Bacteria found in the mouth in the first years of life are well-adapted to biofilm
formation.
Due to a chemical equilibrium, a syntrophic relationship can be disrupted if the product
from the first partner’s metabolism is removed too quickly.
Upper respiratory infectious agents are commonly transmitted from person to person.
Ocean acidification decreases the precipitation of calcium carbonate and thus will
probably affect the cycling of Ca and other nutrients in the ocean.
The ecological diversity of microbes is largely dependent on their complex
morphological and structural diversity.
ALL microorganisms that live in the human body are harmful.
Anoxygenic phototrophs may or may not be autotrophs.
Mitochondria and chloroplasts have their own DNA and ribosomes, which supports the
endosymbiosis hypothesis.
The prevalence of penicillin-resistant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae is localized
almost exclusively in North America and western Europe.
The hantaviruses are occasionally spread by person-to-person transmission, although
exposure to infected rodent excretia is the most common route of infection.
Consortia of a phototrophic green sulfur bacteria and motile heterotrophs are found
worldwide in freshwater stratified sulfidic lakes.
A bacterium that uses CO2 as an electron source but CANNOT use it as a carbon source
is considered a mixotroph.
Porins are channels in the outer membranes of gram-positive Bacteria.
Some bacteria have genes that confer resistance to mercury.
Quorum sensing requires a strong gradient to be reached before the signaling molecules
are transported into the cytoplasm.
Genes for DNA replication and transcription make up only a small fraction of the
typical prokaryotic genome.
When UV radiation damage occurs, DNA repair occurs only in the absence of template
instruction.
Self-reactive T cells are eliminated during the development of tolerance in the immune
system.
Molebdenum is a cofactor for nitrogenase, which means every nitrogen-fixing
microorganisms will not be able to fix nitrogen without Mo.
A monooxygenase can always be distinguished from a dioxygenase by incorporating
only one oxygen atom from O2 into the substrate rather than both.
Immunoglobulin, TCR, and MHC proteins share structural features and have evolved
by duplication and selection of primordial antigen receptors.
Both yellow and dengue fever can be prevented by vaccines.
Somatic hypermutation mechanisms generate TCR diversity.
The lower the basic reproduction number of a pathogen, the higher the percentage of
immune individuals necessary to provide herd immunity.
Campylobacter infections are the MOST common foodborne infections in the United
States.
If properly constructed, a Winogradsky column can be used to isolate pure cultures.
Epizootic diseases often occur in wild animals on a periodic or cyclic basis.
Not only do some microorganisms tolerate extremely hot temperatures, some actually
require high temperatures for optimal growth.
Microbial activity generates methylmercury, which is much less toxic than the mercuric
ion.
Haptens CANNOT bind to or induce an immune response but CAN bind to antibodies.
The T cell, with its T cell receptor, can recognize antigens only when the antigens are
complexed with self proteins known as major histocompatibility complex found on host
cell surfaces.
More than one type of influenza virus can infect a given cell at a given time.
Robotic systems used to quickly test thousands of combinations of nutrients for
enrichment of a particular prokaryotic species is an example of a(n) ________
technology.
A) outdated
B) biased
C) genomic
D) high-throughput
A concatemer is a
A) combination of two or more repeated nucleotide sequences covalently linked
together.
B) complex of RNA-specific polymerases found only in bacteriophages.
C) linker molecule that allows several phages to infect one host.
D) polymeric protein.
The causative agent of streptococcal pharyngitis, also known as ‘strep throat,” is
A) Streptococcus pyogenes.
B) Streptococcus pneumoniae.
C) Streptococcus mutans.
D) Streptococcus lactis.
Bacteriophages’ genomes are typically composed of
A) single-stranded RNA.
B) single-stranded DNA.
C) double-stranded RNA.
D) double-stranded DNA.
Several strains of ________ cause genital warts and cervical cancer.
A) human papillomavirus
B) Neisseria gonorrhoeae
C) Chlamydia trachomatis
D) HIV
Superoxide dismutase and catalase work together to convert superoxide into
A) peroxide.
B) oxygen.
C) ozone.
D) water.
