Microbiology Practice Test Review

Why are viruses considered to be nonliving organisms?

• They do not have genetic information.
• They are not able to move on their own.
• They do not interact with their environment.
• They are not able to reproduce without a host cell.

How does the structure of a virus compare to that of a bacterium?

• They are both multicellular and living.
• They are both single-celled and nonliving.
• The virus is nonliving so it has no cells, whereas the bacterium is single-celled.
• The bacterium is nonliving, so it has no cells, whereas the virus is single-celled.

Which best describes how athlete’s foot is spread to other individuals?

• inhaling fungal spores in the air
• eating food contaminated with fungus
• having contact with fungus on a shower floor
• swimming in a lake that has a large amount of algae

Which is true regarding bacterial and viral infections?

• Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics, while viral infections can be prevented through use of vaccines.
• Viral infections are treated with vaccines, while bacterial infections are prevented through use of antibiotics.
• Viral infections are treated with antibiotics, while bacterial infections are treated with vaccines.
• Both viral infections and bacterial infections are treated with vaccines.

Diseases that can be transmitted between organisms are

• infectious.
• inherited.
• environmental
• congenital.

Which tool is most responsible for preventing future pandemics of smallpox?

• worldwide vaccination for smallpox
• global education about smallpox
• better worldwide urban sanitation
• improved global quarantine facilities

Which best compares an epidemic and a pandemic?

• An epidemic is caused by bacteria, while a pandemic is caused by viruses.
• A pandemic is spread by humans, while an epidemic is spread by insects and rodents.
• A pandemic occurs in a small region, while an epidemic occurs in a much larger region.
• An epidemic affects a small population of humans, while a pandemic affects a large population of humans.

In 1918, an outbreak of influenza infected 500,000 people all over the world. Tens of millions of those infected died. In 1994, an outbreak of pneumonic plague spread quickly through the city of Surat in India, killing 52 people. Which statement best describes the two events?

• Both outbreaks were pandemics.
• Both outbreaks were epidemics.
• The influenza outbreak was a pandemic. The plague outbreak was an epidemic.
• The influenza outbreak was an epidemic. The plague outbreak was a pandemic.

Which sentence best describes a pandemic?

• The disease causes high fever and vomiting.
• The disease passes through direct contact with an infected person.
• The disease is fatal if not treated immediately.
• The disease has spread to every country in the northern hemisphere.

Which is a distinction between an epidemic and a pandemic?

• the symptoms of the disease
• the geographical area affected
• the species of organisms infected
• the season in which the disease spreads