BIOL 2117 LATEST 2026 TEST PAPER QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔In the A-B toxin, which subunit is necessary for making the initial attachment to the
host cell?
Answers:
the A subunit
the B subunit
Depending on the toxin, it could be either the A or B subunit.
Neither, because A-B toxins do not function this way. - ✔✔the B subunit
✔✔During which period of disease is a patient most susceptible to developing a
secondary infection?
Answers:
incubation period
period of convalescence
period of decline
prodromal period - ✔✔period of decline
✔✔Which toxin inhibits the release of glycine and GABA at the neuromuscular junction,
thus preventing the relaxation of muscles?
Answers:
anthrax
botulinum
diphtheria
tetanus - ✔✔tetanus
✔✔Facultative intracellular pathogens can reproduce both inside and outside host cells.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔true
✔✔Which is the name of the toxin produced by species of Aspergillus that can cause
liver cancer?
Answers:
aflatoxin
citrinin
ochratoxin
patulin - ✔✔aflatoxin
✔✔The severity of disease depends only on the activity of the pathogen.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔false
,✔✔What is the toxic component of endotoxin?
Answers:
lipid A
the core oligosaccharide
the O-antigen
the peptidoglycan subunits - ✔✔lipid A
✔✔The normal flora and microbiota of an individual can cause disease.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔true
✔✔Extracellular DNA from lysed host cells can function as a means of preventing the
spread of a pathogen in a host.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔true
✔✔Giardia lamblia invades the intestinal mucosa, causing them to shrink and limiting
their absorption of nutrients.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔false
✔✔All contacts with a pathogen will result in infection.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔false
✔✔An enterotoxin targets which type of cell?
Answers:
cardiac cells
hepatic cells
intestinal cells
respiratory cells - ✔✔intestinal cells
✔✔The prodromal period is when the maximum number of pathogen particles or
organisms are present in an infected host.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔false
,✔✔Which virulence factor, produced by Staphylococcus aureus, allows the bacterium to
be coated in fibrin that protects it from phagocytes?
Answers:
catalase
coagulase
collagenase
oxidase - ✔✔coagulase
✔✔Which of the following is not a zoonotic disease?
Answers:
rabies
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
typhoid
yellow fever - ✔✔typhoid
✔✔Why are Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections difficult to treat?
Answers:
Because they are gram-positive bacteria, which are harder to treat.
Because they form biofilms, which are difficult for antibiotics to penetrate.
Because they have a special endotoxin that degrades many antibiotics.
Because we do not have any antibiotics that target P. aeruginosa. - ✔✔because they
form biofilms, which are difficult for antibotics to penetrate
✔✔Which of the following is the definition of pathogenicity?
Answers:
the ability of a microbial agent to cause disease
the ability of a microbial agent to cause infection
the ability of a microbial agent to prevent disease
the ability of a microbial agent to produce an antimicrobial compound - ✔✔the ability of
a microbial agent to cause disease
✔✔Which of the following would be considered a symptom?
Answers:
blood pressure reading of 150/90 mm Hg
body ache and chills
fever of 39 ?C
heart rate of 120 bpm - ✔✔body aches and chills
✔✔What period of disease describes when the patient begins to feel general signs and
symptoms?
Answers:
incubation period
period of convalescence
period of illness
prodromal period - ✔✔prodromal period
, ✔✔Endotoxin is produced only by gram-negative bacteria.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔true
✔✔Etiology is the study of the transmission of diseases.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔false
✔✔Infected fleas that have the bacterium Yersinia pestis growing inside them are able
to transmit plague. In this case, the infected fleas are best described as which of the
following?
Answers:
biological vectors
fomites
mechanical vectors
vehicles - ✔✔biological vectors
✔✔Which term refers to the study of the cause of disease?
Answers:
epidemiology
etiology
morbidology
pathology - ✔✔etiology
✔✔Which term refers to the study of the geographic distribution of disease and its
transmission?
Answers:
epidemiology
etiology
morbidology
pathology - ✔✔epidemiology
✔✔Which of the following most specifically describes a notifiable disease?
Answers:
any disease caused by a prion
any disease of public health importance
any disease that is highly infectious
any disease with a high ID50 - ✔✔any disease of public health importance
✔✔Tetanus, which is caused by Clostridium tetani, is an example of which type of
disease?
