Deck 11: Characterizing and Classifying Prokaryotes

Question 1

Which of the following characteristics distinguish the archaea from the bacteria?

A) cell wall composition
B) ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences
C) the deoxyribonucleotides in the DNA
D) cytoplasmic membrane lipids
E) cell wall composition, cytoplasmic membrane lipids, and rRNA sequences

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Which of the following types of microbes might be found in a boiling hot spring?

A) hyperthermophiles
B) phototrophic bacteria
C) methanogens
D) non-thermophiles
E) halophiles

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following bacterial arrangements is the result of snapping division?

A) tetrads
B) palisades
C) strepto-
D) sarcinae
E) staphylo-

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following bacterial genera produce(s) endospores?

A) Bacillus
B) Clostridium
C) Lactobacillus
D) both Bacillus and Lactobacillus
E) both Bacillus and Clostridium

Question 5

Mycoplasmas are pleomorphic because they

A) have no cell walls.
B) are low G + C content Gram-positive bacteria.
C) exhibit snapping division.
D) have sterols in their cytoplasmic membranes.
E) produce endospores.

Question 6

Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology contains

A) classification schemes for prokaryotes.
B) treatments for bacterial diseases.
C) a complete list of all bacterial species.
D) genetic sequences of all known prokaryotes.
E) rules for naming new bacterial species.

Question 7

Pleomorphic bacteria

A) have a slightly curved rod shape.
B) are flexible spirals.
C) are both bacillus and coccobacillus in shape.
D) are roughly spherical.
E) vary in size and shape.

Question 8

The archaea known as halophiles

A) require temperatures above 45∘C to survive.
B) require salt concentrations of 9% or greater to survive.
C) are members of the phylum Euryarchaeota.
D) are members of the Euryarchaeota and require temperatures above 45∘C.
E) are members of the Euryarchaeota and require salt concentrations above 9%.

Question 9

Endospores

A) are bacterial reproductive structures.
B) may be produced when nutrients are scarce.
C) are produced by bacteria, algae, and fungi.
D) are resistant to everything except radiation.
E) can last for only about 10 years.

Question 10

Bacteria in the phylum Firmicutes are distinguished from the phylum Actinobacteria on the basis of

A) their Gram stain reaction.
B) the high G + C content of their DNA.
C) their spiral shapes.
D) the low G + C content of their DNA.
E) the presence of LPS in their membranes.

Question 11

The ________ are the largest known group of archaea.

A) thermophiles
B) halophiles
C) cyanobacteria
D) methanogens
E) hyperthermophiles

Question 12

Which of the following bacterial genera includes species that protect areas of the body such as the intestinal tract and the vagina from invasion by pathogens?

A) Staphylococcus
B) Listeria
C) Lactobacillus
D) Mycobacterium
E) Corynebacterium

Question 13

What does the term "deeply branching bacteria" mean?

A) The bacteria likely branched from other Bacteria very early.
B) The bacteria grow in long filaments with frequent branches.
C) The bacteria grow in environments far below the surface of the Earth.
D) The bacterial cells have a Y or "branched" shape.
E) This group of bacteria have ribosomal RNAs very divergent from the rest of the members of the domain Bacteria.

Question 14

Which of the following groups of bacteria is named for its resemblance to fungi?

A) Corynebacterium
B) Actinomyces
C) Clostridium
D) Lactobacillus
E) Staphylococcus

Question 15

Contamination with ________ is a concern because they are highly resistant to killing.

A) archaea
B) endospores
C) pleomorphs
D) vegetative cells
E) vibrios

Question 16

The arrangement represented in Figure 11.1 is typical of which of the following genera of bacteria?

A) Bacillus
B) Corynebacterium
C) Escherichia
D) Actinomyces
E) Streptococcus

Question 17

Which of the following diseases is NOT associated with bacteria that form endospores?

A) tetanus
B) anthrax
C) gangrene
D) botulism
E) toxic shock syndrome

Question 18

Spores known as akinetes are reproductive structures of

A) members of the Bacillus genus.
B) members of the genus Mycoplasma.
C) members of the proteobacteria.
D) members of the Archaea.
E) members of the cyanobacteria.

Question 19

Which of the following bacterial genera is useful for the degradation of environmental pollutants?

A) Actinomyces
B) Streptomyces
C) Corynebacterium
D) Rhizobium
E) Nocardia

Question 20

Aerobic cyanobacteria carry out the reactions of nitrogen fixation in

A) akinetes.
B) endospores.
C) heterocysts.
D) chloroplasts.
E) lamellae.

