)
◉ Importance of Size in Microorganisms. Answer: Surface-to-Volume
ratio
For a sphere
Doubling R
-increases SA by 4x
-increase Volume by 8x
Double r = half SA:volume ratio
helps with diffusion
◉ Where can you find microbes? Answer: everywhere
microbial biomass is equal to or greater than all other living things on
Earth
In the human body:
9/10 cells are microbes
~10,000 different species make up the human microbe
, ◉ Importance of Microbes. Answer: Poisoned the atmosphere with
oxygen
-Cyanobacteria - O2
-Involved in carbon and nitrogen cycle
-Gut bacteria make Vitamins B and K
◉ Father of Microbiology + Microscope History. Answer: Antonie van
Leeuwenhoek
achieved at least 300x magnification ~1670
Robert Hook discovered cells
◉ Microscope Basics. Answer: Magnification: apparent enlargement of
the specimen
Resolution: shortest distance between two objects that can still be
distinguished as two separate objects
◉ Light Microscopy. Answer: modern light microscopes that can
achieves 2000x magnification, 1000x fairly easily
limited ability to visualize bacterial components or distinguish between
bacteria without something extra
-extremely versatile