The very first DNA sequencing technology called the Sanger method relies on
A) nanopore technology that separates DNA molecules based on charge differences.
B) the incorporation of dideoxynucleotides that terminate chain extension during DNA
synthesis.
C) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis.
D) the release of protons whenever a new nucleotide is added to a growing strand of
DNA.
The tuberculin skin test looks to identify ________ specific to Mycobacterium
tuberculosis.
A) antibodies
B) antigens
C) delayed hypersensitive (DTH) TH1 cells
D) delayed hypersensitive (DTH) TC cells
Which method is most commonly used in metabolomics?
A) ion torrent semiconductor sequencing
B) mass spectrometry
C) 2D polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
D) Sanger method
Hot sulfur-rich environments associated with terrestrial sulfur-rich springs are called
A) acid-mine drainage.
B) hydrothermal vents.
C) solfataras.
D) terrestrial volcanoes.
To subgroup the lactic acid bacteria, which are incapable of aerobic degradation and
only do fermentation, identifying products formed is a useful way to distinguish
homofermentative versus heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria.
Which microbial grouping is the major oxygenic phototroph in most salt lakes?
A) cyanobacteria
B) Dunaliella, a eukaryotic alga
C) halophilic Archaea
D) purple nonsulfur bacteria
A mutant that has a nutritional requirement for growth is an example of a(n)
A) autotroph.
B) auxotroph.
C) heterotroph.
D) organotroph.
The actual residues in a DNA-binding protein that interacts with DNA usually
correspond to each other according to the amino acids encoded by the DNA. For
example, a DNA sequencing containing AGC-AGA-CAG which encodes for
Ser-Arg-Gln would likely have a DNA-binding protein with Ser-Arg-Gln bind to it.
Verotoxin can cause
A) hemorrhagic diarrhea.
B) liver failure.
C) brain damage.
D) hemorrhagic diarrhea, liver failure, and brain damage.
Which of the following is NOT an oxygenic phototrophic microorganism present in
marine waters?
A) Ostreococcus
B) Prochlorococcus
C) Roseobacter
D) Trichodesmium
Microinsertions and microdeletions often result in ________ mutations.
A) auxotrophic
B) advantageous
C) silent
D) frameshift
Bacteria from the genus Caulobacter are used to model cellular differentiation in
eukaryotes. The abundance of CtrA, DnaA, and GcrA separately control activity of
other genes necessary for differentiation in Caulobacter. Thus, these three proteins can
be classified as
A) activating sensors.
B) heterologous regulators.
C) differentiating regulons.
D) transcriptional regulators.
Treponema pallidum is extremely sensitive to temperature changes and low moisture,
thus it is transmitted
A) by intimate person-to-person contact.
B) by fomites.
C) by vectors.
D) through common sources such as food and water.
Due to the close interactions with other organisms, obligate symbionts generally have
larger genome sizes compared to other non-symbiotic bacteria.
Transparent double-sided dishes used for growing microbes are most commonly called
A) Petri dishes.
B) baker dishes.
C) sterilization plates.
D) culture medium plates.
Transposable elements are
A) segments of DNA that move from one site to another.
B) transcribed genes.
C) segments of RNA that are involved in transposing DNA into proteins.
D) proteins that aid in the secretion of enzymes out of the cell.
If a protein to be overexpressed is toxic to the expression host, it is best to select an
expression vector that
A) is compatible with a binary vector able to be regulated.
B) is inducible.
C) has a relatively low copy number per cell.
D) prevents folding of the overexpressed protein into its toxic form.
An epitope is ________ amino acids long.
A) 3-5
B) 10-15
C) 50-60
D) 700
Virions infecting some bacteria possess the enzyme ________ that makes a small hole
in the bacterial cell wall, allowing the viral nucleic acid to enter.
A) peptidoglycanase
B) infectase
C) lysozyme
D) nuclease
Which structural feature is common in BOTH Planctomycetes and Verrucomicrobia but
RARELY found in bacteria outside these two phyla?
A) intracellular compartmentalization
B) prosthecae appendages
C) sheathlike toga cell envelopes
D) tubulins
When water activity is low, an organism must
A) increase its internal solute concentration.