Question 21

A flexible, spiral-shaped bacterium is called a

A) spirochete.
B) vibrio.
C) coccobacillus.
D) spirillum.
E) sarcina.

Question 22

Which of the following bacteria oxidize nitrite (NO₂⁻) to produce nitrate (NO₃⁻)?

A) Nitrobacter
B) Azospirillum
C) Nocardia
D) Cyanobacter
E) Rhizobium

Question 23

The anaerobic Clostridium species are troublesome pathogens largely because of their capacity for

A) endospore production.
B) rapid reproduction.
C) oxygen production.
D) biofilm production.
E) high salt tolerance.

Question 24

Which of the following bacterial genera plays an important role in environmental nitrogen cycles?

A) Nitrobacter
B) Rhizobium
C) Azospirillum
D) both Nitrobacter and Rhizobium
E) Nitrobacter, Rhizobium, and Azospirillum

Question 25

Which of the following bacterial genera is useful for sewage treatment?

A) Burkholderia
B) Thiobacillus
C) Neisseria
D) Zoogloea
E) Nitrosomonas

Question 26

What feature of mycobacteria is responsible for the unusually slow growth of these bacteria?

A) Their low tolerance for oxygen retards their growth.
B) They cannot fully metabolize carbohydrates and must rely on fermentation.
C) They have limited numbers of ribosomes so protein production is slow.
D) The mycolic acid in their cell walls requires signification metabolic investment.
E) They lack a cell wall and are extremely fragile.

Question 27

Some members of the spirochetes move by means of

A) gliding.
B) hami.
C) peritrichous flagella.
D) axial filaments.
E) nothing, they are non-motile.

Question 28

The classification of prokaryotes in Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology is largely based on

A) Gram stain reaction.
B) habitat.
C) type of electron receptor used in cellular respiration.
D) rRNA sequences.
E) cellular morphology.

Question 29

Which of the following is CORRECT about the prokaryotes known as deeply branching bacteria?

A) They are chemoheterotrophs.
B) They lack peptidoglycan walls.
C) They are commonly found in acidic, anaerobic conditions.
D) They grow in long branching filaments.
E) They are photosynthetic.

Question 30

A Gram-positive psychrotrophic rod ________ is a frequent contaminant of dairy products and meat and survives phagocytosis.

A) Escherichia coli
B) Mycobacterium leprae
C) Clostridium perfringens
D) Bacillus thuringiensis
E) Listeria monocytogenes

Question 31

Gram-negative bacteria in the genus ________ prey on other Gram-negative bacteria.

A) Bdellovibrio
B) Chlamydia
C) Rickettsia
D) Mycoplasma
E) Caulobacter

Question 32

The domain Archaea includes prokaryotes that are

A) endospore formers.
B) intracellular parasites.
C) members of the deeply branching bacteria.
D) human pathogens.
E) hyperthermophiles.

Question 33

Which of the following statements regarding mycoplasmas is FALSE?

A) They are low G + C content bacteria.
B) They stain Gram positive.
C) They are pleomorphic.
D) They exhibit a "fried egg" appearance on solid media.
E) They are the smallest free-living cells.

Question 34

The ________ are obligately anaerobic bacilli found in human intestines that aid in digestion of plant material.

A) methanogen
B) mycoplasma
C) bacteroides
D) clostridium
E) cyanobacterium

Question 35

Unusual cellular extensions called prosthecae are associated with which of the following groups of proteobacteria?

A) alphaproteobacteria
B) betaproteobacteria
C) gammaproteobacteria
D) deltaproteobacteria
E) epsilonproteobacteria

Question 36

The plant pathogen ________ is a member of the alphaproteobacteria that alters plant cells by introducing DNA into them.

A) Azotobacter
B) Agrobacterium
C) Rhizobium
D) Pseudomonas
E) Bdellovibrio

Question 37

Members of which of the following genera are the most common sexually transmitted bacteria in the United States?

A) Bacteroides
B) Rickettsia
C) Chlamydia
D) Helicobacter
E) Treponema

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT associated with bacteria in the genus Streptomyces?

A) the "musty" smell of soil
B) nutrient recycling in soil
C) antibiotic production
D) microbial antagonism
E) protection of plants against caterpillars

Question 39

Bacteria of the Proteobacteria that are intracellular parasites are members of the

A) alphaproteobacteria.
B) betaproteobacteria.
C) gammaproteobacteria.
D) alphaproteobacteria and betaproteobactria.
E) alphaproteobacteria and gammaproteobacteria.

Question 40

Members of the ________ are Gram-positive bacteria that have a distinctive process for cell separation known as "snapping division."

