Question 1

Which of the following best describes bioremediation?

Accepted Answer

The use of microbes to clean up pollutants and toxic wastes from the environment.

Question 2

Which of the following pairs correctly matches the scientific nomenclature for Escherichia coli?

Accepted Answer

Genus: Escherichia; Specific epithet: coli

Question 3

Which of the following groups of microorganisms are classified as prokaryotes?

Accepted Answer

Bacteria and Archaea

Question 4

Which of the following statements correctly differentiates photosynthesis and cellular respiration?

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis converts $$CO_2$$ and $$H_2O$$ into glucose and $$O_2$$, while cellular respiration breaks down glucose and $$O_2 to $$produce $$CO_2$$, $$H_2O$$, and ATP.

Question 5

Which of the following lists the three domains of life?

Accepted Answer

Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya

Question 6

Which four kingdoms are found within the domain Eukarya?

Accepted Answer

Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia

Question 7

Which scientist is credited with disproving spontaneous generation and supporting the theory of biogenesis?

Accepted Answer

Louis Pasteur

Question 8

Koch’s postulates are significant because they:

Accepted Answer

Provide a systematic method to link a specific microorganism to a specific disease.

Question 9

Which of the following best describes Ehrlich’s 'magic bullet'?

Accepted Answer

A chemical that selectively targets and destroys pathogens without harming the host.

Question 10

Which of the following is a correct definition of a biofilm?

Accepted Answer

A complex community of microorganisms attached to a surface and embedded in a self-produced extracellular matrix.

Question 11

Which of the following best differentiates active and passive transport across cell membranes?

Accepted Answer

Active transport requires energy (usually ATP), while passive transport does not.

Question 12

Which of the following statements about Gram staining is correct?

Accepted Answer

Gram-positive bacteria retain the crystal violet stain due to their thick peptidoglycan layer.

Question 13

A patient is infected with a virus that integrates its genome into the host DNA and remains dormant for years. Which viral replication cycle does this describe?

Accepted Answer

Lysogenic cycle

Question 14

Which enzyme is essential for the replication of retroviruses, and what is its function?

Accepted Answer

Reverse transcriptase; it synthesizes DNA from an RNA template.

Question 15

Which of the following is a reason why viruses are considered non-living entities?

Accepted Answer

They cannot carry out metabolism or reproduce independently outside a host cell.

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the difference between a virus and a bacterium?

Accepted Answer

Viruses lack cellular structure and can only replicate inside host cells, while bacteria are cellular and can reproduce independently.

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of an oncogenic virus?

Accepted Answer

Human papillomavirus (HPV)

Question 18

Which of the following best defines a prion?

Accepted Answer

An infectious protein that lacks nucleic acids and causes neurodegenerative diseases.

Question 19

A microbiologist observes a clear area on a bacterial lawn after bacteriophage infection. What is this area called, and what does it indicate?

Accepted Answer

Plaque; it indicates lysis of bacterial cells by the phage.

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the cytopathic effect in virology?

Accepted Answer

Observable structural changes in host cells caused by viral infection.

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