Question 1

It took the advent of the polymerase chain reaction to detect the presence of the causative agent for which disease?

Accepted Answer

A)  anthrax 
B)  tuberculosis 
C)  AIDS 
D)  rabies 
E)  smallpox 
A)  anthrax 
B)  tuberculosis 
C)  AIDS 
D)  rabies 
E)  smallpox

Question 2

Analysis of DNA sequences reveals

Accepted Answer

A)  the ancient convergence of two cell types (i.e., prokaryotes and eukaryotes). 
B)  that prokaryotes and eukaryotes evolved from a common ancestral cell. 
C)  that bacteria share a common ancestor with archaea but not with eukarya. 
D)  that prokaryotes are cells with a nucleus. 
E)  that the genome of Haemophilus influenzae has about 2 billion base pairs. 
A)  the ancient convergence of two cell types (i.e., prokaryotes and eukaryotes). 
B)  that prokaryotes and eukaryotes evolved from a common ancestral cell. 
C)  that bacteria share a common ancestor with archaea but not with eukarya. 
D)  that prokaryotes are cells with a nucleus. 
E)  that the genome of Haemophilus influenzae has about 2 billion base pairs.

Question 3

Tyndall's spontaneous generation experiments occasionally failed due to

Accepted Answer

A)  nutrient chirality. 
B)  dust. 
C)  fermentation. 
D)  lack of oxygen. 
E)  endospores. 
A)  nutrient chirality. 
B)  dust. 
C)  fermentation. 
D)  lack of oxygen. 
E)  endospores.

Question 4

Viruses are

Accepted Answer

A)  infectious agents that infect exclusively multicellular organisms. 
B)  noncellular particles that take over the metabolism of a cell to generate more virus particles. 
C)  pathogens that replicate in complex growth media. 
D)  cellular particles that belong to the archaea domain. 
E)  microbes that consist of lipid membrane-enclosed genomes. 
A)  infectious agents that infect exclusively multicellular organisms. 
B)  noncellular particles that take over the metabolism of a cell to generate more virus particles. 
C)  pathogens that replicate in complex growth media. 
D)  cellular particles that belong to the archaea domain. 
E)  microbes that consist of lipid membrane-enclosed genomes.

Question 5

How did Sergei Winogradsky grow lithotrophs?

Accepted Answer

A)  enrichment culture 
B)  organic media 
C)  pure culture 
D)  endosymbiosis 
E)  chain of infection 
A)  enrichment culture 
B)  organic media 
C)  pure culture 
D)  endosymbiosis 
E)  chain of infection

Question 6

What is the standard sterilization method for the controlled study of microbes?

Accepted Answer

A)  boiling 
B)  pasteurization 
C)  filter sterilization 
D)  autoclaving 
E)  irradiation 
A)  boiling 
B)  pasteurization 
C)  filter sterilization 
D)  autoclaving 
E)  irradiation

Question 7

Which of these groups are considered to be microbes but NOT considered to be cells?

Accepted Answer

A)  viruses 
B)  bacteria 
C)  archaea 
D)  protists 
E)  filamentous fungi 
A)  viruses 
B)  bacteria 
C)  archaea 
D)  protists 
E)  filamentous fungi

Question 8

Taq polymerase forms the basis of a technique for

Accepted Answer

A)  comparative genomics. 
B)  recombinant DNA. 
C)  X-ray diffraction. 
D)  DNA amplification. 
E)  protein synthesis. 
A)  comparative genomics. 
B)  recombinant DNA. 
C)  X-ray diffraction. 
D)  DNA amplification. 
E)  protein synthesis.

Question 9

Semmelweis and Lister noted that many of their patients' deaths were due to

Accepted Answer

A)  fungi. 
B)  Escherichia coli. 
C)  chlorine. 
D)  pathogen transmission by doctors. 
E)  Staphylococcus. 
A)  fungi. 
B)  Escherichia coli. 
C)  chlorine. 
D)  pathogen transmission by doctors. 
E)  Staphylococcus.

Question 10

What did van Leeuwenhoek discover using microscopic observations before and after drinking hot beverages?

Accepted Answer

A)  Heat did not kill microbes. 
B)  Heat killed microbes. 
C)  Heat did not kill algae. 
D)  Caffeine in coffee killed microbes. 
E)  The existence of spiral-shaped microbes. 
A)  Heat did not kill microbes. 
B)  Heat killed microbes. 
C)  Heat did not kill algae. 
D)  Caffeine in coffee killed microbes. 
E)  The existence of spiral-shaped microbes.

Question 11

Why did it take so long for humans to determine that microbes cause infectious diseases?

Accepted Answer

Microbes are too small to be seen with t

Question 12

Who developed the concept of medical statistics?

Accepted Answer

A)  Francis Crick 
B)  Florence Nightingale 
C)  Edward Jenner 
D)  Louis Pasteur 
E)  Alexander Fleming 
A)  Francis Crick 
B)  Florence Nightingale 
C)  Edward Jenner 
D)  Louis Pasteur 
E)  Alexander Fleming

Question 13

Briefly explain the endosymbiosis theory and the evidence that supports it.

