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WorksheetsMain Themes Of Microbiology
Total questions: 45
Worksheet time: 23mins
Microorganisms are best defined as organisms that
cause human disease.
are infectious particles.
lack a cell nucleus.
can only be found growing in laboratories.
are too small to be seen with the unaided eye.
Which of the following are not considered microorganisms?
Bacteria
Mosquitoes
Protozoa
Fungi
Viruses
Helminths are
bacteria.
molds.
parasitic worms.
protozoa.
infectious particles.
Among these types of microorganisms, the __________ are noncellular.
helminths
viruses
bacteria
protozoans
Which of the following pairs of career descriptions and work tasks is not correctly matched?
Industrial microbiologist -- manipulate bacterial strains to be less pathogenic
Public health microbiologist -- track the incidence of AIDS in a population
Agricultural microbiologist -- identify bacterial causes of crop disease
Medical microbiologist -- identify the cause of a bladder infection at a hospital lab
A scientist who studies the influence of microbes in the formation of caves is called a/an
immunologist.
astrobiologist.
epidemiologist.
geomicrobiologist.
Astrobiology is considered a sub-discipline of microbiology because
only microbes can reproduce under the extreme conditions in outer space.
all extraterrestrials known are microbial.
microbes are known to exist on other planets.
life elsewhere in the universe is likely to be microbial.
Which of the following does not indicate microbe involvement in energy and nutrient flow?
Thermal hot springs warmed by heat from earth's interior
Digestion of complex carbohydrates in animal diets
Formation of greenhouse gases, CO2 and methane
Decomposition of dead matter and wastes
The microorganisms that recycle nutrients by breaking down dead matter and wastes are called
decomposers.
fermenters.
prokaryotes.
eukaryotes.
pathogens.
The majority of oxygen in earth's atmosphere is a product of photosynthesis by
green plants.
microorganisms.
agricultural lands.
rain forests.
The three cell types discussed, eukaryotes, archaea, and bacteria, all derived from
photosynthetic bacteria.
cells with a true nucleus.
archaea.
a common ancestral cell.
Which area of biology states that living things undergo gradual structural and functional changes over long periods of time?
Morphology
Evolution
Phylogeny
Transformation
Genetics
Which activity is an example of biotechnology?
Escherichia coli producing human insulin
Public health officials monitoring diseases in a community
Egyptians using moldy bread on wounds
A microbiologist using the microscope to view bacteria
Bacteria in the soil secreting an antibiotic to kill competitors
Which of the following is a traditional human use of microorganisms?
Mass-producing antibiotics
Baking bread
Cleaning up oil spills
Treating water and sewage
Disease-causing microorganisms are called
pathogens.
decomposers.
eukaryotes.
fermenters.
bacteria.
Many chronic medical conditions have been found to be associated with microbial agents.
True
False
In which way are bacteria and eukaryotes the same?
Contain a nucleus to hold DNA
Possess a cell membrane
Always have a cell wall for rigidity
Contain membrane-bound organelles
In which way are archaea and eukaryotes the same?
Have similar ssu rRNA sequences
Contain membrane-bound organelles
Possess RNA instead of DNA
Contain mitochondria for energy production
All bacteria and archaea are microorganisms, but only some eukaryotes are microorganisms. Choose the correct option.
True
False
Which of the following is a unique characteristic of viruses that distinguishes them from the other major groups of microorganisms?
Contain genetic material
Lack a nucleus
Cause human disease
Lack cell structure
Cannot be seen without a microscope
Which of the following historical microbiologists is incorrectly paired with his contribution to the science?
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek: made and used quality magnifying lenses to observe and record microorganisms
Joseph Lister: promoted disinfecting hands and air prior to surgery
Louis Pasteur: demonstrated that anthrax was caused by a bacterium
Francesco Redi: tested spontaneous generation with meat exposed to the air or covered with cloth
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?
These flask shapes were the easiest and cheapest to produce.
The shape of the glass neck allowed the bacteria into the flask and then into the media, but air could not enter.
The glass necks needed to be open to the air, yet constructed so that bacteria would settle in the lowest part of the neck.
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.
Koch's postulates are criteria used to establish that
life forms can only arise from preexisting life forms.
microbes can be used to clean up toxic spills.
microbes are found on dust particles.
a specific microbe is the cause of a specific disease.
a specific microbe should be classified in a specific kingdom.
The sum total of all the microbes in a certain environment is termed the
microbiome.
microbial niche.
phylogeny.
biofilm.
domain.
Which of the following is not a process in the scientific method?
Belief in a preconceived idea
Systematic observation
Development of a theory
Laboratory experimentation
Formulation of a hypothesis
Experimentation
is designed to support a hypothesis.
provides a means to gather objective data.
provides a means to gather subjective data.
is the first step in the scientific method.
is designed to refute a hypothesis.
The scientific method includes all of the following except
hypothesis.
observation.
publication.
experimentation.
The scientific method involves formulating a tentative explanation, called the hypothesis, to account for what has been observed or measured.
True
False
Sterile is best described as
pathogen-free.
homogenized.
absence of any life forms and viral particles.
pasteurized.
absence of spores.
Taxonomy does not involve
identification.
classification.
a common name.
nomenclature.
Which scientific field is involved in the identification, classification, and naming of organisms?
taxonomy
physiology
ecology
immunology
Which of the following is a scientific name?
Streptobacilli
Anthrax
Gram-positive streptococcus
Streptococcus pyogenes
When assigning a scientific name to an organism,
both genus and species names are capitalized.
the species name is capitalized.
the species name can be abbreviated.
both genus and species names are italicized or underlined.
Which scientific name is written correctly?
Staphylococcus aureus (not italicized)
staphylococcus aureus
S. aureus
Staphylococcus aureus (italicized)
Analysis of the small subunit rRNAs from all organisms in the three current domains suggests that
the eukaryotes arose from prokaryotes.
the Archaea are more closely related to bacteria than eukaryotes.
all modern and extinct organisms on earth arose from a common ancestor.
Choose the term(s) identifying professions that involve the use of microorganisms. Check all that apply.
The food industry
Biotechnology
Epidemiology
Genetic engineering
Select all answers that are roles played by microorganisms in our environment. Check all that apply.
Carry out photosynthesis
Biological decomposition
Nutrient recycling
Photosynthetic microorganisms contribute more oxygen to the atmosphere than plants. Select the correct option.
True
False
Most microorganisms that are found in and on humans do not cause harm and can sometimes benefit the host. Select the correct option.
True
False
Select the characteristic exhibited by viruses.
Much more complex than cells
Composed of DNA and RNA
Parasitic particles
Which of the following choices is a correct way to type the binomial name of a microorganism?
Staphylococcus aureus
staphylococcus Aureus
staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus Aureus
Staphylococcus aureus (in italics)
The major groups of microorganisms studied by microbiologists include bacteria and archaea, algae, helminths, protozoans, viruses, and
fungi
arthropods
cysts
spores
The scientific name of a microorganism is a combination of the ________ name, which is capitalized, followed by the ________ name, which begins with a lowercase letter.
species; genus
genus; species
genus; kingdom
phylum; genus
The scientific method is used by scientists to explain a certain natural phenomenon, and it involves the formation of a ________ as a tentative explanation of the observed or measured phenomenon.
experiment
variable
hypothesis
theory
Dr. Wendall Holmes and Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis were pioneers in ________, one of the most important methods to reduce disease in healthcare settings.
sterilized operating rooms
use of antiseptics on skin before surgery
handwashing
pasteurization