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔In the A-B toxin, which subunit is necessary for making the initial attachment to the
host cell?
Answers:
the A subunit
the B subunit
Depending on the toxin, it could be either the A or B subunit.
Neither, because A-B toxins do not function this way. - ✔✔the B subunit
✔✔During which period of disease is a patient most susceptible to developing a
secondary infection?
Answers:
incubation period
period of convalescence
period of decline
prodromal period - ✔✔period of decline
✔✔Which toxin inhibits the release of glycine and GABA at the neuromuscular junction,
thus preventing the relaxation of muscles?
Answers:
anthrax
botulinum
diphtheria
tetanus - ✔✔tetanus
✔✔Facultative intracellular pathogens can reproduce both inside and outside host cells.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔true
✔✔Which is the name of the toxin produced by species of Aspergillus that can cause
liver cancer?
Answers:
aflatoxin
citrinin
ochratoxin
patulin - ✔✔aflatoxin
✔✔The severity of disease depends only on the activity of the pathogen.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔false
,✔✔What is the toxic component of endotoxin?
Answers:
lipid A
the core oligosaccharide
the O-antigen
the peptidoglycan subunits - ✔✔lipid A
✔✔The normal flora and microbiota of an individual can cause disease.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔true
✔✔Extracellular DNA from lysed host cells can function as a means of preventing the
spread of a pathogen in a host.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔true
✔✔Giardia lamblia invades the intestinal mucosa, causing them to shrink and limiting
their absorption of nutrients.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔false
✔✔All contacts with a pathogen will result in infection.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔false
✔✔An enterotoxin targets which type of cell?
Answers:
cardiac cells
hepatic cells
intestinal cells
respiratory cells - ✔✔intestinal cells
✔✔The prodromal period is when the maximum number of pathogen particles or
organisms are present in an infected host.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔false
,✔✔Which virulence factor, produced by Staphylococcus aureus, allows the bacterium to
be coated in fibrin that protects it from phagocytes?
Answers:
catalase
coagulase
collagenase
oxidase - ✔✔coagulase
✔✔Which of the following is not a zoonotic disease?
Answers:
rabies
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
typhoid
yellow fever - ✔✔typhoid
✔✔Why are Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections difficult to treat?
Answers:
Because they are gram-positive bacteria, which are harder to treat.
Because they form biofilms, which are difficult for antibiotics to penetrate.
Because they have a special endotoxin that degrades many antibiotics.
Because we do not have any antibiotics that target P. aeruginosa. - ✔✔because they
form biofilms, which are difficult for antibotics to penetrate
✔✔Which of the following is the definition of pathogenicity?
Answers:
the ability of a microbial agent to cause disease
the ability of a microbial agent to cause infection
the ability of a microbial agent to prevent disease
the ability of a microbial agent to produce an antimicrobial compound - ✔✔the ability of
a microbial agent to cause disease
✔✔Which of the following would be considered a symptom?
Answers:
blood pressure reading of 150/90 mm Hg
body ache and chills
fever of 39 ?C
heart rate of 120 bpm - ✔✔body aches and chills
✔✔What period of disease describes when the patient begins to feel general signs and
symptoms?
Answers:
incubation period
period of convalescence
period of illness
prodromal period - ✔✔prodromal period
, ✔✔Endotoxin is produced only by gram-negative bacteria.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔true
✔✔Etiology is the study of the transmission of diseases.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔false
✔✔Infected fleas that have the bacterium Yersinia pestis growing inside them are able
to transmit plague. In this case, the infected fleas are best described as which of the
following?
Answers:
biological vectors
fomites
mechanical vectors
vehicles - ✔✔biological vectors
✔✔Which term refers to the study of the cause of disease?
Answers:
epidemiology
etiology
morbidology
pathology - ✔✔etiology
✔✔Which term refers to the study of the geographic distribution of disease and its
transmission?
Answers:
epidemiology
etiology
morbidology
pathology - ✔✔epidemiology
✔✔Which of the following most specifically describes a notifiable disease?
Answers:
any disease caused by a prion
any disease of public health importance
any disease that is highly infectious
any disease with a high ID50 - ✔✔any disease of public health importance
✔✔Tetanus, which is caused by Clostridium tetani, is an example of which type of
disease?
