OpenStax Microbiology Test Bank
Chapter 12: Modern Applications of Microbial Genetics
Chapter 12: Modern Applications of Microbial Genetics
* = Correct answer
Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following is the definition of biotechnology?
A. The alteration of DNA in a cell
B. The use of living systems to benefit humankind*
C. Using computers to synthesize biomolecules
D. Using DNA for solving mathematical problems
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 26
2. Which of the following is the definition of genetic engineering?
A. The alteration of DNA in a cell*
B. The use of living systems to benefit humankind
C. Using computers to synthesize biomolecules
D. Using DNA for solving mathematical problems
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 15, 19, 26, 31
3. The first set of genes to be introduced into E. coli came from which of the following?
A. Arabidopsis
B. Haemophilus
C. Mycobacterium
D. Xenopus*
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 15, 19
4. Which of the following is a palindrome sequence that could be recognized by a restriction
enzyme?
A. 5′ – GAAAAG – 3′
3′ – CTTTTC – 5′
B. 5′ – GAATTC – 3′ *
3′ – CTTAAG – 5′
C. 5′ – GACT – 3′
3′ – CTGA – 5′
D. 5′ – GCCCC – 3′
3′ – CGGGG – 5′
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 26, 36
Page 1 of 17
,OpenStax Microbiology Test Bank
Chapter 12: Modern Applications of Microbial Genetics
5. Restriction enzymes (endonucleases) are produced by bacteria as a means of protection
against which infectious agent?
A. antibiotics
B. antibodies
C. bacteriophages*
D. prions
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 18, 26
6. Which of the following enzymes rejoins two sugar-phosphate backbones of DNA?
A. helicase
B. ligase*
C. restriction enzyme
D. reverse transcriptase
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 26, 36
7. Genes to be cloned into a plasmid are typically inserted in which location?
A. in a location disrupting the antibiotic selective marker
B. oriC (origin of replication)
C. polylinker site*
D. randomly
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 19, 26, 36
8. Which genus of bacterium is naturally competent?
A. Bacillus*
B. Escherichia
C. Listeria
D. Yersinia
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 11, 19
9. Which of the following regarding pUC19 and blue/white screening is NOT true?
A. Colonies that appear white have the gene of interest inserted into the plasmid pUC19.
B. pUC19 confers antibiotic resistance.
C. The gene of interest being cloned disrupts the lacI gene.*
D. X-gal is a chromogenic agent used in blue/white screening to test for -galactosidase
activity.
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 19, 26, 36
Page 2 of 17
, OpenStax Microbiology Test Bank
Chapter 12: Modern Applications of Microbial Genetics
10. You are in the process of cloning a gene of interest into pUC19 using blue/white screening.
You complete your cloning and transform E. coli with your cloned plasmid. You plate your
transformation on two media. One medium agar plate contains X-gal only. The second
medium agar plate contains X-gal and ampicillin (an antibiotic), in the hope of using
blue/white screening. You examine your plates and see a mixture of blue and white colonies.
Which of the following colonies should be picked?
A. the blue colonies that are resistant to ampicillin
B. the blue colonies that are sensitive to ampicillin
C. the white colonies that are resistant to ampicillin*
D. the white colonies that are sensitive to ampicillin
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 15, 19, 26, 28b, 36, 38
11. Which plasmid encodes the genes for its own conjugation?
A. an F-plasmid*
B. any plasmid
C. Plasmids cannot be transferred by conjugation.
D. pUC19 only
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 2, 19, 26, 36
12. Which of the following methods can be used to transfect protoplast plant cells?
A. Agrobacterium tumefaciens
B. electroporation
C. gene gun
D. All these options can be used.*
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 19, 26, 36
13. Which virus is typically used as mechanism to transfect eukaryotic cells?
A. adenovirus*
B. bacteriophage
C. influenza virus
D. retrovirus
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 2, 19, 26, 36
14. For gel electrophoresis, the matrix used for separation of DNA fragments is ________,
whereas the matrix used for separation of proteins is ________.
