Deck 1: The Main Themes of Microbiology

Question 1

The majority of oxygen in earth's atmosphere is a product of photosynthesis by ______.

A) rain forests
B) microorganisms
C) green plants
D) agricultural lands

Answer 1

B

Question 2

A hypothesis must be tested many times before it can be considered a theory.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The microorganisms that recycle nutrients by breaking down dead matter and wastes are called ______.

A) fermenters
B) eukaryotes
C) decomposers
D) pathogens
E) prokaryotes

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is a traditional human use of microorganisms?

A) Baking bread
B) Cleaning up oil spills
C) Treating water and sewage
D) Mass-producing antibiotics

Question 5

Using microbes to detoxify a site contaminated with heavy metals is an example of ______.

A) biotechnology
B) bioremediation
C) decomposition
D) epidemiology
E) immunology

Question 6

A scientist who studies the influence of microbes in the formation of caves is called a(n)______.

A) astrobiologist
B) epidemiologist
C) geomicrobiologist
D) immunologist

Question 7

Microorganisms are best defined as organisms that

A) can only be found growing in laboratories.
B) are too small to be seen with the unaided eye.
C) are infectious particles.
D) lack a cell nucleus.
E) cause human disease.

Question 8

The first cells appeared about ___ billion years ago.

A) 5
B) 4.5
C) 3.5
D) 2
E) 1

Question 9

Disease-causing microorganisms are called ______.

A) pathogens
B) decomposers
C) fermenters
D) bacteria
E) eukaryotes

Question 10

Which area of biology states that living things undergo gradual structural and functional changes over long periods of time?

A) Evolution
B) Morphology
C) Phylogeny
D) Genetics
E) Transformation

Question 11

Studies of the immune response to an infection caused by microorganisms would be performed by a(n)______.

A) hypersensitivity specialist
B) immunologist
C) geomicrobiologist
D) epidemiologist

Question 12

Which of the following are not considered microorganisms?

A) Fungi
B) Protozoa
C) Viruses
D) Bacteria
E) Mosquitoes

Question 13

Which of the following pairs of career descriptions and work tasks is not correctly matched?

A) Medical microbiologist -- identify the cause of a bladder infection at a hospital lab
B) Industrial microbiologist -- manipulate bacterial strains to be less pathogenic
C) Agricultural microbiologist -- identify bacterial causes of crop disease
D) Public health microbiologist -- track the incidence of AIDS in a population

Question 14

The three cell types discussed,eukaryotes,archaea,and bacteria,all derived from ______.

A) cells with a true nucleus
B) the last universal common ancestor
C) photosynthetic bacteria
D) archaea

Question 15

When humans manipulate the genes of microorganisms,the process is called ______.

A) epidemiology
B) taxonomy
C) bioremediation
D) genetic engineering
E) immunology

Question 16

Which activity is an example of biotechnology?

A) Bacteria in the soil secreting an antibiotic to kill competitors
B) Public health officials monitoring diseases in a community
C) Egyptians using moldy bread on wounds
D) A microbiologist using the microscope to view bacteria
E) Escherichia coli producing human insulin

Question 17

Helminths are ______.

A) molds
B) parasitic worms
C) bacteria
D) protozoa
E) infectious particles

Question 18

Among the types of microorganisms,the ______ are noncellular.

A) protozoans
B) bacteria
C) viruses
D) helminths

Question 19

Which of the following does not indicate microbe involvement in energy and nutrient flow?

A) Decomposition of dead matter and wastes
B) Digestion of complex carbohydrates in animal diets
C) Formation of greenhouse gases, CO₂ and methane
D) Thermal hot springs warmed by heat from earth's interior

Question 20

Astrobiology is considered a sub-discipline of microbiology because

A) life elsewhere in the universe is likely to be microbial.
B) microbes are known to exist on other planets.
C) all extraterrestrials known are microbial.
D) only microbes can reproduce under the extreme conditions in outer space.

Question 21

Which of the following is a unique characteristic of viruses that distinguishes them from the other major groups of microorganisms?

