ANATOMY BIOl 240 - UW – MIDTERM EXAM
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS
LATEST GUIDE 2026/2027 .Midterm One
,1. What is microbiology?✔✔ Correct answer The study of microbes examines how microbes interact with humans, with food, and how they can be used by
humans
2. Microbes✔✔ Correct answer Everything small that we might study as microbiologists. Viruses, archea, eukaryotes, and bacteria
3. Microorganism✔✔ Correct answer Excluding viruses, inert particles don't adhere to the strict definition of life so they are not included under the topic of
microorganisms
4. Prokaryotic✔✔ Correct answer Before the nucleus. Bacteria and archaea, both are microorganisms
5. Eukaryotic✔✔ Correct answer After/including the nucleus. Fungi, protazoa, and algae. Have membrane bound organelles
6. Robert Hooke (1635-1703)✔✔ Correct answer Dutch philosopher, early microscopes allowed first description of microbes✔✔ Correct answer fruiting
structures of "molds" (i.e., fungi). Made small spherical glass lenses to make a compound microscope, two
lenses working together to magnify something and make it visible to the eye. He looked at an old belt and saw very very small plants growing on the old leather. He published
a book about these small things under the microscope
7. Antonievan Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723)✔✔ Correct answer Made improvements in microscope lens construction
that allowed the first description of bacteria. The father of microbiology. He looked at plaque on teeth
8. What would happen if there was no microbes left on earth?✔✔ Correct answer We would have a slight disadvantage in digestion, and we
might not feel right. We would be a kilogram lighter. Without soil microbes we wouldn't be able to break down anything. Things wouldn't mold, leaves wouldn't break
down into the ground. Some food production will cease, bread won't rise
9. Jo Handelsman✔✔ Correct answer Talked to Obama about the microorganisms in his body
10. How do heterotroph microbes get energy?✔✔ Correct answer Ingests pre-formed organic molecules. Eats others, this is basic metabolism.
Organic molecules are broken down by microbes to harness chemical energy (ATP)
by fermentation (when there is no oxygen) and aerobic respiration in the presence of oxygen. Aerobic respiration produces more energy
11. How do autotroph microbes get energy?✔✔ Correct answer Produces organic molecules. Self-suflcient like a
plant, eats from the atmosphere. Can then be a food source for heterotrophs
12. Macromolecules in Microbial Cells - Proteins (Polypetides and Amino Acids)-
✔✔ Correct answer These make up over 50% of what is inside of a cell
13. Macromolecules in Microbial Cells - Nucleic Acids✔✔ Correct answer RNA makes up about 20% of the cell (90% ribosomal RNA and the
other 10% is the other kinds of RNA). DNA makes up about 5%.
14. Macromolecules in Microbial Cells - Lipids✔✔ Correct answer Makes up about 10% of what is inside the cell. Form a critical physical
boundary around the cell
15. Macromolecules in Microbial Cells - Polysaccharides (Sugars)✔✔ Correct answer Used for structural support and energy storage.
Makes up about 7% of the cell.
, 16. The Phylogenetic Tree (Three Groups) by Carl Woese✔✔ Correct answer Divided into three domains based on ribosomal RNA sequences.
Each of the three domains have important commonalities and defining characteristics. Bacteria, Eukarya, and Archaea
17. Which microbial domain has membrane bound organelles and a nuclear membrane?✔✔ Correct answer Eukarya
18. Which two microbial domains have similar plasma membranes?✔✔ Correct answer Eukarya and
Bacteria
19. Cell walls are found in many species. almost all have cell walls made out of proteoglycan,
almost all have cell walls made out of various materials, and have cell walls in some species, made out of various
materials.✔✔ Correct answer Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya
20. Which two microbial domains have a single type of polymerase?✔✔ Correct answer Bacteria and Archaea. The archaeal
polymerase is similar to that of the eukaryal RNA polymerase II
21. Which two microbial domains have histones?✔✔ Correct answer Eukarya and Archaea. Bacteria do not have true histones, but they do have
histone like proteins
22. Viruses✔✔ Correct answer Technically, viruses aren't considered "alive"because they don't replicate outside of a host cell. They have little to no biochemical
activity outside of a host cell making them inert and nonreactive outside of a host cell
23. Stanley Miller and Harold Urey✔✔ Correct answer In the 1950s, a grad student and his mentor, simulated the "spark" that might have started forming
organic molecules from the primordial soup
24. Requirements of Early Life✔✔ Correct answer Genetic information storage, the ability to catalyze biochemical reactions, and a way of separating the cell
interior from the external environment. Chemical reactions have to occur within a capsulized space for life to start
25. Ribozymes✔✔ Correct answer RNA behaving like enzymes (reaction catalyst). Genetic information storage. Self-replicating
26. Micelles✔✔ Correct answer May have been an early form of plasma membrane
27. Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) by Carl Woese✔✔ Correct answer Occurred right at the origin of life, 4 billion years ago.
Features of LUCA are Membrane bound, ATP as chemical energy, DNA to RNA to protein,
Eats CO2, Fixes N2, Anaerobe, and Thermophile (lots of heat tolerance). How does it make its energy? Hydrogen (H2) dependant. Burns hydrogen for its electrons, hydrogen
oxidizer
28. What does LUCA do if they want to move around to other parts of the planet if you are stuck to your source of electrons?✔✔
Correct answer Water! Follow water!
