Question 1

Which of the following best explains why heat fixing is necessary before staining a bacterial smear?

Accepted Answer

It attaches the bacteria to the slide and kills the cells.

Question 2

A microbiologist is preparing a Gram stain. After the alcohol decolorization step, Gram-negative bacteria appear colorless. What is the chemical reason for this observation?

Accepted Answer

Alcohol dissolves the outer membrane and creates holes in the thin peptidoglycan, allowing the crystal violet-iodine complex to wash out.

Question 3

Which of the following stains would be most appropriate to visualize the capsule of Klebsiella pneumoniae?

Accepted Answer

Negative stain using india ink or nigrosin

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the chemical structure of peptidoglycan found in bacterial cell walls?

Accepted Answer

A polymer of repeating units of N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM) linked by $\beta$-1,4 glycosidic bonds

Question 5

A patient sample is stained and observed under oil immersion. The bacteria appear as pink rods. Which of the following is the most likely identity of the bacteria?

Accepted Answer

Gram-negative bacilli

Question 6

Why does a negative stain not color the bacterial cell itself?

Accepted Answer

The dye is repelled by the negatively charged bacterial cell surface.

Question 7

Which of the following is a key difference between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial cell walls?

Accepted Answer

Gram-positive bacteria have a thick peptidoglycan layer and no outer membrane.

Question 8

A clinical sample is stained using the acid-fast technique. Some cells appear red and others blue. What does this indicate about the sample?

Accepted Answer

The sample contains both acid-fast and non-acid-fast bacteria.

Question 9

Which of the following best explains why endospores are difficult to stain with ordinary methods?

Accepted Answer

Endospores have a thick, proteinaceous coat that is impermeable to stains.

Question 10

During the Shaeffer-Fulton endospore staining procedure, what is the primary stain and what color do endospores appear?

Accepted Answer

Primary stain: malachite green; endospores appear green

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the function of a bacterial capsule?

Accepted Answer

It prevents phagocytosis and aids in adherence to surfaces.

Question 12

A microbiologist is using a compound light microscope with a 10X ocular lens and a 100X oil immersion objective lens. What is the total magnification?

Accepted Answer

$100 	imes 10 = 1000$

Question 13

Which of the following is true regarding the use of mordants in staining procedures?

Accepted Answer

Mordants intensify the stain by helping it bind more tightly to the cell structures.

Question 14

Which of the following best explains why the Gram stain is so useful in clinical microbiology?

Accepted Answer

It differentiates bacteria based on cell wall structure, guiding antibiotic treatment.

Question 15

Which of the following genera can be identified using the acid-fast stain due to the presence of mycolic acid in their cell walls?

Accepted Answer

Mycobacterium and Nocardia

Question 16

A bacterial sample is stained with crystal violet, iodine, alcohol, and safranin. After the procedure, the cells appear purple. What can you conclude about the cell wall structure?

Accepted Answer

The bacteria have a thick peptidoglycan layer and no outer membrane.

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the arrangement of flagella in a bacterium with a single flagellum at each end?

Accepted Answer

Amphitrichous

Question 18

Which of the following is a real-world consequence of a bacterium losing its capsule?

Accepted Answer

It becomes less able to evade phagocytosis by host immune cells.

Question 19

Which of the following best explains why endospore-forming bacteria are a concern in hospital settings?

Accepted Answer

Endospores are resistant to heat, chemicals, and radiation, making them difficult to eliminate.

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the role of the condenser in a compound light microscope?

Accepted Answer

It focuses light onto the specimen.

Chapter 3 - Observing Microorganisms Through a Microscope: Staining and Microscopy Techniques

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