GTC MICROBIOLOGY FINAL REVIEW
CERTIFICATION SCRIPT 2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◍ What is microbiology?.
Answer: Study of microscopic organisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi
and protozoa
◍ What is microbiology?.
Answer: The study of microorganisms.
◍ Define a microbe..
Answer: A microscopic organism that may be unicellular, multicellular, or
acellular.
◍ What has:No nucleusIncludes bacteria and archaea.
Answer: Prokaryotes
◍ Three basic bacterial shapes.
Answer: Coccus, bacillus, spiral.
◍ Bacteria.
Answer: Found in diverse environments, some are pathogens
◍ Archaea.
Answer: Found in extreme environments (heat, salt, acid), not known to
causes disease
◍ What has:Has a nucleus; DNA is in multiple chromosomes Includes protists
and fungi.
Answer: Eukaryotes
,◍ Protists.
Answer: Some are human pathogens
◍ Fungi.
Answer: Can be beneficial (food production) or harmful (infection)
◍ What is peptidoglycan?.
Answer: A polymer of sugars + amino acids forming bacterial cell walls.
◍ Archaea cell wall characteristic.
Answer: No peptidoglycan.
◍ What is:Acellular Requires a host for replication Can have DNA or RNA.
Answer: Viruses
◍ Prion.
Answer: Infectious proteins causing neurodegenerative diseases
◍ What do these characteristics describe?Single celled organisms, rigid cell
wall Shapes: cocci, bacilli, spirillaCan form biofilms Some are beneficial
(flora), some are pathogens.
Answer: Bacteria
◍ What are the shapes of bacteria?.
Answer: Cocci - spherical Bacilli - road shaped Spirilla - spiral
◍ Gram-Positive Bacteria.
Answer: Thick peptidoglycan wall, stains purple
◍ Fungi characteristics.
Answer: Eukaryotic, chitin cell walls, yeast/molds.
◍ Protozoa characteristics.
Answer: Unicellular eukaryotes, no cell wall, motile.
◍ Gram-Negative Bacteria.
Answer: Thin wall and outer membrane, stains pink
◍ Algae characteristics.
, Answer: Photosynthetic eukaryotes with cellulose cell walls.
◍ Why viruses are not living.
Answer: They require a host cell to replicate.
◍ Microbes in the human body.
Answer: ~40 trillion bacteria vs. ~30 trillion human cells.
◍ Microbiome definition.
Answer: All microbes living in and on the human body.
◍ Why nurses need microbiology.
Answer: To understand infection, antibiotics, specimen collection, and
patient education.
◍ What do these characteristics describe?Non-living infectious agents
Contains DNA or RNA inside protein coat (capsid)Some have envelopes.
Answer: Viruses
◍ Total magnification formula.
Answer: Objective lens × ocular lens.
◍ Resolution definition.
Answer: Ability to distinguish two points as separate.
◍ Capsid.
Answer: Protein shell protecting genetic material
◍ Envelope.
Answer: Lipid covering in some viruses (HIV, influenza)
◍ Why use oil immersion?.
Answer: Prevents light loss; improves resolution.
◍ TEM vs SEM.
Answer: TEM = internal structures; SEM = 3D surfaces.
◍ Naked viruses.
Answer: More resistant to drying and detergents
CERTIFICATION SCRIPT 2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◍ What is microbiology?.
Answer: Study of microscopic organisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi
and protozoa
◍ What is microbiology?.
Answer: The study of microorganisms.
◍ Define a microbe..
Answer: A microscopic organism that may be unicellular, multicellular, or
acellular.
◍ What has:No nucleusIncludes bacteria and archaea.
Answer: Prokaryotes
◍ Three basic bacterial shapes.
Answer: Coccus, bacillus, spiral.
◍ Bacteria.
Answer: Found in diverse environments, some are pathogens
◍ Archaea.
Answer: Found in extreme environments (heat, salt, acid), not known to
causes disease
◍ What has:Has a nucleus; DNA is in multiple chromosomes Includes protists
and fungi.
Answer: Eukaryotes
,◍ Protists.
Answer: Some are human pathogens
◍ Fungi.
Answer: Can be beneficial (food production) or harmful (infection)
◍ What is peptidoglycan?.
Answer: A polymer of sugars + amino acids forming bacterial cell walls.
◍ Archaea cell wall characteristic.
Answer: No peptidoglycan.
◍ What is:Acellular Requires a host for replication Can have DNA or RNA.
Answer: Viruses
◍ Prion.
Answer: Infectious proteins causing neurodegenerative diseases
◍ What do these characteristics describe?Single celled organisms, rigid cell
wall Shapes: cocci, bacilli, spirillaCan form biofilms Some are beneficial
(flora), some are pathogens.
Answer: Bacteria
◍ What are the shapes of bacteria?.
Answer: Cocci - spherical Bacilli - road shaped Spirilla - spiral
◍ Gram-Positive Bacteria.
Answer: Thick peptidoglycan wall, stains purple
◍ Fungi characteristics.
Answer: Eukaryotic, chitin cell walls, yeast/molds.
◍ Protozoa characteristics.
Answer: Unicellular eukaryotes, no cell wall, motile.
◍ Gram-Negative Bacteria.
Answer: Thin wall and outer membrane, stains pink
◍ Algae characteristics.
, Answer: Photosynthetic eukaryotes with cellulose cell walls.
◍ Why viruses are not living.
Answer: They require a host cell to replicate.
◍ Microbes in the human body.
Answer: ~40 trillion bacteria vs. ~30 trillion human cells.
◍ Microbiome definition.
Answer: All microbes living in and on the human body.
◍ Why nurses need microbiology.
Answer: To understand infection, antibiotics, specimen collection, and
patient education.
◍ What do these characteristics describe?Non-living infectious agents
Contains DNA or RNA inside protein coat (capsid)Some have envelopes.
Answer: Viruses
◍ Total magnification formula.
Answer: Objective lens × ocular lens.
◍ Resolution definition.
Answer: Ability to distinguish two points as separate.
◍ Capsid.
Answer: Protein shell protecting genetic material
◍ Envelope.
Answer: Lipid covering in some viruses (HIV, influenza)
◍ Why use oil immersion?.
Answer: Prevents light loss; improves resolution.
◍ TEM vs SEM.
Answer: TEM = internal structures; SEM = 3D surfaces.
◍ Naked viruses.
Answer: More resistant to drying and detergents
