MBIO 3401 Exam 1 QUESTIONS WITH ACTUAL CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS GRADED A+
What is a microbe? How small does an organism have to be to be considered a microbe? -
ANSWER-A microbe is a living organism that requires a microscope to be seen. Microbe
diameter must be less than 0.15 mm.
True or false: Some microbes can consist of a single cell. - ANSWER-True.
A _____ is the total genetic information contained in an organism's chromosomal DNA. -
ANSWER-Genome.
What developed the first method of DNA sequencing fast enough to sequence large genomes? -
ANSWER-Fred Sanger.
What is a collection of sequences taken directly from the environment called? - ANSWER-A
metagenome.
Ture or false: Each microbe has the capacity to reproduce its own kind. - ANSWER-True.
What is a cell community? - ANSWER-Many of the same kind of cell.
,Should plant and animal cells be considered microbes? - ANSWER-No. Plant and animal cells
cannot reproduce their own kind indefinitely. Additionally, animal cells are differentiated and do
not exist as independently or as communities.
What types of organisms are considered microbes? - ANSWER-Bacteria, Archaea, Algae, Fungi,
protists, and Viruses.
What 14th century disease was caused by microbes? - ANSWER-bubonic plague.
What is Florence Nightingale famous for? - ANSWER-Florence Nightingale was the first to
recognize the significance of disease in warfare. She founded the science of medical statistics
and devised the polar area chart to show that the deaths of soldiers was due to various causes.
What is Robert Hooke famous for? - ANSWER-Built the first compound microscope.
Coined the term "cell".
Published the first manuscript that illustrated objects under the microscope.
What is Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek famous for? - ANSWER-First to observe single-cell microbes
moving around. He observed samples from his mouth under the microscope, saw them moving
around and called them small animals.
He built the first primitive microscope with the intention to observe fine fabrics (he was a cloth
draper).
Who discovered the microbial basis of fermentation? How did this person do this? - ANSWER-
Louis Pasteur. He built a swan-neck flask and showed that after boiling, the contents remain free
of microbial growth despite access to air.
What scientists disproved the theory of spontaneous generation of microbes? - ANSWER-
Francesco Redi: showed that maggots in decaying meat were the offspring of flies.
, Lazzaro Spallanzani: showed that a sealed flask of meat broth sterilized by boiling failed to grow
microbes.
Louis Pasteur: showed that after boiling, the contents in the swan neck flask remain free of
microbial growth.
Who is considered the Founding Father of Microbiology? - ANSWER-Louis Pasteur.
What is the Germ Theory of Disease? - ANSWER-That many diseases are caused by microbes
(most infectious diseases).
Who is the founder of the scientific method of microbiology? - ANSWER-Robert Koch.
What is the purpose of Koch's Postulates? - ANSWER-Koch's Postulates are a series of criteria
(scientific method) for whether a specific microbe is responsible for a specific disease.
List Koch's Postulates in order for defining the causative agent of a disease. - ANSWER-1. The
microbe is found in call cases of the disease, but is absent from health individuals.
2. The microbe is isolated from the diseased host and grown in pure culture.
3. When the microbe is introduced into a healthy host, the same disease occurs.
4. The same strain of microbe is obtained from the newly diseased host.
DETAILED ANSWERS GRADED A+
What is a microbe? How small does an organism have to be to be considered a microbe? -
ANSWER-A microbe is a living organism that requires a microscope to be seen. Microbe
diameter must be less than 0.15 mm.
True or false: Some microbes can consist of a single cell. - ANSWER-True.
A _____ is the total genetic information contained in an organism's chromosomal DNA. -
ANSWER-Genome.
What developed the first method of DNA sequencing fast enough to sequence large genomes? -
ANSWER-Fred Sanger.
What is a collection of sequences taken directly from the environment called? - ANSWER-A
metagenome.
Ture or false: Each microbe has the capacity to reproduce its own kind. - ANSWER-True.
What is a cell community? - ANSWER-Many of the same kind of cell.
,Should plant and animal cells be considered microbes? - ANSWER-No. Plant and animal cells
cannot reproduce their own kind indefinitely. Additionally, animal cells are differentiated and do
not exist as independently or as communities.
What types of organisms are considered microbes? - ANSWER-Bacteria, Archaea, Algae, Fungi,
protists, and Viruses.
What 14th century disease was caused by microbes? - ANSWER-bubonic plague.
What is Florence Nightingale famous for? - ANSWER-Florence Nightingale was the first to
recognize the significance of disease in warfare. She founded the science of medical statistics
and devised the polar area chart to show that the deaths of soldiers was due to various causes.
What is Robert Hooke famous for? - ANSWER-Built the first compound microscope.
Coined the term "cell".
Published the first manuscript that illustrated objects under the microscope.
What is Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek famous for? - ANSWER-First to observe single-cell microbes
moving around. He observed samples from his mouth under the microscope, saw them moving
around and called them small animals.
He built the first primitive microscope with the intention to observe fine fabrics (he was a cloth
draper).
Who discovered the microbial basis of fermentation? How did this person do this? - ANSWER-
Louis Pasteur. He built a swan-neck flask and showed that after boiling, the contents remain free
of microbial growth despite access to air.
What scientists disproved the theory of spontaneous generation of microbes? - ANSWER-
Francesco Redi: showed that maggots in decaying meat were the offspring of flies.
, Lazzaro Spallanzani: showed that a sealed flask of meat broth sterilized by boiling failed to grow
microbes.
Louis Pasteur: showed that after boiling, the contents in the swan neck flask remain free of
microbial growth.
Who is considered the Founding Father of Microbiology? - ANSWER-Louis Pasteur.
What is the Germ Theory of Disease? - ANSWER-That many diseases are caused by microbes
(most infectious diseases).
Who is the founder of the scientific method of microbiology? - ANSWER-Robert Koch.
What is the purpose of Koch's Postulates? - ANSWER-Koch's Postulates are a series of criteria
(scientific method) for whether a specific microbe is responsible for a specific disease.
List Koch's Postulates in order for defining the causative agent of a disease. - ANSWER-1. The
microbe is found in call cases of the disease, but is absent from health individuals.
2. The microbe is isolated from the diseased host and grown in pure culture.
3. When the microbe is introduced into a healthy host, the same disease occurs.
4. The same strain of microbe is obtained from the newly diseased host.
