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Microbiology An Evolving Science, 6e, John Foster & Joan Slonczewski Chapter 1-28
CHAPTER 1: Microbial Life: Origin and Discovery
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Viruses are:
a. infectious agents that infect multi-cellular organisms
b. noncellular particles that take over the metabolism of a cell to generate more virus
particles
c. pathogens that replicate in complex growth media
d. cellular particles that belong to the archaea domain
e. microbes that consist of lipid membrane enclosed genomes
ANSWER: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A | I.B
MSC: Remembering
2. Analysis of DNA sequences reveals:
a. the ancient convergence of two cell types, i.e., prokaryotes and eukaryotes
b. prokaryotes and eukaryotes evolved from a common ancestral cell
c. that bacteria share common ancestor with archaea, but not with eukarya
d. prokaryotes are cells with a nucleus
e. the genome of Haemophilus influenzae has about 2 billion base pairs
ANSWER: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A | I.B
MSC: Remembering
3. Which of these groups are considered to be microbes but NOT considered to be cells?
a. viruses d. protists
b. bacteria e. filamentous fungi
c. archaea
ANSWER: A DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A.i
MSC: Remembering
4. A microbe is commonly defined as:
a. a virus that requires a microscope to be seen
b. a bacterium that requires a microscope to be seen
c. a single-cellular prokaryote that requires a microscope to be seen
d. a multicellular eukaryote that requires a microscope to be seen
e. a living organism that requires a microscope to be seen
ANSWER: E DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A.i | I.A.ii
MSC: Remembering
5. Which one of the following statements regarding microbial cells is NOT true?
a. Microbial cells acquire food, gain energy to build themselves, and respond to
environmental change.
b. Most single-celled organisms require a microscope to render them visible, but some
bacterial cells are large enough to be seen with naked eyes.
2/4/2026 Test bank for microbiology an evolving
Test
science
bank for
6thmicrobiology
edition john an
foster
evolving
joan slonczewski.pdf
science 6th edition john foster joan slonczewski
,Test bank for microbiology an evolving
Test science
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microbiology
edition john
anfoster
evolving
joanscience
slonczewski
6th edition john foster joan slonczewski Page 2 of 369
c. Microbes function as individual entities.
d. Many microbes form complex multicellular assemblages.
e. Viruses are not considered as microbial cells.
ANSWER: C DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A.i | I.A.ii
MSC: Remembering
6. Which of the following statements is FALSE?
a. A genome is the total genetic information contained in an organism’s chromosomal DNA.
b. If a microbe’s genome includes genes for nitrogenase, that microbe probably can fix
nitrogen.
c. By comparing DNA sequences of different organisms, we can figure out how closely
related they are.
d. Fred Sanger developed the first applicable DNA sequencing method.
e. Fred Sanger completed the sequences of Haemophilus influenzae.
ANSWER: E DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.B
MSC: Remembering
7. The first cellular genomes to be sequenced were those of:
a. humans d. prions
b. bacteria e. fungi
c. viruses
ANSWER: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.B.i
MSC: Remembering
8. The environment of early Earth may have contained all of the following EXCEPT:
a. ferrous iron d. oxygen
b. methane e. hydrogen gas
c. ammonia
ANSWER: D DIF: Easy REF: Special Topic 1.1
TOP: II.D MSC: Remembering
9. The development of the theory of the ―RNA world‖ resulted from the discovery of:
a. archaea d. ribozymes
b. prions e. endosymbionts
c. bacteria
ANSWER: D DIF: Medium REF: Special Topic 1.1
TOP: II.D MSC: Remembering
10. Which microbes may resemble those of the earliest life forms?
a. archaea d. cyanobacteria
b. photosynthetic algae e. protists
c. viruses
ANSWER: A DIF: Medium REF: Special Topic 1.1
TOP: II.D MSC: Remembering
11. Early metabolism may have been catalyzed by:
a. DNA d. amino acids
b. RNA e. carbohydrates
c. protein
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6thmicrobiology
edition john an
foster
evolving
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science 6th edition john foster joan slonczewski
