BMSC 210 Midterm #1 Exam Questions
with Verified Answers
The use of the Gram stain in microbiology is important because it differentiates
A. bacterial cells with different types of cell walls.
B. Bacteria from Archaea.
C. archaeal cells with different types of metabolism.
D. prokaryotic from eukaryotic cells - ANSWER-A
Viewing the shape of a bacterial or archaeal cell using a microscope gives a great
deal of information about the metabolism and lifestyle of the organism. (True or
False) - ANSWER-False
A bacterial cell is interpreted as gram-positive when it forms purple insoluble crystal
violet-iodine complexes within the cell during the Gram stain. (True or False) -
ANSWER-True
Based on your knowledge of porins, what is the best description of the specific type
of porin called an aquaporin?
A. Cations bound to water molecules
B. Enzymes involved in the generation of water within cells
C. Molecules that prevent water from crossing a membrane
D. Water transport proteins - ANSWER-D
Which is the only group of microorganisms that contains lipopolysaccharides (LPS)?
- ANSWER-Gram-negative bacteria
Both hydrophilic and charged molecules readily diffuse through the cytoplasmic
membrane. (True or False) - ANSWER-False
Which is NOT a function of capsules or slime layers?
A. attachment to solid surfaces
B. evasion of destruction by immune cells
C. development and maintenance of biofilms
D. protection from osmotic lysis - ANSWER-D
Archaeal membranes are distinguished from bacterial and eukaryotic membranes by
the presence of
A. ether-linked lipids.
B. glycerol molecules.
, C. hydrophobic regions.
D. 20-carbon side chains. - ANSWER-A
True or False: Cells can move both toward a gradient and away from a gradient. -
ANSWER-True
Which of the following statements is FALSE?
A. Flagellar rotation generates ATP.
B. In flagellar motion, the basal body acts as a motor.
C. The hook is the wider region at the base of the flagellum.
D. A flagellar protein subunit is flagellin. - ANSWER-A
Type IV pili are involved in
A. twitching motility.
B. attachment to surfaces, twitching motility, and pathogenesis.
C. attachment of cells to surfaces.
D. pathogenesis. - ANSWER-B
Chemotaxis is a sensory response affecting the rotational direction of the flagellar
motor. (True or False) - ANSWER-True
Using phase contrast microscopy on a wet mount of live cells, you observe motile
bacilli moving rapidly and randomly through the field of view, changing directions
after a brief tumble and taking off in a different direction. These cells are exhibiting
________ motility. - ANSWER-Swimming
Which of the following statements is TRUE concerning mRNA?
A. mRNA has complex secondary structure.
B. mRNA is the product of translation.
C. mRNA has a very short half-life.
D. mRNA is catalytic. - ANSWER-C
Unlike Eukarya, Archaea and Bacteria do not have a nucleus, so they can
A. use polysomes to make multiple copies of a protein.
B. perform coupled transcription and translation.
C. supercoil their chromosomes.
D. use RNA polymerase for transcription. - ANSWER-B
Which feature is true for RNA polymerase activity but NOT true for DNA polymerase
activity?
A. Nucleotide primer is unnecessary.
B. Newly synthesized strands are antiparallel to its template strand.
C. Growth of nucleotide sequence is only in the 5′→3′ direction.
D. Precursor nucleotides can contain adenine, guanine, or cytosine. - ANSWER-A
with Verified Answers
The use of the Gram stain in microbiology is important because it differentiates
A. bacterial cells with different types of cell walls.
B. Bacteria from Archaea.
C. archaeal cells with different types of metabolism.
D. prokaryotic from eukaryotic cells - ANSWER-A
Viewing the shape of a bacterial or archaeal cell using a microscope gives a great
deal of information about the metabolism and lifestyle of the organism. (True or
False) - ANSWER-False
A bacterial cell is interpreted as gram-positive when it forms purple insoluble crystal
violet-iodine complexes within the cell during the Gram stain. (True or False) -
ANSWER-True
Based on your knowledge of porins, what is the best description of the specific type
of porin called an aquaporin?
A. Cations bound to water molecules
B. Enzymes involved in the generation of water within cells
C. Molecules that prevent water from crossing a membrane
D. Water transport proteins - ANSWER-D
Which is the only group of microorganisms that contains lipopolysaccharides (LPS)?
- ANSWER-Gram-negative bacteria
Both hydrophilic and charged molecules readily diffuse through the cytoplasmic
membrane. (True or False) - ANSWER-False
Which is NOT a function of capsules or slime layers?
A. attachment to solid surfaces
B. evasion of destruction by immune cells
C. development and maintenance of biofilms
D. protection from osmotic lysis - ANSWER-D
Archaeal membranes are distinguished from bacterial and eukaryotic membranes by
the presence of
A. ether-linked lipids.
B. glycerol molecules.
, C. hydrophobic regions.
D. 20-carbon side chains. - ANSWER-A
True or False: Cells can move both toward a gradient and away from a gradient. -
ANSWER-True
Which of the following statements is FALSE?
A. Flagellar rotation generates ATP.
B. In flagellar motion, the basal body acts as a motor.
C. The hook is the wider region at the base of the flagellum.
D. A flagellar protein subunit is flagellin. - ANSWER-A
Type IV pili are involved in
A. twitching motility.
B. attachment to surfaces, twitching motility, and pathogenesis.
C. attachment of cells to surfaces.
D. pathogenesis. - ANSWER-B
Chemotaxis is a sensory response affecting the rotational direction of the flagellar
motor. (True or False) - ANSWER-True
Using phase contrast microscopy on a wet mount of live cells, you observe motile
bacilli moving rapidly and randomly through the field of view, changing directions
after a brief tumble and taking off in a different direction. These cells are exhibiting
________ motility. - ANSWER-Swimming
Which of the following statements is TRUE concerning mRNA?
A. mRNA has complex secondary structure.
B. mRNA is the product of translation.
C. mRNA has a very short half-life.
D. mRNA is catalytic. - ANSWER-C
Unlike Eukarya, Archaea and Bacteria do not have a nucleus, so they can
A. use polysomes to make multiple copies of a protein.
B. perform coupled transcription and translation.
C. supercoil their chromosomes.
D. use RNA polymerase for transcription. - ANSWER-B
Which feature is true for RNA polymerase activity but NOT true for DNA polymerase
activity?
A. Nucleotide primer is unnecessary.
B. Newly synthesized strands are antiparallel to its template strand.
C. Growth of nucleotide sequence is only in the 5′→3′ direction.
D. Precursor nucleotides can contain adenine, guanine, or cytosine. - ANSWER-A
