Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes produce exotoxins known as
superantigens that bind to a site on the TCR that is outside the antigen-specific TCR
binding site.
Acidic foods generally need a higher canning temperature than do nonacidic foods.
Cholera can be transmitted by water or food.
Humic acids are difficult to degrade, and therefore they usually remain in a system for
several decades.
Most viral respiratory diseases are highly contagious but not life threatening.
Gram-positive bacteria produce endotoxins.
Morbidity statistics more precisely define the health of a population than mortality
statistics.
Both pathogenic bacteria and primary symbionts have a tendency to lose genes for
catabolic pathways.
The preferential use of glucose over other available carbon substrates for growth is
mechanistically explained by catabolite repression.
When the F factor is integrated, all Hfr strains have the origin of replication functioning
in the same direction.
DNA polymerases from Escherichia coli cannot be used to artificially copy gene
sequences with a thermocycler.
Many pathogens can be readily grown in laboratory culture.
B cells react with antigens through TCR antigen receptors.
The conversion of light into chemical energy is called photoautotrophy.
Viruses are known to infect Bacteria, but no virus has yet been found that infects
Archaea.
Climate scientists are developing methane hydrates to decrease the effects of global
warming.
Catabolic pathways are essential for microorganisms to obtain energy, because
biosynthetic reactions for cellular growth generally require energy input.
The hantavirus diagnosis can be made from several different types of ELISAs.
Subway air and water distribution systems harbor dangerous levels of pathogenic
microorganisms.
Some membrane proteins are involved in bioenergetic reactions, while others are
involved in membrane transport.
Regardless of the DNA polymerase used in PCR, such as Taq or Pfu, they all have an
inherent inability to perfectly copy the template strand, which means the polymerases
themselves occasionally make mutations in the sequences they copy.
When elemental sulfur is provided externally as an electron donor, the organism must
attach itself to the sulfur particle because of the extreme insolubility of elemental sulfur.
Throughout the living world, the genetic code is generally universal; however, there are
slight variations.
In catabolic repression, cells use the least abundant carbon source first.
Macromolecules resulting from lysosomal digestion are used in cellular biosynthesis
and energy generation.
Among protists, only the ciliates have a micronucleus and macronucleus where genes
are located in two discrete areas within each cell for redundancy.
Lysogeny is essential for the virulence of many pathogenic bacterial strains.
Archaeoglobus is a true sulfate reducer that forms a phylogenetically distinct lineage
within the Euryarchaeota.
Despite oomycetes being called “water molds,” they are phylogenetically distant from
most other fungi.
Fungi and protists serve an important role in the anaerobic digestion of cellulose in
ruminants.
Methanogens, among other compounds, use alcohols and fatty acids to synthesize
methane gas in anoxic environments.
Prosthecae are thought to be an adaptation to growth in nutrient-rich environments such
as sediments and sewage.
The accessory pigment phycoerythrin is dominant in the ________ group of algae,
which mostly lack flagella, have multicellular lifestyles, and occur in marine waters.
Those in particular which deposit calcium carbonate in coral reef systems are classified
as ________ algae.
A) chlorophyte / coralline
B) chlorophyte / rhodolithic
C) rhodophyte / coralline
D) rhodophyte / rhodolithic
The first catalytic and self-replication biological molecule was most likely
A) RNA.
B) DNA.
C) proteins.
D) ATP.
Which is an example of acquisition of natural passive immunity?
A) a fetus protected from disease by its mother’s antibodies
B) a person who received his or her yearly influenza vaccine
C) a person who acquired the chickenpox
D) a person who received tetanus antiserum after stepping on a rusty nail
In the developed countries of the world, MOST intestinal infections are transmitted via
A) water.
B) person-to-person contact.
C) food.
D) hospital contamination.
A Pasteur flask has a(n)
A) swan neck to prevent particulate matter from getting into the main body of the flask.
B) double neck so two substances may be added at the same time.
C) secondary opening at the base to allow for drainage.