,Test bank for microbiology an evolving
Test science
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microbiology
edition john
anfoster
evolving
joanscience
slonczewski
6th edition john foster joan slonczewski Page 3 of 369
ANSWER: B DIF: Medium REF: Special Topic 1.1
TOP: II.D MSC: Remembering
12. Which of the following diseases accounts for more than half of all human mortality?
a. cardiovascular disease d. microbial disease
b. cancer e. strokes
c. accidents
ANSWER: D DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A
MSC: Remembering
13. Which century is known as the golden age of microbiology?
a. the seventeenth d. the twentieth
b. the eighteenth e. the twenty-first
c. the nineteenth
ANSWER: C DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A
MSC: Remembering
14. All of the following have been found in mummies and tomb art EXCEPT:
a. tuberculosis d. smallpox
b. polio e. AIDS
c. leprosy
ANSWER: E DIF: Medium REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A.i
MSC: Remembering
15. How did European invaders to North America kill much of the native population?
a. tuberculosis d. HIV
b. leprosy e. bubonic plague
c. smallpox
ANSWER: C DIF: Medium REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A.i
MSC: Remembering
16. Nightingale:
a. is better known as the founder of professional nursing
b. was the first to use disinfectant to demonstrate the significance of aseptic technique
c. developed the pie chart of mortality data during the Crimean War
d. performed the first controlled experiment on the chemical conversion of matter, known
today as chemotherapy
e. all of the above
ANSWER: A DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A.ii
MSC: Remembering
17. Who developed the concept of medical statistics?
a. Francis Crick d. Louis Pasteur
b. Florence Nightingale e. Alexander Fleming
c. Edward Jenner
ANSWER: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A.ii
MSC: Remembering
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Test
science
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6thmicrobiology
edition john an
foster
evolving
joan slonczewski.pdf
science 6th edition john foster joan slonczewski
, Test bank for microbiology an evolving
Test science
bank for6th
microbiology
edition john
anfoster
evolving
joanscience
slonczewski
6th edition john foster joan slonczewski Page 4 of 369
18. The first person to visualize individual microbes was:
a. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek d. Lady Montagu
b. Robert Hooke e. Edward Jenner
c. Louis Pasteur
ANSWER: A DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.B.ii
MSC: Remembering
19. Which technique was developed to distinguish bacteria from human cells?
a. Gram stain d. DNA sequencing
b. electron microscopy e. polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
c. X-ray diffraction
ANSWER: A DIF: Medium REF: 1.2 TOP: II.B.ii
MSC: Remembering
20. How is most sterilization performed for the controlled study of microbes?
a. boiling d. autoclaving
b. pasteurization e. irradiation
c. filter sterilization
ANSWER: D DIF: Medium REF: 1.2 TOP: II.C.iii.a
MSC: Remembering
21. Microbes can shape human history via:
a. lithotrophic activities d. production of cheese
b. production of alcoholic beverages e. all of the above
c. diseases that they cause
ANSWER: E DIF: Medium REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A
MSC: Understanding
22. Suppose Pasteur’s swan-necked flasks containing boiled broth became cloudy 24 hours after boiling.
Which choice could best explain the turbidity or cloudiness in the broth without supporting
spontaneous generation?
a. Endospores in the broth survived boiling and grew after the broth cooled.
b. Contaminating organisms in the broth killed by boiling became alive again after the broth
cooled.
c. Chemicals in the broth came together to form living organisms.
d. The broth allowed light to pass through it with less interference after boiling.
e. Solid material in the broth dissolved during boiling.
