Deck 26: Environmental Microbiology

Question 1

The conversion of gaseous nitrogen N₂) to the ammonium ion NH₄⁺) occurs during

A) ammonification.
B) nitrogen fixation.
C) photosynthesis.
D) nitrification.
E) denitrification.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The energy of photons is converted into chemical energy during

A) ammonification.
B) nitrogen fixation.
C) photosynthesis.
D) nitrification.
E) denitrification.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Thiobacillus thiooxidans is found in an environmental sample. Which of the following should then apply to this sample?

A) The sample contains lithotrophs.
B) The sample is very acidic.
C) The sample contains microbes that oxidize sulfur to sulfates.
D) All of these choices are correct.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The thin envelope of life that surrounds the Earth's surface is called the

A) atmosphere.
B) biosphere.
C) lithosphere.
D) hydrosphere.
E) ecosystem.

Question 5

Which of the following is a nitrifying microbe?

A) Nitrosospira
B) Nitrosobacter
C) Nitrosococcus
D) Nitrosomonas
E) All of these choices are correct.

Question 6

The physical location in the environment to which an organism has adapted is called a

A) niche.
B) habitat.
C) population.
D) community.
E) biome.

Question 7

Which is mismatched?

A) parasitism - one organism benefits and the other receives no benefit
B) competition - one organism gives off substances that inhibit or kill other organisms
C) predator - seeks out and ingests live prey
D) scavengers - feed on live to dead cells and wastes
E) omnivores - feed on plants and flesh

Question 8

Carbon dioxide CO₂) is

A) removed from the atmosphere during photosynthesis.
B) a source of carbon.
C) returned to the atmosphere during respiration and fermentation.
D) used by marine organisms to make limestone for their hard shells.
E) All of these choices are correct.

Question 9

All of the following are abiotic factors, except

A) atmospheric gases.
B) an animal carcass.
C) minerals.
D) water.
E) light.

Question 10

The overall role that a species serves in a community is its

A) niche.
B) habitat.
C) population.
D) community.
E) biome.

Question 11

The terrestrial realm of the biosphere is distributed into particular climatic regions called

A) niches.
B) habitats.
C) populations.
D) communities.
E) biomes.

Question 12

A group of organisms of the same species within a community is called a

A) niche.
B) habitat.
C) population.
D) community.
E) biome.

Question 13

The oxidation of ammonia NH₄⁺) to nitrate NO₃ ) is called

A) ammonification.
B) nitrogen fixation.
C) photosynthesis.
D) nitrification.
E) denitrification.

Question 14

Which trophic level forms the base of a food chain?

A) primary consumers
B) quarternary consumers
C) secondary consumers
D) primary producers
E) tertiary consumers

Question 15

Which of the following is not correct about nitrogen fixation?

A) Some nitrogen-fixing bacteria live free.
B) Some nitrogen-fixing bacteria live in a symbiotic relationship with plants.
C) Nitrogen fixation is an aerobic process.
D) The primary product of nitrogen fixation is ammonium ion, NH₄⁺.
E) Legumes are plants that are able to fix nitrogen.

Question 16

Which organism is a nitrogen-fixing symbiont of legumes?

A) Rhizobium
B) Nitrobacter
C) Pseudomonas
D) Nostoc
E) Azotobacter

Question 17

The conversion of nitrate NO₃ ) to nitrogen gas N₂) is called

A) ammonification.
B) nitrogen fixation.
C) photosynthesis.
D) nitrification.
E) denitrification.

Question 18

Using microbes to break down or remove toxic wastes in water and soil is called

A) decomposition.
B) synergism.
C) mineralization.
D) bioremediation.
E) recycling.

Question 19

Which of the following can carry out denitrification to completion?

A) Rhizobium
B) Nitrobacter
C) Pseudomonas
D) Nostoc
E) Azotobacter

Question 20

Life would not be possible without

A) autotrophs.
B) primary consumers.
C) secondary consumers.
D) heterotrophs.
E) chemoheterotrophs.

Question 21

Which of the following is not a greenhouse gas?

A) carbon dioxide CO₂₎
B) sulfur dioxide SO₂)
C) methane CH₄)
D) ammonia NH₄⁺)
E) All of these choices are correct.

Question 22

As energy is transferred to the next trophic level, how much of it is generally lost as heat?

A) None
B) 5%
C) 10%
D) 50%
E) 90%

Question 23

The niche of an organism includes all of the following, except

A) nutritional intake.
B) position in the community structure.
C) rate of population growth.
D) number of offspring it produces.
E) All of these choices are correct.

Question 24

How does methyl mercury affect living things?

A) It interferes with translation of mRNA.
B) It interferes with DNA replication.
C) It inhibits transcription.
D) It precipitates proteins.
E) It inhibits the electron transport chain during cellular respiration.

Question 25

Potable water is

A) contaminated.
B) polluted.
C) safe to drink.
D) foul testing.

Question 26

The sediment in a lake, composed of organic debris and mud, is termed the

A) photic zone.
B) benthic zone.
C) profundal zone.
D) littoral zone.
E) limnetic zone.

Question 27

Bacteria can function in all the following roles in an ecosystem, except as a

A) primary producer.
B) consumer.
C) decomposer.
D) parasite.
E) All of these choices are correct.

Question 28

All of the following pertain to red tides, except

A) due to overgrowth of red and brown algae in water.
B) due to overgrowth of toxin-producing dinoflagellates.
C) cause paralytic shellfish poisoning.
D) involve toxin concentrating in shellfish.
E) humans can become ill from eating the shellfish.