A) Cannot be seen without a microscope
B) Contain genetic material
C) Cause human disease
D) Lack a nucleus
E) Lack cell structure

Question 22

All bacteria and archaea are microorganisms,but only some eukaryotes are microorganisms.

Question 23

Many chronic infections are caused by microbes that associate in communities termed ______.

A) biofilms
B) virions
C) microbiota
D) sediments

Question 24

Many chronic medical conditions have been found to be associated with microbial agents.

Question 25

Koch's postulates are criteria used to establish that

A) microbes are found on dust particles.
B) a specific microbe should be classified in a specific kingdom.
C) microbes can be used to clean up toxic spills.
D) a specific microbe is the cause of a specific disease.
E) life forms can only arise from preexisting life forms.

Question 26

Organisms called parasites are ______.

A) the decomposers in ecosystems
B) always viruses
C) always harmful to their host
D) free-living

Question 27

The sum total of all the microbes in a certain environment is termed the ______.

A) microbiome
B) microbial niche
C) domain
D) biofilm
E) phylogeny

Question 28

Eukaryotic cells are larger than bacterial or archaeal cells; all cells are larger than macromolecules.Where do viruses fit on this scale?

A) Viruses are smaller than eukaryotic cells, but larger than bacterial or archaeal cells.
B) Viruses are smaller than macromolecules.
C) Viruses are larger than eukaryotic cells.
D) Viruses are smaller than bacterial or archaeal cells, but larger than macromolecules.

Question 29

Which of the following historical microbiologists is incorrectly paired with his contribution to the science?

A) Francesco Redi: tested spontaneous generation with meat exposed to the air or covered with cloth
B) Louis Pasteur: demonstrated that anthrax was caused by a bacterium
C) Joseph Lister: promoted disinfecting hands and air prior to surgery
D) Antonie van Leeuwenhoek: made and used quality magnifying lenses to observe and record microorganisms

Question 30

Which of the following is not a process in the scientific method?

A) Systematic observation
B) Development of a theory
C) Laboratory experimentation
D) Formulation of a hypothesis
E) Belief in a preconceived idea

Question 31

In which way are archaea and eukaryotes the same?

A) Have a cell wall for rigidity
B) Can use flagella for movement
C) Contain mitochondria for energy production
D) Contain membrane-bound organelles

Question 32

The incidence of deaths from communicable disease is ______ in the United States compared to the entire world.

A) less
B) greater
C) about the same

Question 33

In the experiments constructed by Pasteur to disprove spontaneous generation,swan-necked flasks were used.Why was this shape of flask used in this experiment?

A) The shape of the glass neck allowed the bacteria into the flask and then into the media, but air could not enter.
B) The glass necks needed to be open to the air, yet constructed so that bacteria would settle in the lowest part of the neck.
C) These flask shapes were the easiest and cheapest to produce.
D) Because the glass necks were stretched out, the heat used to sterilize the medium inside of the flask could not kill the bacteria in the neck.

Question 34

Experimentation

A) is the first step in the scientific method.
B) is designed to support an hypothesis.
C) provides a means to gather objective data.
D) is designed to refute an hypothesis.
E) provides a means to gather subjective data.

Question 35

Which group of microorganisms is composed only of hereditary material wrapped in a protein covering?

A) Yeasts
B) Parasites
C) Viruses
D) Fungi
E) Bacteria

Question 36

In which way are bacteria and eukaryotes the same?

A) Contain a nucleus to hold DNA
B) Contain ribosomes for protein synthesis
C) Contain membrane-bound organelles
D) Have a cell wall for rigidity

Question 37

Which of the following is NOT a recent discovery that has had a huge impact on the understanding of microbiology?

A)Restriction enzymes
B)PCR technique
C)Biofilms
D)Small RNAs
E)All are significant discoveries.

Question 38

The number one worldwide infectious diseases are ______.

A) AIDS-related diseases
B) malaria and other protozoan diseases
C) respiratory diseases
D) measles and other rash diseases
E) diarrheal diseases

Question 39

Archaeal cells are about ______ bacterial cells.