A. agarose; polyacrylamide*
B. arabinose; sodium dodecyl sulfate
C. polyacrylamide; agarose
Page 3 of 17
Chapter 12: Modern Applications of Microbial Genetics
Chapter 12: Modern Applications of Microbial Genetics
* = Correct answer
Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following is the definition of biotechnology?
A. The alteration of DNA in a cell
B. The use of living systems to benefit humankind*
C. Using computers to synthesize biomolecules
D. Using DNA for solving mathematical problems
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 26
2. Which of the following is the definition of genetic engineering?
A. The alteration of DNA in a cell*
B. The use of living systems to benefit humankind
C. Using computers to synthesize biomolecules
D. Using DNA for solving mathematical problems
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 15, 19, 26, 31
3. The first set of genes to be introduced into E. coli came from which of the following?
A. Arabidopsis
B. Haemophilus
C. Mycobacterium
D. Xenopus*
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 15, 19
4. Which of the following is a palindrome sequence that could be recognized by a restriction
enzyme?
A. 5′ – GAAAAG – 3′
3′ – CTTTTC – 5′
B. 5′ – GAATTC – 3′ *
3′ – CTTAAG – 5′
C. 5′ – GACT – 3′
3′ – CTGA – 5′
D. 5′ – GCCCC – 3′
3′ – CGGGG – 5′
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 26, 36
Page 1 of 17
,OpenStax Microbiology Test Bank
Chapter 12: Modern Applications of Microbial Genetics
5. Restriction enzymes (endonucleases) are produced by bacteria as a means of protection
against which infectious agent?
A. antibiotics
B. antibodies
C. bacteriophages*
D. prions
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 18, 26
6. Which of the following enzymes rejoins two sugar-phosphate backbones of DNA?
A. helicase
B. ligase*
C. restriction enzyme
D. reverse transcriptase
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 26, 36
7. Genes to be cloned into a plasmid are typically inserted in which location?
A. in a location disrupting the antibiotic selective marker
B. oriC (origin of replication)
C. polylinker site*
D. randomly
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 19, 26, 36
8. Which genus of bacterium is naturally competent?
A. Bacillus*
B. Escherichia
C. Listeria
D. Yersinia
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 11, 19
9. Which of the following regarding pUC19 and blue/white screening is NOT true?
A. Colonies that appear white have the gene of interest inserted into the plasmid pUC19.
B. pUC19 confers antibiotic resistance.
C. The gene of interest being cloned disrupts the lacI gene.*
D. X-gal is a chromogenic agent used in blue/white screening to test for -galactosidase
activity.
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 19, 26, 36
Page 2 of 17
, OpenStax Microbiology Test Bank
Chapter 12: Modern Applications of Microbial Genetics
10. You are in the process of cloning a gene of interest into pUC19 using blue/white screening.
You complete your cloning and transform E. coli with your cloned plasmid. You plate your
transformation on two media. One medium agar plate contains X-gal only. The second
medium agar plate contains X-gal and ampicillin (an antibiotic), in the hope of using
blue/white screening. You examine your plates and see a mixture of blue and white colonies.
Which of the following colonies should be picked?
A. the blue colonies that are resistant to ampicillin
B. the blue colonies that are sensitive to ampicillin
C. the white colonies that are resistant to ampicillin*
D. the white colonies that are sensitive to ampicillin
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 15, 19, 26, 28b, 36, 38
11. Which plasmid encodes the genes for its own conjugation?
A. an F-plasmid*
B. any plasmid
C. Plasmids cannot be transferred by conjugation.
D. pUC19 only
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 2, 19, 26, 36
12. Which of the following methods can be used to transfect protoplast plant cells?
A. Agrobacterium tumefaciens
B. electroporation
C. gene gun
D. All these options can be used.*
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 19, 26, 36
13. Which virus is typically used as mechanism to transfect eukaryotic cells?
A. adenovirus*
B. bacteriophage
C. influenza virus
D. retrovirus
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 2, 19, 26, 36
14. For gel electrophoresis, the matrix used for separation of DNA fragments is ________,
whereas the matrix used for separation of proteins is ________.
A. agarose; polyacrylamide*
B. arabinose; sodium dodecyl sulfate
C. polyacrylamide; agarose
Page 3 of 17