29. How to circumvent a scarcity of electron donors in a reducing environment?-
✔✔ Correct answer Water is everywhere. If you can figure out how to split it open and get the electrons out of it and dump them on
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS
LATEST GUIDE 2026/2027 .Midterm One
,1. What is microbiology?✔✔ Correct answer The study of microbes examines how microbes interact with humans, with food, and how they can be used by
humans
2. Microbes✔✔ Correct answer Everything small that we might study as microbiologists. Viruses, archea, eukaryotes, and bacteria
3. Microorganism✔✔ Correct answer Excluding viruses, inert particles don't adhere to the strict definition of life so they are not included under the topic of
microorganisms
4. Prokaryotic✔✔ Correct answer Before the nucleus. Bacteria and archaea, both are microorganisms
5. Eukaryotic✔✔ Correct answer After/including the nucleus. Fungi, protazoa, and algae. Have membrane bound organelles
6. Robert Hooke (1635-1703)✔✔ Correct answer Dutch philosopher, early microscopes allowed first description of microbes✔✔ Correct answer fruiting
structures of "molds" (i.e., fungi). Made small spherical glass lenses to make a compound microscope, two
lenses working together to magnify something and make it visible to the eye. He looked at an old belt and saw very very small plants growing on the old leather. He published
a book about these small things under the microscope
7. Antonievan Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723)✔✔ Correct answer Made improvements in microscope lens construction
that allowed the first description of bacteria. The father of microbiology. He looked at plaque on teeth
8. What would happen if there was no microbes left on earth?✔✔ Correct answer We would have a slight disadvantage in digestion, and we
might not feel right. We would be a kilogram lighter. Without soil microbes we wouldn't be able to break down anything. Things wouldn't mold, leaves wouldn't break
down into the ground. Some food production will cease, bread won't rise
9. Jo Handelsman✔✔ Correct answer Talked to Obama about the microorganisms in his body
10. How do heterotroph microbes get energy?✔✔ Correct answer Ingests pre-formed organic molecules. Eats others, this is basic metabolism.
Organic molecules are broken down by microbes to harness chemical energy (ATP)
by fermentation (when there is no oxygen) and aerobic respiration in the presence of oxygen. Aerobic respiration produces more energy
11. How do autotroph microbes get energy?✔✔ Correct answer Produces organic molecules. Self-suflcient like a
plant, eats from the atmosphere. Can then be a food source for heterotrophs
12. Macromolecules in Microbial Cells - Proteins (Polypetides and Amino Acids)-
✔✔ Correct answer These make up over 50% of what is inside of a cell
13. Macromolecules in Microbial Cells - Nucleic Acids✔✔ Correct answer RNA makes up about 20% of the cell (90% ribosomal RNA and the
other 10% is the other kinds of RNA). DNA makes up about 5%.
14. Macromolecules in Microbial Cells - Lipids✔✔ Correct answer Makes up about 10% of what is inside the cell. Form a critical physical
boundary around the cell
15. Macromolecules in Microbial Cells - Polysaccharides (Sugars)✔✔ Correct answer Used for structural support and energy storage.
Makes up about 7% of the cell.
, 16. The Phylogenetic Tree (Three Groups) by Carl Woese✔✔ Correct answer Divided into three domains based on ribosomal RNA sequences.
Each of the three domains have important commonalities and defining characteristics. Bacteria, Eukarya, and Archaea
17. Which microbial domain has membrane bound organelles and a nuclear membrane?✔✔ Correct answer Eukarya
18. Which two microbial domains have similar plasma membranes?✔✔ Correct answer Eukarya and
Bacteria
19. Cell walls are found in many species. almost all have cell walls made out of proteoglycan,
almost all have cell walls made out of various materials, and have cell walls in some species, made out of various
materials.✔✔ Correct answer Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya
20. Which two microbial domains have a single type of polymerase?✔✔ Correct answer Bacteria and Archaea. The archaeal
polymerase is similar to that of the eukaryal RNA polymerase II
21. Which two microbial domains have histones?✔✔ Correct answer Eukarya and Archaea. Bacteria do not have true histones, but they do have
histone like proteins
22. Viruses✔✔ Correct answer Technically, viruses aren't considered "alive"because they don't replicate outside of a host cell. They have little to no biochemical
activity outside of a host cell making them inert and nonreactive outside of a host cell
23. Stanley Miller and Harold Urey✔✔ Correct answer In the 1950s, a grad student and his mentor, simulated the "spark" that might have started forming
organic molecules from the primordial soup
24. Requirements of Early Life✔✔ Correct answer Genetic information storage, the ability to catalyze biochemical reactions, and a way of separating the cell
interior from the external environment. Chemical reactions have to occur within a capsulized space for life to start
25. Ribozymes✔✔ Correct answer RNA behaving like enzymes (reaction catalyst). Genetic information storage. Self-replicating
26. Micelles✔✔ Correct answer May have been an early form of plasma membrane
27. Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) by Carl Woese✔✔ Correct answer Occurred right at the origin of life, 4 billion years ago.
Features of LUCA are Membrane bound, ATP as chemical energy, DNA to RNA to protein,
Eats CO2, Fixes N2, Anaerobe, and Thermophile (lots of heat tolerance). How does it make its energy? Hydrogen (H2) dependant. Burns hydrogen for its electrons, hydrogen
oxidizer
28. What does LUCA do if they want to move around to other parts of the planet if you are stuck to your source of electrons?✔✔
Correct answer Water! Follow water!
29. How to circumvent a scarcity of electron donors in a reducing environment?-
✔✔ Correct answer Water is everywhere. If you can figure out how to split it open and get the electrons out of it and dump them on