ANSWER: A DIF: Difficult REF: 1.2 TOP: II.C.ii.b
MSC: Applying
23. Robert Koch’s greatest accomplishment in the field of medical bacteriology was with:
a. Escherichia coli d. rabies
b. Bacillus subtilis e. smallpox
c. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
ANSWER: C DIF: Medium REF: 1.3 TOP: III.B.i
MSC: Remembering
24. The use of agar as the gelling agent in solid media was suggested by:
a. Robert Koch d. Louis Pasteur
b. Ignaz Semmelweis e. Richard Petri
2/4/2026 Test bank for microbiology an evolving
Test
science
bank for
6thmicrobiology
edition john an
foster
evolving
joan slonczewski.pdf
science 6th edition john foster joan slonczewski
Test science
bank for6th
microbiology
edition john
anfoster
evolving
joanscience
slonczewski
6th edition john foster joan slonczewski Page 1 of 369
TEST BANK FOR
Microbiology An Evolving Science, 6e, John Foster & Joan Slonczewski Chapter 1-28
CHAPTER 1: Microbial Life: Origin and Discovery
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Viruses are:
a. infectious agents that infect multi-cellular organisms
b. noncellular particles that take over the metabolism of a cell to generate more virus
particles
c. pathogens that replicate in complex growth media
d. cellular particles that belong to the archaea domain
e. microbes that consist of lipid membrane enclosed genomes
ANSWER: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A | I.B
MSC: Remembering
2. Analysis of DNA sequences reveals:
a. the ancient convergence of two cell types, i.e., prokaryotes and eukaryotes
b. prokaryotes and eukaryotes evolved from a common ancestral cell
c. that bacteria share common ancestor with archaea, but not with eukarya
d. prokaryotes are cells with a nucleus
e. the genome of Haemophilus influenzae has about 2 billion base pairs
ANSWER: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A | I.B
MSC: Remembering
3. Which of these groups are considered to be microbes but NOT considered to be cells?
a. viruses d. protists
b. bacteria e. filamentous fungi
c. archaea
ANSWER: A DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A.i
MSC: Remembering
4. A microbe is commonly defined as:
a. a virus that requires a microscope to be seen
b. a bacterium that requires a microscope to be seen
c. a single-cellular prokaryote that requires a microscope to be seen
d. a multicellular eukaryote that requires a microscope to be seen
e. a living organism that requires a microscope to be seen
ANSWER: E DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A.i | I.A.ii
MSC: Remembering
5. Which one of the following statements regarding microbial cells is NOT true?
a. Microbial cells acquire food, gain energy to build themselves, and respond to
environmental change.
b. Most single-celled organisms require a microscope to render them visible, but some
bacterial cells are large enough to be seen with naked eyes.
2/4/2026 Test bank for microbiology an evolving
Test
science
bank for
6thmicrobiology
edition john an
foster
evolving
joan slonczewski.pdf
science 6th edition john foster joan slonczewski
,Test bank for microbiology an evolving
Test science
bank for6th
microbiology
edition john
anfoster
evolving
joanscience
slonczewski
6th edition john foster joan slonczewski Page 2 of 369
c. Microbes function as individual entities.
d. Many microbes form complex multicellular assemblages.
e. Viruses are not considered as microbial cells.
ANSWER: C DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.A.i | I.A.ii
MSC: Remembering
6. Which of the following statements is FALSE?
a. A genome is the total genetic information contained in an organism’s chromosomal DNA.
b. If a microbe’s genome includes genes for nitrogenase, that microbe probably can fix
nitrogen.
c. By comparing DNA sequences of different organisms, we can figure out how closely
related they are.
d. Fred Sanger developed the first applicable DNA sequencing method.
e. Fred Sanger completed the sequences of Haemophilus influenzae.