D) inverted upper edge to prevent spillage while swirling.
To prevent the souring of crude oil, ________ is added to oil well injection water to
encourage ________ instead of ________.
A) oxygen / aerobic respiration / sulfate reduction
B) sulfate / sulfate reduction / fermentation
C) sulfate / sulfate reduction / nitrate reduction
D) nitrate / nitrate reduction / sulfate reduction
Microbial control in wastewaters would most logically be a part of
A) microbial genetics.
B) aquatic microbiology.
C) medical microbiology.
D) bacterial energetics.
What do MOST halobacteria use for carbon substrates?
A) amino and organic acids
B) carbohydrates
C) lipids
D) nucleic acids
A prophage replicates
A) along with its host while the lytic genes are expressed.
B) along with its host while the lytic genes are not expressed.
C) independently of its host while the lytic genes are expressed.
D) independently of its host while the lytic genes are not expressed.
Which of the following is the MOST common mode of transmission of parasitic
infections?
A) direct person-to-person contact
B) contaminated fomites
C) contaminated food or water
D) contaminated needles and syringes
Which of the following drugs, chemotherapeutic agents against HIV, inhibits reverse
transcriptase?
A) ampligen
B) azidothymidine
C) alpha interferon
D) soluble CD4
The cytoplasmic proteins of Halobacterium are
A) highly acidic.
B) highly basic.
C) generally neutral.
D) variable, depending on the species.
Small acid-soluble proteins (SASPs) protect DNA from ultraviolet light and are found
in high numbers within
A) gram-positive Bacteria.
B) endospores.
C) inclusion bodies.
D) gram-negative Bacteria.
The chemical oxygen demand (COD) of a body of water is determined using a(n)
A) microelectrode.
B) oxygenator.
C) spectrophotometer to determine the OD540nm.
D) strong oxidizing agent.
Normal flora ________ colonization of pathogenic organisms.
A) promote
B) prevent
C) maintain
D) accelerate
Compared with other precipitation tests, agglutination tests are
A) more sensitive.
B) less sensitive.
C) about equally sensitive.
D) highly variable in sensitivity, and thus the sensitivities cannot be compared.
The amoebozoa use what structures for movement and feeding?
A) threadlike pseudopodia
B) cilia
C) flagella
D) lobe-shaped pseudopodia
To prevent the spread of pathogens that cause listeriosis, raw food and food-handling
equipment can be decontaminated with
A) antibiotic spray.
B) radiation.
C) cold storage.
D) antibiotic spray, radiation, and cold storage.
Lichens are a mutualistic association of a fungus and either an alga or a cyanobacterium
in which
A) the fungus protects the photosynthetic partner from erosion.
B) the fungus slowly engulfs the photosynthetic partner.
C) the fungus helps collect sunlight for the photosynthetic partner.
D) the phototroph provides phosphorus to the fungus.
Cellular inclusions in prokaryotic cells serve to
A) store energy rich compounds.
B) protect DNA.
C) position cells in the appropriate environment for survival.
D) store energy rich compounds and position cells in the appropriate environment for
survival.
Rickettsial disease detection/identification includes which of the following?
A) latex bead agglutination assays
B) ELISA
C) PCR assays
D) latex bead agglutination assays, ELISA, and PCR assays
Which of the following is a way to prevent attenuation and maintain virulence in a
bacterium?
A) laboratory subculture
B) animal passage
C) polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
D) antibiotic therapy
Which statement is TRUE about Streptococcus pneumoniae and the lung infection it
causes?
A) Streptococcus pneumoniae can spread from the focus of infection as a bacteremia.
B) Penicillin and erythromycin are the “last chance” drugs for treatment of
streptococcal pneumonia.
C) Infection with any strain of encapsulated virulent Streptococcus pneumoniae
provides long-lasting immunity to all encapsulated virulent strains.
D) Streptococcal pneumonia is not as serious as most people think; if left untreated, it
usually runs its course in about a week to ten days.
