Question 1

Microbes and humans have evolved a variety of relationships, including _ where microbes help the host.

Accepted Answer

A)  symbiotic; mutualism 
B)  dynamic; commensalism 
C)  symbiotic; commensalism 
D)  commensal; mutualism 
E)  symbiotic; parasitism

Question 2

Simple staining techniques use one dye.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

Which of the following is true about bioremediation?

Accepted Answer

A)  Coagulators are used to condense the spill. 
B)  Bioremediation never harms the environment. 
C)  The Environmental Protection Agency documents a handful of chemical spills per year in the United States alone. 
D)  A mix of bacteria, archaea, and fungi species is used to seed the spill zone. 
E)  Nitrogen, sulfur, phosphate, and sometimes iron supplements are added to the spill zone to encourage microbial growth.

Question 4

Why do electron microscopes have a better resolution versus light microscopes?

Accepted Answer

A)  The lenses, knobs, and strength of the electron beam can all be highly controlled, which also explains why electron microscopes are so expensive. 
B)  An electron beam has a wavelength of about 800 nm, and resolution improves with larger wavelengths. 
C)  An electron beam has a wavelength of about 1 nm, and resolution improves with smaller wavelengths. 
D)  The additional steps necessary to prepare the sample for viewing provide the improved resolution. 
E)  The lenses used to focus the electron beam are more adjustable than the ones in a light microscope.

Question 5

Which of the following individuals does not correctly match with their contribution to microbiology.

Accepted Answer

A)  Ignaz Semmelweis: First developed aseptic techniques to decrease mortality rates from childbed fever 
B)  Robert Koch: Developed criteria for determining the causative agent of an infectious disease 
C)  Joseph Lister: Developed the first anesthetic solution for use in surgeries 
D)  Louis Pasteur: Showed that biogenesis is responsible for the propagation of life 
E)  Florence Nightingale: Established the use of aseptic techniques in nursing practices

Question 6

Robert Koch helped establish the germ theory of disease by discovering that anthrax was caused by a disease. After he isolated and purified the same bacteria from several diseased animals, what would be the next step in order to show that this bacteria caused anthrax?

Accepted Answer

A)  find out if antibiotics treat the diseased animals 
B)  perform physiological testing 
C)  culture the bacteria on Petri dishes 
D)  introduce the bacteria into a new mouse to see if it established the same infection 
E)  visualize the bacteria with an electron microscope

Exam 1: Introduction to Microbiology