Accepted Answer

The endosymbiosis theory proposes that m

Question 14

The development of the theory of the "RNA world" resulted from the discovery of

Accepted Answer

A)  archaea. 
B)  prions. 
C)  bacteria. 
D)  ribozymes. 
E)  endosymbionts. 
A)  archaea. 
B)  prions. 
C)  bacteria. 
D)  ribozymes. 
E)  endosymbionts.

Question 15

How did European invaders to North America kill much of the native population?

Accepted Answer

A)  tuberculosis 
B)  leprosy 
C)  smallpox 
D)  HIV 
E)  bubonic plague 
A)  tuberculosis 
B)  leprosy 
C)  smallpox 
D)  HIV 
E)  bubonic plague

Question 16

What is the MOST recent evidence suggesting that all life on Earth shares a common ancestry?

Accepted Answer

Many genomes have now been sequenced, an

Question 17

What was the basis for the original smallpox vaccine?

Accepted Answer

A)  chickenpox virus 
B)  cowpox virus 
C)  rabies virus 
D)  smallpox virus 
E)  anthrax 
A)  chickenpox virus 
B)  cowpox virus 
C)  rabies virus 
D)  smallpox virus 
E)  anthrax

Question 18

The X-ray diffraction studies by which of the following scientists concluded that DNA was a double helix?

Accepted Answer

A)  James Watson 
B)  Rosalind Franklin 
C)  Francis Crick 
D)  Maurice Wilkins 
E)  Kary Mullis 
A)  James Watson 
B)  Rosalind Franklin 
C)  Francis Crick 
D)  Maurice Wilkins 
E)  Kary Mullis

Question 19

Electron microscopes use what to focus the beam of electrons?

Accepted Answer

A)  electromagnets 
B)  a condenser lens 
C)  light rays 
D)  X-ray diffraction 
E)  glass 
A)  electromagnets 
B)  a condenser lens 
C)  light rays 
D)  X-ray diffraction 
E)  glass

Question 20

How does the Winogradsky column differ from Koch's plate media?

Accepted Answer

A)  Koch's media creates a gradient from oxygen-rich conditions at the surface to highly reduced conditions below. 
B)  The Winogradsky column is used for culturing viruses. 
C)  The Winogradsky column is used for growing extremophiles. 
D)  The Winogradsky column uses the kinds of nutrients that feed humans. 
E)  The bacteria that Winogradsky isolated can grow only on inorganic minerals. 
A)  Koch's media creates a gradient from oxygen-rich conditions at the surface to highly reduced conditions below. 
B)  The Winogradsky column is used for culturing viruses. 
C)  The Winogradsky column is used for growing extremophiles. 
D)  The Winogradsky column uses the kinds of nutrients that feed humans. 
E)  The bacteria that Winogradsky isolated can grow only on inorganic minerals.

Exam 1: Microbial Life: Origin and Discovery

It took the advent of the polymerase chain reaction to detect the presence of the causative agent for which disease?

Analysis of DNA sequences reveals

Tyndall's spontaneous generation experiments occasionally failed due to

Viruses are

How did Sergei Winogradsky grow lithotrophs?

What is the standard sterilization method for the controlled study of microbes?

Which of these groups are considered to be microbes but NOT considered to be cells?

Taq polymerase forms the basis of a technique for

Semmelweis and Lister noted that many of their patients' deaths were due to

What did van Leeuwenhoek discover using microscopic observations before and after drinking hot beverages?

Why did it take so long for humans to determine that microbes cause infectious diseases?

Who developed the concept of medical statistics?

Briefly explain the endosymbiosis theory and the evidence that supports it.

The development of the theory of the "RNA world" resulted from the discovery of

How did European invaders to North America kill much of the native population?

What is the MOST recent evidence suggesting that all life on Earth shares a common ancestry?

What was the basis for the original smallpox vaccine?

The X-ray diffraction studies by which of the following scientists concluded that DNA was a double helix?

Electron microscopes use what to focus the beam of electrons?

How does the Winogradsky column differ from Koch's plate media?

Observing the Microbial Cell

Cell Structure and Function

Bacterial Culture, Growth, and Development

Environmental Influences and Control of Microbial Growth

Viruses

Genomes and Chromosomes

Transcription, Translation, and Bioinformatics

Gene Transfer, Mutations, and Genome Evolution

Molecular Regulation

Viral Molecular Biology

Biotechniques and Synthetic Biology

Energetics and Catabolism

Electron Flow in Organotrophy, Lithotrophy, and Phototrophy

Biosynthesis

Food and Industrial Microbiology

Origins and Evolution

Bacterial Diversity

Archaeal Diversity

Eukaryotic Diversity

Microbial Ecology

Microbes in Global Elemental Cycles

Human Microbiota and Innate Immunity

The Adaptive Immune Response

Microbial Pathogenesis

Microbial Diseases

Antimicrobial Therapy

Clinical Microbiology and Epidemiology

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