Question 1

Which fluorescent molecule enables visualization of living microorganisms?

Accepted Answer

A) acridine orange 
B) DAPI 
C) GFP 
D) SYBR Green 
A) acridine orange 
B) DAPI 
C) GFP 
D) SYBR Green

Question 2

Well-designed microbial activity measurements can reveal ________ of major metabolic reactions in a habitat.

Accepted Answer

A) types 
B) rates 
C) both types and rates 
D) either types or rates (but not both) 
A) types 
B) rates 
C) both types and rates 
D) either types or rates (but not both)

Question 3

Collective estimates of the physiological reactions occurring in the entire microbial community are known as ________ measurements.

Accepted Answer

A) in vitro 
B) in situ 
C) activity 
D) metagenomics 
A) in vitro 
B) in situ 
C) activity 
D) metagenomics

Question 4

A study of the human gut performed in 1982 used various types of plates under different growth conditions to describe and enumerate the microbes in the human gut.They concluded that the majority of the microbes in the human gut are Gammaproteobacteria.A study conducted in 2010 using next-generation sequencing to characterize 16S rRNA sequences concluded that the majority of the microbes in the human gut are Firmicutes and Bacteriodetes.Why did these studies have different conclusions? Which study do you think is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

The studies do not agree because of enri

Question 5

Interpreting stable isotopic fractionation depends on the fact that most enzymes preferentially bind ________ isotope substrates over ________ isotope substrates.

Accepted Answer

A) nonradioactive / radioactive 
B) light / heavy 
C) heavy / light 
D) radioactive / nonradioactive 
A) nonradioactive / radioactive 
B) light / heavy 
C) heavy / light 
D) radioactive / nonradioactive

Question 6

Once a putative pure culture has been obtained from the environment,it is no longer necessary to check its purity.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Radioisotopes are useful when

Accepted Answer

A) very high sensitivity is required. 
B) turnover rates need to be determined. 
C) the fate of portions of particular molecules need to be followed. 
D) very high sensitivity is required,turnover rates need to be determined,and the fate of portions of particular molecules need to be followed. 
A) very high sensitivity is required. 
B) turnover rates need to be determined. 
C) the fate of portions of particular molecules need to be followed. 
D) very high sensitivity is required,turnover rates need to be determined,and the fate of portions of particular molecules need to be followed.

Question 8

When dealing with stable isotopes,enzymes tend to favor

Accepted Answer

A) the lighter isotope. 
B) the heavier isotope. 
C) the isotopes in about equal proportions. 
D) either the lighter or the heavier isotope,depending on environmental conditions. 
A) the lighter isotope. 
B) the heavier isotope. 
C) the isotopes in about equal proportions. 
D) either the lighter or the heavier isotope,depending on environmental conditions.

Question 9

Genes encoding ________ are widely used as target genes in molecular biodiversity studies.

Accepted Answer

A) ATPases 
B) DNA polymerase III 
C) 16S rRNA 
D) RNA polymerase 
A) ATPases 
B) DNA polymerase III 
C) 16S rRNA 
D) RNA polymerase

Question 10

Describe what an ITS region is in the context of prokaryotes,and explain the significance of the ITS region for microbial ecology.

Accepted Answer

The ITS region is the nucleotides betwee

Question 11

The term axenic is used to describe a(n)

Accepted Answer

A) anaerobic culture. 
B) anoxygenic culture. 
C) nutritionally deficient culture. 
D) pure culture. 
A) anaerobic culture. 
B) anoxygenic culture. 
C) nutritionally deficient culture. 
D) pure culture.

Question 12

Which method requires the addition of at least one radioactive chemical?

Accepted Answer

A) CARD-FISH 
B) MAR 
C) NanoSIMS 
D) SIP 
A) CARD-FISH 
B) MAR 
C) NanoSIMS 
D) SIP

Question 13

Traditional enrichment culturing circumvents issues associated with "weed" species from overcoming the population.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

The overall purpose of DGGE is to

Accepted Answer

A) separate genomes that are less than 95% similar. 
B) measure activity of cells that use DGGE as an energy source. 
C) detect cells that utilize a specific radiolabeled substrate. 
D) separate genes of the same length that differ in their denaturing profile due to sequence variation. 
A) separate genomes that are less than 95% similar. 
B) measure activity of cells that use DGGE as an energy source. 
C) detect cells that utilize a specific radiolabeled substrate. 
D) separate genes of the same length that differ in their denaturing profile due to sequence variation.