B) increase its external solute concentration.
C) decrease its internal solute concentration.
D) decrease its external solute concentration.
The cytoplasmic membrane of Thermoplasma contains a lipopolysaccharide-like
material called lipoglycan which
A) behaves like peptidoglycan and creates a strong cell wall.
B) forms a monolayer that stabilizes the cytoplasmic membrane.
C) contains ether linkages.
D) contains ether linkages and forms a monolayer that stabilizes the cytoplasmic
membrane.
The production of human proteins (e.g., insulin) by genetically engineered
microorganisms is an example of ________, a subdiscipline of microbiology.
A) applied microbiology
B) biotechnology
C) industrial microbiology
D) molecular microbiology
Collective estimates of the physiological reactions occurring in the entire microbial
community are known as ________ measurements.
A) in vitro
B) in situ
C) activity
D) metagenomics
The advantage(s) of second-generation DNA sequencing compared to the Sanger
method are the result of
A) miniaturization of reaction size.
B) increased computing power.
C) increased length of DNA sequences obtained.
D) miniaturization of reaction size and increased computer power.
Transcriptomics is a common approach to infer which metabolic pathways are actively
functioning, but which regulation process can MOST significantly complicate or even
abolish conclusions from this approach?
A) activity of a catabolite repressor protein on multiple pathways
B) antisense RNA silencing
C) feedback inhibition with allosteric proteins
D) presence of corepressors and inducers which are molecules undetected by
transcriptomics
The unique antigen-reactive proteins of T cells are
A) antibodies.
B) immunoglobins.
C) T cell receptors.
D) None of these is correct.
Hypothetically, if electron pools existed in sufficient numbers for enzymes to use in
metabolic reactions,
A) a higher diversity of cytochromes would likely be observed.
B) cytochromes would be unnecessary for cells and quinones would be more important.
C) Q-cycle reactions would no longer be necessary for electron transport, but the proton
motive force would otherwise be unchanged.
D) most metabolic pathways for both anabolism and catabolism would have to be
rewritten.
The function of a kinase is
A) methylation.
B) response regulation.
C) phosphorylation.
D) glycosylation.
Speculate on why it can be problematic to copy and express genes from Bacteria into
Eukarya.
Marine wetlands (salt marshes) are highly productive coastal ecosystems that produce a
lot of organic carbon, similar to freshwater wetlands; however, salt marshes smell very
different than freshwater wetlands. What nutrient cycle is different between the two
ecosystems that causes this difference in smell?
Explain the translational attenuation mechanism.
How is transcription in Archaea controlled?
Describe what an ITS region is in the context of prokaryotes, and explain the
significance of the ITS region for microbial ecology.
Describe the mutualistic relationship that arbuscular mycorrhizae form with plants.
Why is the outcome of a base-pair substitution mutation variable? List and describe the
possible outcomes of a base-pair substitution mutation in your answer.
Explain horizontal gene transfer and demonstrate how this phenomenon has
complicated evolutionary studies using a diagram that illustrates phylogenetic
relationships between organisms and genes.
Explain the concept of semiconservative replication and how simultaneous copying of
both strands of DNA is accomplished in prokaryotic cells.
Which microorganisms commonly thrive in drinking water distribution systems and
how might they impact human health?
Describe what occurs when elemental sulfur is provided externally as an electron donor
and how energy is obtained.
What is necessary for a YAC to function as a normal eukaryotic chromosome?
Draw a graph of relative fitness and number of mutations of an evolving strain versus
the ancestral strain over 20,000 generations under the same growth conditions. Explain
the change in fitness and mutations over time using evolutionary concepts and terms.
Compare and contrast the leading causes of death in 1900 with the leading causes of
death today. What roles have microbiologists played in the dramatic changes that are
evident?
Explain how T7 promoters regulate transcription and why cloning vectors contain them.
In an aquatic microbial community where a photoautotroph, chemoorganoheterotroph,
and nitrogen fixing bacterium are present, predict an environmental perturbation that
would cause only one to be outcompeted by the other two groups and explain how each
group would respond.