N314 Final Exam Study Guide
Questions with Actual Answers
2025/2026.
Know the three basic modes of antibiotic action - Answer Interference with the cell's protein
synthesis
Interference with the cell's cell wall synthesis
Interference with the cell's nucleic acid synthesis
Know what contributes to antibiotic resistant bacteria - Answer Misuse and overuse of
antibiotics
Infection - Answer colonization by an organism of a host with/without producing clinically-
overt symptoms
Disease - Answer state of having clinically-overt symptoms with an infection
Exposure - Answer exposed to infectious agent
Colonization - Answer first stage of microbial infection; establishment of pathogen at portal
of entry
Latent period - Answer time a person becomes infected until they become infectious
Respiratory droplets transmission - Answer LARGE particles from secretions of coughing,
sneezing, speaking, singing, etc.
microorganisms are suspended in warm, moist droplets and may enter the body through the
nose, mouth, or eye surfaces
Airborne transmission - Answer SMALL particles of droplet nuclei and dust
Sexual transmission - Answer pass from one person to another through vaginal, oral, and
anal sex
,Blood-borne transmission - Answer transmitted through contact w/ infected human blood
and other potentially infectious body fluids like semen and vaginal secretions
Fecal-oral transmission - Answer Feces/vomit contaminating water and food that is later
consumed by another person
Foodborne transmission - Answer transmitted through contaminated food
Waterborne transmission - Answer transmitted through contaminated water
Oral transmission - Answer transmitted through contaminated mouth
Can be direct like kissing or indirect like sharing a drinking glass
Direct-contact transmission - Answer transmitted through skin-to-skin contact like kissing
and sex
Vertical transmission - Answer transmitted directly from mother to an embryo, fetus, or baby
during pregnancy or childbirth
Vector-borne transmission - Answer transmitted by a vector, an organism that does not
cause disease itself, but transmits infection by conveying pathogens from one host to another
Nosocomial (healthcare-associated) - Answer transmitted through infected medical
procedures such as injection or from hands of a healthcare worker
Understand the disease spectrum - Answer Exposure
Establishment of an infection
Incubation period (before symptomatic disease)
Asymptomatic infection Can be either infectious or latent
Latent period - time a susceptible person becomes infected until they become infectious
(communicable/contagious)
Symptomatic infection (disease)
, Incidence - Answer number of new cases in a given time period
Prevalence - Answer product of incidence x duration of disease
Endemic - Answer constant and/or usual incidence and prevalence of a disease or infectious
agent in a population within a geographic area
Epidemic - Answer amount of disease in a community rises above the expected level
Pandemic - Answer affects a large proportion of the population in a wide geographic area
like a section of a nation
Control - Answer reduction of disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, or mortality to an
acceptable level as a result of deliberate efforts
Elimination - Answer reduction to zero of the incidence of a specified disease in a defined
geographical area as a result of deliberate efforts
Eradication - Answer permanent reduction to zero worldwide incidence caused by a specific
agent as a result of deliberate efforts
Components of Infectious Disease Triad - Answer Host
Agent
Environment
Host - factors to infection - Answer demographic, biological, socioeconomic
Age, gender, ethnic background
Immunity
Underlying illness
Drug exposure
Risk behavior
Pathogen/agent - factors to infection - Answer biological, physical, chemical, nutrient,
mechanical, social
Questions with Actual Answers
2025/2026.
Know the three basic modes of antibiotic action - Answer Interference with the cell's protein
synthesis
Interference with the cell's cell wall synthesis
Interference with the cell's nucleic acid synthesis
Know what contributes to antibiotic resistant bacteria - Answer Misuse and overuse of
antibiotics
Infection - Answer colonization by an organism of a host with/without producing clinically-
overt symptoms
Disease - Answer state of having clinically-overt symptoms with an infection
Exposure - Answer exposed to infectious agent
Colonization - Answer first stage of microbial infection; establishment of pathogen at portal
of entry
Latent period - Answer time a person becomes infected until they become infectious
Respiratory droplets transmission - Answer LARGE particles from secretions of coughing,
sneezing, speaking, singing, etc.
microorganisms are suspended in warm, moist droplets and may enter the body through the
nose, mouth, or eye surfaces
Airborne transmission - Answer SMALL particles of droplet nuclei and dust
Sexual transmission - Answer pass from one person to another through vaginal, oral, and
anal sex
,Blood-borne transmission - Answer transmitted through contact w/ infected human blood
and other potentially infectious body fluids like semen and vaginal secretions
Fecal-oral transmission - Answer Feces/vomit contaminating water and food that is later
consumed by another person
Foodborne transmission - Answer transmitted through contaminated food
Waterborne transmission - Answer transmitted through contaminated water
Oral transmission - Answer transmitted through contaminated mouth
Can be direct like kissing or indirect like sharing a drinking glass
Direct-contact transmission - Answer transmitted through skin-to-skin contact like kissing
and sex
Vertical transmission - Answer transmitted directly from mother to an embryo, fetus, or baby
during pregnancy or childbirth
Vector-borne transmission - Answer transmitted by a vector, an organism that does not
cause disease itself, but transmits infection by conveying pathogens from one host to another
Nosocomial (healthcare-associated) - Answer transmitted through infected medical
procedures such as injection or from hands of a healthcare worker
Understand the disease spectrum - Answer Exposure
Establishment of an infection
Incubation period (before symptomatic disease)
Asymptomatic infection Can be either infectious or latent
Latent period - time a susceptible person becomes infected until they become infectious
(communicable/contagious)
Symptomatic infection (disease)
, Incidence - Answer number of new cases in a given time period
Prevalence - Answer product of incidence x duration of disease
Endemic - Answer constant and/or usual incidence and prevalence of a disease or infectious
agent in a population within a geographic area
Epidemic - Answer amount of disease in a community rises above the expected level
Pandemic - Answer affects a large proportion of the population in a wide geographic area
like a section of a nation
Control - Answer reduction of disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, or mortality to an
acceptable level as a result of deliberate efforts
Elimination - Answer reduction to zero of the incidence of a specified disease in a defined
geographical area as a result of deliberate efforts
Eradication - Answer permanent reduction to zero worldwide incidence caused by a specific
agent as a result of deliberate efforts
Components of Infectious Disease Triad - Answer Host
Agent
Environment
Host - factors to infection - Answer demographic, biological, socioeconomic
Age, gender, ethnic background
Immunity
Underlying illness
Drug exposure
Risk behavior
Pathogen/agent - factors to infection - Answer biological, physical, chemical, nutrient,
mechanical, social