ANSWER: E DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.B
MSC: Remembering
7. The first cellular genomes to be sequenced were those of:
a. humans d. prions
b. bacteria e. fungi
c. viruses
ANSWER: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.1 TOP: I.B.i
MSC: Remembering
8. The environment of early Earth may have contained all of the following EXCEPT:
a. ferrous iron d. oxygen
b. methane e. hydrogen gas
c. ammonia
ANSWER: D DIF: Easy REF: Special Topic 1.1
TOP: II.D MSC: Remembering
9. The development of the theory of the ―RNA world‖ resulted from the discovery of:
a. archaea d. ribozymes
b. prions e. endosymbionts
c. bacteria
ANSWER: D DIF: Medium REF: Special Topic 1.1
TOP: II.D MSC: Remembering
10. Which microbes may resemble those of the earliest life forms?
a. archaea d. cyanobacteria
b. photosynthetic algae e. protists
c. viruses
ANSWER: A DIF: Medium REF: Special Topic 1.1
TOP: II.D MSC: Remembering
11. Early metabolism may have been catalyzed by:
a. DNA d. amino acids
b. RNA e. carbohydrates
c. protein
2/4/2026 Test bank for microbiology an evolving
Test
science
bank for
6thmicrobiology
edition john an
foster
evolving
joan slonczewski.pdf
science 6th edition john foster joan slonczewski
,Test bank for microbiology an evolving
Test science
bank for6th
microbiology
edition john
anfoster
evolving
joanscience
slonczewski
6th edition john foster joan slonczewski Page 3 of 369
ANSWER: B DIF: Medium REF: Special Topic 1.1
TOP: II.D MSC: Remembering
12. Which of the following diseases accounts for more than half of all human mortality?
a. cardiovascular disease d. microbial disease
b. cancer e. strokes
c. accidents
ANSWER: D DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A
MSC: Remembering
13. Which century is known as the golden age of microbiology?
a. the seventeenth d. the twentieth
b. the eighteenth e. the twenty-first
c. the nineteenth
ANSWER: C DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A
MSC: Remembering
14. All of the following have been found in mummies and tomb art EXCEPT:
a. tuberculosis d. smallpox
b. polio e. AIDS
c. leprosy
ANSWER: E DIF: Medium REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A.i
MSC: Remembering
15. How did European invaders to North America kill much of the native population?
a. tuberculosis d. HIV
b. leprosy e. bubonic plague
c. smallpox
ANSWER: C DIF: Medium REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A.i
MSC: Remembering
16. Nightingale:
a. is better known as the founder of professional nursing
b. was the first to use disinfectant to demonstrate the significance of aseptic technique
c. developed the pie chart of mortality data during the Crimean War
d. performed the first controlled experiment on the chemical conversion of matter, known
today as chemotherapy
e. all of the above
ANSWER: A DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A.ii
MSC: Remembering
17. Who developed the concept of medical statistics?
a. Francis Crick d. Louis Pasteur
b. Florence Nightingale e. Alexander Fleming
c. Edward Jenner
ANSWER: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A.ii
MSC: Remembering
2/4/2026 Test bank for microbiology an evolving
Test
science
bank for
6thmicrobiology
edition john an
foster
evolving
joan slonczewski.pdf
science 6th edition john foster joan slonczewski
, Test bank for microbiology an evolving
Test science
bank for6th
microbiology
edition john
anfoster
evolving
joanscience
slonczewski
6th edition john foster joan slonczewski Page 4 of 369
18. The first person to visualize individual microbes was:
a. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek d. Lady Montagu
b. Robert Hooke e. Edward Jenner
c. Louis Pasteur
ANSWER: A DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 TOP: II.B.ii
MSC: Remembering
19. Which technique was developed to distinguish bacteria from human cells?
a. Gram stain d. DNA sequencing
b. electron microscopy e. polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
c. X-ray diffraction
ANSWER: A DIF: Medium REF: 1.2 TOP: II.B.ii
MSC: Remembering
20. How is most sterilization performed for the controlled study of microbes?
a. boiling d. autoclaving
b. pasteurization e. irradiation
c. filter sterilization
ANSWER: D DIF: Medium REF: 1.2 TOP: II.C.iii.a
MSC: Remembering
21. Microbes can shape human history via:
a. lithotrophic activities d. production of cheese
b. production of alcoholic beverages e. all of the above
c. diseases that they cause
ANSWER: E DIF: Medium REF: 1.2 TOP: II.A
MSC: Understanding
22. Suppose Pasteur’s swan-necked flasks containing boiled broth became cloudy 24 hours after boiling.
Which choice could best explain the turbidity or cloudiness in the broth without supporting
spontaneous generation?
a. Endospores in the broth survived boiling and grew after the broth cooled.
b. Contaminating organisms in the broth killed by boiling became alive again after the broth
cooled.
c. Chemicals in the broth came together to form living organisms.
d. The broth allowed light to pass through it with less interference after boiling.
e. Solid material in the broth dissolved during boiling.
ANSWER: A DIF: Difficult REF: 1.2 TOP: II.C.ii.b
MSC: Applying
23. Robert Koch’s greatest accomplishment in the field of medical bacteriology was with:
a. Escherichia coli d. rabies
b. Bacillus subtilis e. smallpox
c. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
ANSWER: C DIF: Medium REF: 1.3 TOP: III.B.i
MSC: Remembering
24. The use of agar as the gelling agent in solid media was suggested by:
a. Robert Koch d. Louis Pasteur
b. Ignaz Semmelweis e. Richard Petri
2/4/2026 Test bank for microbiology an evolving
Test
science
bank for
6thmicrobiology
edition john an
foster
evolving
joan slonczewski.pdf
science 6th edition john foster joan slonczewski
