Actual Answers 2026 Updated.
mutualism - Answer A relationship between two species in which both species benefit
lichen - Answer The combination of a fungus and either an alga or an autotrophic bacterium
that live together in a mutualistic relationship
synergism - Answer members cooperate and share nutrients
methanogen - Answer a microorganism that produces methane gas
commensalism - Answer A relationship between two organisms in which one organism
benefits and the other is unaffected
ammensalism - Answer one species benefits, the other is harmed but interaction is non
specific
Streptomyces - Answer produce natural antibiotics
- kills bacteria in soil
parasitism - Answer A relationship between two organisms of different species where one
benefits and the other is harmed
endosymbiosis - Answer symbiosis in which one of the symbiotic organisms lives inside the
other.
Wolbachia - Answer -Endosymbiont of insects
-Affects reproduction of insects
culturomics - Answer Method allowing the description of the microbial composition by high
throughout culture
Amplicon sequencing - Answer a highly targeted approach that enables researchers to
analyze genetic variation in specific genomic regions
Metagenomic sequencing - Answer sequencing only a small set of genes
,alpha diversity - Answer species diversity within community
Proteomics - Answer the study of sets of proteins and their properties
metabolomics - Answer study of metabolic expression in cells
metatranscriptomics - Answer study of RNA transcripts obtained from an environmental
community
bioinformatics - Answer application of mathematics and computer science to store, retrieve,
and analyze biological data
oligotrophic - Answer organisms that grow slowly, have slow metabolisms and do not require
lots of nutrients
prochlorococcus - Answer most abundant photosynthetic organism on the planet
barophile - Answer an organism which can only exist at pressures found at great depths ex:
deep sea microbes
Psychrophiles - Answer cold-loving microbes
fungi - Answer Kingdom composed of heterotrophs; many obtain energy and nutrients from
dead organic matter
Actinomycetes - Answer give soil its characteristic earthy smell, resemble fungi but are
actually filamentous bacteria, break down tough debris such as woody stems, bark, or
newspaper
slime mold - Answer fungus-like protist commonly found on rotting logs and other decaying
organic matter
biofilm - Answer A surface-coating colony of one or more species of prokaryotes that engage
in metabolic cooperation.
prokaryote - Answer A unicellular organism that lacks a nucleus and membrane bound
organelles
, chemolithotroph - Answer an organism that obtains its energy from the oxidation of
inorganic compounds
heterotroph - Answer An organism that cannot make its own food.
endolith - Answer An organism that lives in microscopic spaces within rocks
protozoa - Answer animal-like protists
Rhizosphere - Answer the soil layer that surrounds actively growing roots
Ectomycorrhizae - Answer A type of mycorrhizae in which the mycelium forms a dense
sheath, or mantle, over the surface of the root. Hyphae extend from the mantle into the soil,
greatly increasing the surface area for water and mineral absorption.
Endomycorrhizae - Answer extends hyphae through root-cell wall
endophyte - Answer A fungus that lives inside a leaf or other plant part without causing
harm to the plant.
microbiome - Answer all of the microorganisms that live in a particular environment, such as
a human body
cellulose - Answer Carbohydrate component of plant cell walls.
Cultibacterium acnes - Answer bacteria that causes acne
Streptococcus and Lactobacillus - Answer Produce acid and survive in a low pH environment
Prevotella, Fusobacterium, Streptococcus mutans - Answer forms between gums and teeth
Streptococcus mutans - Answer tooth decay
Staphylococcus aureus - Answer a form of staphylococci that commonly infects wounds and
causes serious problems such as toxic shock syndrome or produces food poisoning