A) ten times smaller than
B) the same size as
C) ten times larger than

Question 40

In general,eukaryotic cells are about ______ times larger than bacterial or archaeal cells.

A) 2
B) 10
C) 50
D) 1000

Question 41

The names of the three proposed domains are: Bacteria,Protista,and Eukarya.

Question 42

Which of the following is a taxon that contains all the other taxa listed?

A) Family
B) Genus
C) Kingdom
D) Species
E) Phylum

Question 43

Select the correct descending taxonomic hierarchy (left to right).

A) Class, phylum, order
B) Family, genus, species
C) Kingdom, domain, phylum
D) Family, order, class
E) Genus, species, family

Question 44

Which scientific field is involved in the identification,classification,and naming of organisms?

A) Nomenclature
B) Epidemiology
C) Taxonomy
D) Phylogeny
E) Pathology

Question 45

Sterile refers to ______.

A) homogenized
B) absence of any life forms and viral particles
C) pathogen-free
D) pasteurized
E) absence of spores

Question 46

A scientist studying the sequence of nucleotides in the rRNA of a bacterial species is working on

A) recombinant DNA.
B) nomenclature.
C) determining evolutionary relatedness.
D) bioremediation.
E) determining if that species is the cause of a new disease.

Question 47

Which of the following is a scientific name?

A) Streptobacilli
B) Gram-positive streptococcus
C) Anthrax
D) Streptococcus pyogenes

Question 48

The scientific method includes all of the following except ______.

A) experimentation
B) hypothesis
C) publication
D) observation

Question 49

The scientific method involves formulating a tentative explanation,called the hypothesis,to account for what has been observed or measured.

Question 50

A recently-developed mnemonic for remembering the taxonomic levels from Domain to Species is "Dumb Kids Prefer Candy Over Fancy Green Salad." The word "candy" here is a reminder of the taxonomic level of _______.

A) chain
B) culture
C) category
D) colony
E) class

Question 51

The study of evolutionary relationships among organisms is called ______.

A) genetics
B) biotechnology
C) phylogeny
D) taxonomy
E) recombinant DNA

Question 52

Caring for patients infected with a new virus requires safety precautions for medical personnel.Choosing appropriate procedures is an example of a(n)______ process.

A) pathogenic
B) deductive
C) hypothetical
D) inductive

Question 53

A diagram of the three domains (Bacteria,Archaea,Eukarya)proceeding from the Last Universal Common Ancestor would show Archaea

A) branching off the Domain Bacteria.
B) branching off the Domain Eukarya.
C) as the original cells from which the others derived.

Question 54

The orderly arrangement of organisms into a hierarchy of taxa is called ______.

A) experimentation
B) biotechnology
C) classification
D) identification
E) nomenclature

Question 55

Members of the same species share many more characteristics compared to those shared by members of the same kingdom.

Question 56

Which scientific name is written correctly?

A) S. aureus
B) Staphylococcus aureus
C) Staphylococcus Aureus
D) staphylococcus aureus
E) Staphylococcus aureus

Question 57

Analysis of the small subunit rRNAs from all organisms in the three current domains suggests that

A) the prokarytoes, archaea, and eukaryotes are not related.
B) the eukaryotes arose from prokaryotes.
C) the Archaea are more closely related to bacteria than eukaryotes.
D) all modern and extinct organisms on earth arose from a common ancestor.

Question 58

The smallest and most significant taxon is a ______.

A) kingdom
B) phylum
C) species
D) family
E) genus

Question 59

Taxonomy does not involve ______.

A) classification
B) a common name
C) nomenclature
D) identification

Question 60

When assigning a scientific name to an organism,

A) the species name is placed first.
B) the species name can be abbreviated.
C) both genus and species names are italicized or underlined.
D) both genus and species names are capitalized.
E) the species name is capitalized.

Question 61

Trees of life that illustrate the phylogenetic relationships of all organisms were traditionally based on ______; newer methods for determining phylogeny rely on ______.

A) morphology; virology
B) nucleic acid sequences; morphology
C) morphology; nucleic acid sequences
D) nucleic acid sequences; microbiomes
E) morphology; nutritional requirements