Question 1

Which scientist is credited with disproving the theory of spontaneous generation by demonstrating that microorganisms are present in the air and do not arise from nonliving matter?

Accepted Answer

Louis Pasteur

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of prokaryotes?

Accepted Answer

Contain a nucleus

Question 3

The binomial nomenclature system established by Carolus Linnaeus assigns each organism a name consisting of its genus and _________.

Accepted Answer

species

Question 4

Which of the following statements about Archaea is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Archaea often live in extreme environments

Question 5

Which field of microbiology focuses on the study of how microbes inherit traits?

Accepted Answer

Microbial genetics

Question 6

Which process is defined as the microbial conversion of sugar to alcohol in the absence of air?

Accepted Answer

Fermentation

Question 7

Which of the following is a real-world example of bioremediation?

Accepted Answer

Applying nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer to oil-contaminated soil to enhance microbial degradation

Question 8

Which scientist developed a synthetic arsenic-based drug, salvarsan, to treat syphilis?

Accepted Answer

Paul Ehrlich

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a role of microbes in the environment?

Accepted Answer

Cause all human diseases

Question 10

Which of the following is TRUE about viruses?

Accepted Answer

Viruses replicate only when in a living host cell

Question 11

Which of the following is a defining feature of fungi?

Accepted Answer

Chitin cell walls

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of an extremophile?

Accepted Answer

Methanogen living in a salt lake

Question 13

Which scientist is associated with the discovery of the first antibiotic, penicillin?

Accepted Answer

Alexander Fleming

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT a member of the three-domain system developed by Carl Woese?

Accepted Answer

Virus

Question 15

Which of the following is a function of the human microbiome?

Accepted Answer

Helps train the immune system to discriminate threats

Question 16

Which of the following is TRUE about protozoa?

Accepted Answer

Protozoa may be motile via pseudopods, cilia, or flagella

Question 17

Which of the following is the correct order of the taxonomic hierarchy from broadest to most specific?

Accepted Answer

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

Question 18

Which of the following equations best represents the process of photosynthesis carried out by algae?

Accepted Answer

$$6CO_2 + 6H_2O \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6$ + 6O_2$$

Question 19

A patient develops an infection after a surgical procedure due to a microbe that is normally harmless but becomes pathogenic in this context. What is this type of microbe called?

Accepted Answer

Opportunistic pathogen

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the difference between bioremediation and composting?

Accepted Answer

Bioremediation uses microbes to detoxify pollutants, while composting arranges organic waste to promote microbial degradation by thermophiles

Introduction to Microbiology: The Microbial World and You

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