Question 15

DGGE and T-RFLP are both molecular microbial ecology methods that use the polymerase chain reaction to amplify specific genes to assess diversity.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Robotic systems used to quickly test thousands of combinations of nutrients for enrichment of a particular prokaryotic species is an example of a(n)________ technology.

Accepted Answer

A) outdated 
B) biased 
C) genomic 
D) high-throughput 
A) outdated 
B) biased 
C) genomic 
D) high-throughput

Question 17

Which of the following statements is FALSE concerning enrichment bias?

Accepted Answer

A) Dilution of the inoculum may help to avoid enrichment bias in some cases. 
B) Enrichment bias is impossible to overcome in some oligotrophic environments. 
C) Enrichment bias resulted in the underestimation of prokaryotic diversity. 
D) Enrichment bias favors organisms that grow quickly. 
A) Dilution of the inoculum may help to avoid enrichment bias in some cases. 
B) Enrichment bias is impossible to overcome in some oligotrophic environments. 
C) Enrichment bias resulted in the underestimation of prokaryotic diversity. 
D) Enrichment bias favors organisms that grow quickly.

Question 18

If properly constructed,a Winogradsky column can be used to isolate pure cultures.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Propose a set of procedures or steps to sequence an individual cell's genome present in lake water.

Accepted Answer

First,individual cells would need to be

Question 20

The purpose of the enrichment culture technique is to enrich for organisms with specific physiological properties from a microbial community.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 18: Methods in Microbial Ecology

Which fluorescent molecule enables visualization of living microorganisms?

Well-designed microbial activity measurements can reveal ________ of major metabolic reactions in a habitat.

Collective estimates of the physiological reactions occurring in the entire microbial community are known as ________ measurements.

Interpreting stable isotopic fractionation depends on the fact that most enzymes preferentially bind ________ isotope substrates over ________ isotope substrates.

Once a putative pure culture has been obtained from the environment,it is no longer necessary to check its purity.

Radioisotopes are useful when

When dealing with stable isotopes,enzymes tend to favor

Genes encoding ________ are widely used as target genes in molecular biodiversity studies.

Describe what an ITS region is in the context of prokaryotes,and explain the significance of the ITS region for microbial ecology.

The term axenic is used to describe a(n)

Which method requires the addition of at least one radioactive chemical?

Traditional enrichment culturing circumvents issues associated with "weed" species from overcoming the population.

The overall purpose of DGGE is to

DGGE and T-RFLP are both molecular microbial ecology methods that use the polymerase chain reaction to amplify specific genes to assess diversity.

Robotic systems used to quickly test thousands of combinations of nutrients for enrichment of a particular prokaryotic species is an example of a(n)________ technology.

Which of the following statements is FALSE concerning enrichment bias?

If properly constructed,a Winogradsky column can be used to isolate pure cultures.

Propose a set of procedures or steps to sequence an individual cell's genome present in lake water.

The purpose of the enrichment culture technique is to enrich for organisms with specific physiological properties from a microbial community.

Microorganisms and Microbiology

Microbial Cell Structure and Function

Microbial Metabolism

Molecular Biology

Microbial Growth and Control

Microbial Genomics

Metabolic Regulation

Viruses and Virology

Viral Genomes and Diversity

Genetics of Bacteria and Archaea

Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

Microbial Evolution and Systematics

Metabolic Diversity of Microorganisms

Functional Diversity of Bacteria

Diversity of Bacteria

Diversity of Archaea

Diversity of Eukaryotic Microorganisms

Microbial Ecosystems

Nutrient Cycles

Microbiology of the Built Environment

Microbial Symbioses

Microbial Interactions With Humans

Immunity and Host Defense

Immune Mechanisms

Molecular Immunology

Diagnostic Microbiology

Epidemiology

Person-To-Person Bacterial and Viral Diseases

Vectorborne and Soilborne Bacterial and Viral Diseases

Water and Food As Vehicles of Bacterial Diseases

Eukaryotic Pathogens: Fungal and Parasitic Diseases

Filters

Interpreting stable isotopic fractionation depends on the fact that most enzymes preferentially bind isotope substrates over isotope substrates.