Question 1

Which of the following best describes the semiconservative replication of DNA?

Accepted Answer

Each daughter DNA molecule consists of one parental strand and one newly synthesized strand.

Question 2

During transcription in prokaryotes, which enzyme is responsible for synthesizing RNA from a DNA template?

Accepted Answer

RNA polymerase

Question 3

Which of the following statements about the structure of DNA is correct?

Accepted Answer

DNA has a double helix structure stabilized by hydrogen bonds between complementary bases.

Question 4

A mutation that results in the substitution of one amino acid for another in a protein is called:

Accepted Answer

Missense mutation

Question 5

Which of the following best explains the role of ribosomes in translation?

Accepted Answer

Ribosomes catalyze the formation of peptide bonds between amino acids.

Question 6

Which process is responsible for the conversion of DNA to RNA?

Accepted Answer

Transcription

Question 7

A bacterium is exposed to a mutagen that causes the insertion of a single nucleotide into a gene. What type of mutation is most likely to occur?

Accepted Answer

Frameshift mutation

Question 8

Which of the following is a key difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes?

Accepted Answer

Prokaryotic genomes are usually found in a single circular chromosome, while eukaryotic genomes are organized into multiple linear chromosomes.

Question 9

Which of the following best describes the function of DNA polymerase during DNA replication?

Accepted Answer

DNA polymerase synthesizes new DNA strands by adding nucleotides to a template strand.

Question 10

In Griffith's experiment, what was the key finding regarding bacterial transformation?

Accepted Answer

Live non-virulent bacteria acquired virulence when mixed with heat-killed virulent bacteria.

Question 11

Which of the following equations correctly represents the base pairing in DNA?

Accepted Answer

$$A = T, \ C = G$$

Question 12

A virus with a helical capsid structure is most likely to have which of the following shapes?

Accepted Answer

Rod-like

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a function of mutations in microbial evolution?

Accepted Answer

Decreasing the ability to survive in changing conditions

Question 14

Which of the following best describes the role of rRNA in phylogenetic classification?

Accepted Answer

rRNA sequences are used to generate phylogenetic trees due to their evolutionary conservation.

Question 15

Which of the following is a major difference between bacteria and archaea?

Accepted Answer

Bacteria have ester-linked membrane lipids, while archaea have ether-linked membrane lipids.

Question 16

Which of the following is true regarding the triplet genetic code?

Accepted Answer

Each codon specifies a single amino acid.

Question 17

Which of the following best explains the importance of supercoiling in DNA?

Accepted Answer

Supercoiling compacts DNA to fit inside the cell.

Question 18

A bacteriophage infects a bacterial cell and integrates its genome into the host chromosome. This process is known as:

Accepted Answer

Lysogeny

Question 19

Which of the following is a consequence of a nonsense mutation in a gene encoding a protein?

Accepted Answer

The protein is truncated due to a premature stop codon.

Question 20

Which of the following is a real-world example of horizontal gene transfer in bacteria?

Accepted Answer

A bacterium acquiring antibiotic resistance genes via conjugation.

Microbiology Study Notes: Genetics, Phylogeny, and Virology

Study Guide - Practice Questions