MMSC 438 MYCOBACTERIUM QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
1. Mycobacteria are aerobes.: obligate
2. What does the cell wall structure of Mycobacterium consist of?: lipids, mycolic acids
3. Mycobacterium resist decolorization with:: 95% ethanol, 3% HCl
4. What characteristic distinguishes Mycobacteria from other genera?: they are
strongly acid fast
5. What can be used to as a primary stain to stain Mycobacterium?: Ziehl-Neelsen and
Kinyoun
6. What does the Ziehl-Neelson stain utilize?: heat with carbolfuchsin
7. What stains are used after the primary staining for Mycobacterium?: acid alcohol
(decolorizing agent)
methyl blue
8. What stain/s are considered more reliable and specific than the Ziel-Neelson
stain?: Auramin
9. What kind of microscope is necessary for viewing Mycobacterium?: fluorescent
10. What safety considerations need to be taken into place when in the presence
of Mycobacterium spp?: PPD
Room ventilation, Negative air pressure
Biological safety cabinets
11. What can be used to disinfect for Mycobacterium?: phenol soap
mixtures sodium hypochlorite (household bleach)
12. What structural component allows Mycobacterium to be less susceptible to
disinfection/killing?: high lipid content in cell wall
13. What agent can be used to digest and decontaminate Myco.?: sodium hydroxide
1/
13
, (NACL is a liquifying agent also commonly added w/ this)
14. What kinds of culture media can be used for Mycobacterium?: egg based
(Lowen- stein-Jenson LJ)
serum albumin agar (Middlebrook
7H10) liquid agar
15. What is a nonselective agar that can be used?: Middlebrook
7H9 Dubos tween albumin broth
petragnani
16. What Mycobacteria fails to grow in vitro?: M. leprae
2/
13
1. Mycobacteria are aerobes.: obligate
2. What does the cell wall structure of Mycobacterium consist of?: lipids, mycolic acids
3. Mycobacterium resist decolorization with:: 95% ethanol, 3% HCl
4. What characteristic distinguishes Mycobacteria from other genera?: they are
strongly acid fast
5. What can be used to as a primary stain to stain Mycobacterium?: Ziehl-Neelsen and
Kinyoun
6. What does the Ziehl-Neelson stain utilize?: heat with carbolfuchsin
7. What stains are used after the primary staining for Mycobacterium?: acid alcohol
(decolorizing agent)
methyl blue
8. What stain/s are considered more reliable and specific than the Ziel-Neelson
stain?: Auramin
9. What kind of microscope is necessary for viewing Mycobacterium?: fluorescent
10. What safety considerations need to be taken into place when in the presence
of Mycobacterium spp?: PPD
Room ventilation, Negative air pressure
Biological safety cabinets
11. What can be used to disinfect for Mycobacterium?: phenol soap
mixtures sodium hypochlorite (household bleach)
12. What structural component allows Mycobacterium to be less susceptible to
disinfection/killing?: high lipid content in cell wall
13. What agent can be used to digest and decontaminate Myco.?: sodium hydroxide
1/
13
, (NACL is a liquifying agent also commonly added w/ this)
14. What kinds of culture media can be used for Mycobacterium?: egg based
(Lowen- stein-Jenson LJ)
serum albumin agar (Middlebrook
7H10) liquid agar
15. What is a nonselective agar that can be used?: Middlebrook
7H9 Dubos tween albumin broth
petragnani
16. What Mycobacteria fails to grow in vitro?: M. leprae
2/
13
