Question 1

Which of the following best explains why viruses are not considered living organisms?

Accepted Answer

Viruses cannot reproduce independently without a host cell.

Question 2

A virus consists of which two basic structural components?

Accepted Answer

Capsid and nucleic acid

Question 3

If you are swimming in a lake with fish infected by a fish-specific virus, why is it unlikely you would become ill?

Accepted Answer

Fish viruses cannot infect human cells due to host specificity.

Question 4

Which of the following types of nucleic acids can be found in viruses?

Accepted Answer

Either DNA or RNA, which can be single- or double-stranded

Question 5

Which sequence correctly describes the steps of viral infection and replication in a host cell?

Accepted Answer

Attachment, entry, replication, assembly, release

Question 6

Which statement best describes a prion?

Accepted Answer

A misfolded protein that can induce other proteins to misfold

Question 7

How do prions cause disease in their hosts?

Accepted Answer

They convert normal proteins into abnormal, misfolded forms.

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of a prion-caused disease?

Accepted Answer

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Question 9

Which two domains include all prokaryotes?

Accepted Answer

Bacteria and Archaea

Question 10

Rank the following from smallest to largest: prokaryotic cell, virus, eukaryotic cell.

Accepted Answer

Virus \u003c Prokaryotic cell \u003c Eukaryotic cell

Question 11

Which bacterial structure is primarily responsible for movement?

Accepted Answer

Flagellum

Question 12

What is the shape of the main DNA molecule in a prokaryote, and what is a plasmid?

Accepted Answer

Main DNA is circular; a plasmid is a small, extra-chromosomal DNA molecule

Question 13

After binary fission, how do the daughter cells compare to the parent cell?

Accepted Answer

They are genetically identical to the parent cell.

Question 14

Which of the following best describes the rate at which bacteria can reproduce under ideal conditions?

Accepted Answer

They can double in number every 20 minutes.

Question 15

Bacteria reproduce by which process, and is it sexual or asexual?

Accepted Answer

Binary fission; asexual

Question 16

What is the function of the sex pilus in bacteria, and how does it relate to antibiotic resistance?

Accepted Answer

It transfers plasmids, which may carry antibiotic resistance genes, between bacteria.

Question 17

Why are bacteria able to adapt and evolve more quickly than multicellular organisms?

Accepted Answer

They have short generation times and can exchange genes via plasmids.

Question 18

Which term describes spherical-shaped bacteria?

Accepted Answer

Cocci

Question 19

A pandemic is best defined as:

Accepted Answer

A disease outbreak that spreads across multiple countries or continents.

Question 20

Which of the following best describes binary fission?

Accepted Answer

A form of asexual reproduction where a cell divides into two identical cells.

Question 21

A hospital patient develops a bacterial infection that is resistant to multiple antibiotics. Which process most likely contributed to the spread of resistance genes among the bacteria?

Accepted Answer

Conjugation via sex pili transferring plasmids

Study Guide: Viruses, Prions, and Prokaryotes – Step-by-Step Guidance

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