WGU Microbiology C453 Objective Assessment Study Guide
What is the role of the capsule in some bacterial cells?
✔️✔️ The capsule protects bacteria from phagocytosis and helps them adhere to surfaces.
How do flagella contribute to bacterial survival?
✔️✔️ Flagella allow bacteria to move toward favorable environments and away from hostile ones,
enhancing survival.
What is the importance of aseptic technique in microbiology labs?
✔️✔️ Aseptic technique prevents contamination of samples, ensuring accurate results and protecting
researchers.
Define “opportunistic pathogen.”
✔️✔️ An opportunistic pathogen causes disease primarily when the host's immune defenses are
compromised.
What is the purpose of using a Gram stain in microbiology?
✔️✔️ Gram staining differentiates bacteria based on cell wall structure, helping in bacterial
identification.
Why are plasmids important to bacterial cells?
✔️✔️ Plasmids carry extra genes that can confer advantages, such as antibiotic resistance.
How does penicillin kill bacterial cells?
✔️✔️ Penicillin inhibits cell wall synthesis, causing bacterial cells to burst.
What are extremophiles, and where might they be found?
, ✔️✔️ Extremophiles are organisms that thrive in extreme environments, such as hot springs or deep-
sea vents.
Explain the difference between sterilization and disinfection.
✔️✔️ Sterilization completely destroys all microbial life, while disinfection reduces microbial load to
safe levels.
What are zoonotic diseases?
✔️✔️ Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
How do probiotics benefit the human gut?
✔️✔️ Probiotics introduce beneficial bacteria that support digestion and outcompete harmful
microbes.
What is quorum sensing in bacteria?
✔️✔️ Quorum sensing is a communication process that allows bacteria to coordinate group behavior
based on cell population density.
What is the function of the enzyme reverse transcriptase in retroviruses?
✔️✔️ Reverse transcriptase converts viral RNA into DNA, allowing integration into the host genome.
Describe the lytic cycle in viral replication.
✔️✔️ In the lytic cycle, a virus infects a host cell, replicates rapidly, and causes cell lysis to release new
viral particles.
What is the function of the bacterial cell membrane?
✔️✔️ The cell membrane regulates what enters and exits the cell and supports cellular processes.
What is the difference between innate and adaptive immunity?
What is the role of the capsule in some bacterial cells?
✔️✔️ The capsule protects bacteria from phagocytosis and helps them adhere to surfaces.
How do flagella contribute to bacterial survival?
✔️✔️ Flagella allow bacteria to move toward favorable environments and away from hostile ones,
enhancing survival.
What is the importance of aseptic technique in microbiology labs?
✔️✔️ Aseptic technique prevents contamination of samples, ensuring accurate results and protecting
researchers.
Define “opportunistic pathogen.”
✔️✔️ An opportunistic pathogen causes disease primarily when the host's immune defenses are
compromised.
What is the purpose of using a Gram stain in microbiology?
✔️✔️ Gram staining differentiates bacteria based on cell wall structure, helping in bacterial
identification.
Why are plasmids important to bacterial cells?
✔️✔️ Plasmids carry extra genes that can confer advantages, such as antibiotic resistance.
How does penicillin kill bacterial cells?
✔️✔️ Penicillin inhibits cell wall synthesis, causing bacterial cells to burst.
What are extremophiles, and where might they be found?
, ✔️✔️ Extremophiles are organisms that thrive in extreme environments, such as hot springs or deep-
sea vents.
Explain the difference between sterilization and disinfection.
✔️✔️ Sterilization completely destroys all microbial life, while disinfection reduces microbial load to
safe levels.
What are zoonotic diseases?
✔️✔️ Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
How do probiotics benefit the human gut?
✔️✔️ Probiotics introduce beneficial bacteria that support digestion and outcompete harmful
microbes.
What is quorum sensing in bacteria?
✔️✔️ Quorum sensing is a communication process that allows bacteria to coordinate group behavior
based on cell population density.
What is the function of the enzyme reverse transcriptase in retroviruses?
✔️✔️ Reverse transcriptase converts viral RNA into DNA, allowing integration into the host genome.
Describe the lytic cycle in viral replication.
✔️✔️ In the lytic cycle, a virus infects a host cell, replicates rapidly, and causes cell lysis to release new
viral particles.
What is the function of the bacterial cell membrane?
✔️✔️ The cell membrane regulates what enters and exits the cell and supports cellular processes.
What is the difference between innate and adaptive immunity?