A) Actinomycetes
B) Clostridium
C) Corynebacterium
D) Mycoplasma
E) Rhizobium

Question 41

Random planes of division in cocci result in an arrangement known as (sarcinae/staphylo/strepto).

Question 42

The most common form of reproduction among prokaryotes is (budding/binary/snapping) fission.

Question 43

The genus Mycobacterium includes species responsible for

A) tuberculosis.
B) urinary tract infections.
C) food poisoning from contaminated dairy products.
D) gastric ulcers.
E) food poisoning from contaminated meat.

Question 44

Pseudomonas species are occasional causes of

A) diarrheal disease.
B) food poisoning from meat.
C) food poisoning from dairy products.
D) "flesh-eating" bacterial infections.
E) urinary tract infections.

Question 45

The majority of prokaryotes are capable of forming endospores.

Question 46

A species of the genus Streptococcus is the leading cause of

A) tuberculosis.
B) urinary tract infections.
C) contaminated milk and meat.
D) "flesh-eating" bacterial infections.
E) food poisoning from rice.

Question 47

The bacterial shape in Figure 11.2 is called (bacillus/vibrio/rod).

Question 48

Cocci can be spherical as well as kidney-shaped.

Question 49

Some strains of Staphylococcus aureus can invade the body and cause diseases such as pneumonia and bacteremia.

Question 50

The purple sulfur bacteria carry out oxygenic photosynthesis.

Question 51

Most of the methane produced by methanogens is oxidized by other types of bacteria before it affects Earth's climate.

Question 52

Various species of Streptomyces are important sources of antibiotics.

Question 53

The rod-shaped (chlamydias/brucella/rickettsias) are intracellular parasitic members of the alphaproteobacteria.

Question 54

Bacteria in the genus Cytophaga are capable of digesting a wide range of complex carbohydrates and are important for degrading raw sewage.

Question 55

Members of the genus Chlamydia are

A) thermophiles.
B) intracellular parasites.
C) classified with the deeply branching bacteria.
D) endospore-formers.
E) Gram-positive bacteria.

Question 56

Some members of the alphaproteobacteria produce a structure called a (filament/prostheca/pilus) to produce extra surface area for nutrient absorption.

Question 57

Halophiles grow equally well in the presence or absence of high salt concentrations.

Question 58

Mycoplasmas are named for the large quantities of mycolic acid in their cell walls.

Question 59

Gram-negative nitrogen-fixing bacteria found in association with plant roots are

A) alphaproteobacteria.
B) betaproteobacteria.
C) cyanobacteria.
D) gammaproteobacteria.
E) deeply branching bacteria.

Question 60

When an endospore germinates, it gives rise to two daughter cells called vegetative cells.

Question 61

The genus of pathogenic cocci responsible for a wide range of human disease and whose members grow in chains is (Staphylococcus/Streptococcus/Enterococcus).

Question 62

Gammaproteobacteria of the genus (Escherichia/Pseudomonas/Vibrio) catabolize carbohydrates using pathways other than the standard glycolytic (Embden-Meyerhof) pathway.

Question 63

Explain the significance of endospores.

Question 64

Burkholderia is a common (true/opportunistic) pathogen of patients with cystic fibrosis.

Question 65

The reduction of nitrogen gas to ammonia is called nitrogen (fixation/cycling/oxidation).

Question 66

The (streptobacilli/actinomycetes/mycoplasmas) are a group of Gram-positive bacteria that form branching filaments resembling those of fungi.

Question 67

Describe the similarities and differences observed among phototrophic bacteria.

Question 68

Describe the major taxonomic divisions of prokaryotic organisms.

Question 69

Will is a graduate student working in a microbiology lab. He is given the task of characterizing a newly discovered nitrogen fixing bacterium. What type of tests or observations will help him determine whether it is a member of the Cyanobacteria, alphaproteobacteria, or gammaproteobacteria?

Question 70

The infective stage of chlamydia is called the (elementary/endospore/initial) body.

Question 71

Compare and contrast methanogens and methane oxidizers, including their roles in the environment.

Question 72

The bacterium (Agrobacterium/Cyanobacteria/Rhizobium) is a member of the alphaproteobacteria that forms beneficial relationships with higher plants.

Question 73

The G + C content is a(n) (RNA/structural/genetic) determination used in classifying the different taxa of Gram-positive bacteria.

Question 74

Slow-growing bacteria in the genus (Mycoplasma/Mycobacterium/Pseudomonas) are able to withstand long exposure to air because of the presence of mycolic acid in their cell wall structure.

Question 75

The (bacilli/Lactobacilli/bacteroids) are a group of Gram-negative bacteria that include obligate anaerobes normally found in the intestinal tracts of animals and humans.