An antibiotic that increased the activity of ________ would likely result in cell death.
A) autolysin
B) binary fission
C) stationary growth
D) ionic bonds in proteins
Identifying carboxysomes in a bacterium suggests it
A) contains the reverse citric acid cycle.
B) has a deficient Calvin cycle and accumulated CO2.
C) is in a carboxylic acid rich environment and is storing excess quantities for
potentially harsh conditions.
D) will use the Calvin cycle convert the concentrated CO2 into biomass.
The type of Escherichia coli that produces a verotoxin similar to the one produced by
Shigella dysenteriae is ________ E. coli.
A) enterohemorrhagic
B) enterotoxigenic
C) enteropathogenic
D) enteroimmunogenic
________ of prokaryotic genomes are now available in public databases.
A) Dozens
B) Hundreds
C) Thousands
D) Millions
A shuttle vector is most useful for
A) engineering a complete metabolic pathway.
B) identifying the localization of a protein.
C) knocking out a gene by cassette displacement.
D) making a foreign protein in a mammalian cell.
Studying the redox cycling of Fe in the environment has led to the discovery
A) of bacteria that transfer electrons long distances and generate electric currents.
B) of bacteria that destroy toxic metal ions.
C) of archaea that have Fe in their cell walls.
D) that Fe limits primary production in terrestrial ecosystems.
What molecular mechanism/feature does site-directed mutagenesis exploit to introduce
a mutation at a specific site?
A) flanking complementary bound nucleotides permit non-complementary base pairing
B) methylated nucleotides disrupt DNA polymerase’s proofreading
C) nucleotide substitution when one is depleted
D) transposase-induced base pair changes
When is it appropriate to use an artificial chromosome vector? Describe a specific
example.
Discuss antimicrobial susceptibility testing and the use of minimal inhibitory
concentration (MIC) values.
What role does the C domain play in cell surface proteins that interact directly with
antigens?
Describe how bacteriophages influence the ocean’s bacterial populations and nutrient
cycling.
Compare and contrast the location and activities of periplasm-binding proteins of ABC
transport systems in gram-negative and gram-positive Bacteria.
Propose why it would be advantageous for a photosynthetic microorganism to have
more than one type of chlorophyll or bacteriochlorophyll.
Explain why a potentially rabid dog is held for up to two weeks to check for clinical
signs of rabies. Are humans more similar or dissimilar in this regard?
Discuss how the initiation of DNA synthesis occurs in bacteria using the terms origin of
replication, replication fork, and theta structures.
How does the Black Queen Hypothesis explain the effect of gene deletions on bacterial
evolution?
You have isolated a microbe from an environmental sample. The microbe has the ability
to perform a new metabolic reaction at a very low temperature, so you are excited that it
could be a new species. What experiments should you perform to determine if your
isolate is truly a new species? What process will you follow to officially name your
isolate?
A woman is being treated for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). She has an
increased risk of opportunistic infections. Based on what you know about SLE and the
treatment for it, propose why she has an increased risk of opportunistic infections.
How are anoxygenic phototrophic microorganisms more physiologically diverse than
oxygenic phototrophic microorganisms? Be specific in your answers and use examples
to illustrate your conclusions.
Explain our present understanding of molecular adaptations to the cytoplasmic
membrane that are present in thermophiles.
Consider the map shown below of a portion of a prokaryotic genome. How might the
elements indicated affect the stability and structure of the genome? Assume that IS2
encodes for a transposase that catalyzes conservative transposition. Re-draw the
genome map to illustrate your prediction if necessary.
| IS2 |__ gene1 gene2 gene3 | IS2 | geneA geneB geneC | IS2 | geneD | IS2 | geneX
Why is Staphylococcus aureus often described as an international picnic pest?
If you were given a new necklace and developed reddening, swelling, and itching of
your skin around your neck 24 hours after putting on the necklace, what reason would
you give to this phenomenon? What immune cells are involved?
What is the effect of an antigen binding a membrane protein on adapter molecules?