Question 29

Which of the following are sources of greenhouse gases?

A) gastrointestinal tract of ruminants
B) combustion of fossil fuels
C) burning forests to clear agricultural land
D) decaying vegetation in swamps
E) All of these choices are correct.

Question 30

What is the source of CO₂ released into the atmosphere?

A) respiration
B) anaerobic microbial activity
C) fuel combustion
D) volcanic activity
E) All of these choices are correct.

Question 31

The Gaia Theory says that

A) the biosphere contains a diversity of habitats and niches favorable to life because living things have made it that way.
B) the complementary actions of respiration and photosynthesis have maintained a relatively stable atmospheric pool of carbon dioxide and oxygen.
C) all living things must obtain nutrients and energy from their environment.
D) all elements have their origin in a nonliving, long-term reservoir.
E) ecosystems are open with regard to energy because the sun is constantly renewing them with a renewable source.

Question 32

Indicator bacteria are

A) coliforms.
B) gram-negative rods.
C) evidence of fecal contamination.
D) used in water quality tests.
E) All of these choices are correct.

Question 33

When describing the horizontal zonation of a body of water, which term refers to the shoreline area?

A) littoral zone
B) limnetic zone
C) photic zone
D) benthic zone
E) estuary zone

Question 34

Eutrophication

A) encourages heavy surface algal blooms.
B) can block the O₂ supply to the lake.
C) occurs when there are excess nutrients in aquatic ecosystems.
D) causes massive die-off of fish and invertebrates.
E) All of these choices are correct.

Question 35

Which of the following water-borne pathogens are protozoans?

A) Vibrio
B) Hepatitis A
C) Giardia
D) Shigella
E) Norwalk virus

Question 36

In a large body of standing water, which area exists between the hypolimnion and the epilimnion?

A) thermocline
B) photic
C) limnetic
D) littoral
E) profundal

Question 37

An example of a primary consumer would be a

A) dog.
B) cow.
C) tiger.
D) mushroom.

Question 38

Which of the following cannot be photoautrophs?

A) bacteria
B) fungi
C) plants
D) algae
E) All of these choices are correct.

Question 39

Analysis of a water sample by a series of presumptive, confirmatory, and completed tests that help establish an estimate of coliform numbers in the water is called

A) membrane filter method.
B) most probable number MPN) procedure.
C) standard plate count.
D) coliform determination test.

Question 40

Which of the following is incorrect about water?

A) When a water quality test is negative for coliforms, it is considered fit for human consumption.
B) There is no acceptable level for fecal coliforms, enterococci, viruses, or pathogenic protozoans in drinking water.
C) The most probable number) MPN specifically detects fecal coliforms.
D) The membrane filter method is a widely used rapid method to test large quantities of water for quality.
E) Finding coliforms in high numbers indicates fecal contamination of the water.

Question 41

The main decomposers are the fungi and bacteria.

Question 42

_____ is a floating, surface microbial community that drifts with the currents and waves.

Question 43

The combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and gas, have contributed to the steady increase in atmosphere CO₂ gas over the last 25 years.

Question 44

Organisms that inhabit soil or water and break down and absorb the organic matter of dead organisms are called _____.

Question 45

What was needed by the microorganisms to facilitate the speed of the bioremediation process after the Exxon Valdez oil spill?

A) more bacteria
B) more oil
C) more phosphate
D) All of these choices are correct.

Question 46

An _____ is a region where the river meets the sea.

Question 47

The slowly decaying organic litter from plant and animal tissues that is found in the soil is called _____.

Question 48

A ___________ is a form of consumer that actively seeks out and ingests live prey.

Question 49

The primary role of producers is to recycle nutrients in an ecosystem.

Question 50

The lithosphere is an area that is without living microorganisms.

Question 51

Some bacteria, such as Desulfovibrio, are able to reduce sulfates to hydrogen sulfide as the final step in the electron transport chain.

Question 52

The science called microbial _____ studies interactions between microbes and their environment and how those interactions affect the Earth.

Question 53

The total amount of water in the hydrologic cycle has decreased over millions of years.

Question 54

In a synergistic relationship, the action of one microbe favorably affects another, but the first microbe receives no benefit.

Question 55

An _____ is the term for a deep groundwater source.

Question 56

Living or dead organisms that occupy an organism's habitat are called biotic factors.

Question 57

A food web is generally simpler to visualize than a food chain.

Question 58

Carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are believed to be _____ gases that could disrupt the temperature balance of the Earth.

Question 59

Mycorrhizae are the mutualistic partnership between fungi and the roots of certain plants.

Question 60

Nutrient deficient ecosystems are called ___________.

Question 61

Discuss and give several examples of the use of microbes in bioremediation.

Question 62

Discuss the specific effects caused by the runoff of organic industrial waste into a freshwater stream.

Question 63

Differentiate between the following terms and provide an example for each: mutualism, communalism, synergism, parasitism.

Question 64

Finding __________ in water is a good indication that it has been fecally contaminated.

Question 65

What is "nitrogen fixation" and how do legumes play a role in this important cycle?

Question 66

Which of the following are roles played by microbes in aquatic ecosystems?

A) producers
B) primary consumers
C) decomposers
D) mineralizers
E) All of these choices are correct.

Question 67

Most of the zooplankton and phyoplankton in a lake will be located in the

A) benthic zone.
B) photic zone.
C) produndal zone.
D) littoral zone.
E) Plankton will be distributed among each of these zones.

Question 68

Draw an energy pyramid and provide specific examples of each level.

Question 69

Describe the carbon cycle from the atmosphere to the primary producers and back again.