BIOL 2117 OPENSTAX MICROBIOLOGY
ANTIMICROBIAL DRUGS STUDY GUIDE
CHAPTER 14 2026 COMPLETE ANSWERS
◉ What are the types of microbes? Answer: Bacteria, Fungi, Protozoa,
Algae, Viruses.
◉ What term describes a disease-causing microbe? Answer: Pathogenic.
◉ What roles do microbes play in the environment? Answer:
Decomposers, Producers, Fermenters.
◉ Why is it important to study microorganisms? Answer: To prevent
food spoilage, prevent disease, and understand causes and transmission
to prevent epidemics.
◉ How many cells are in the human body? Answer: 30 trillion.
◉ How many bacteria colonize the human body? Answer: 40 trillion
bacterial cells.
◉ What is the purpose of the microbiome on the human body? Answer:
Help maintain good health, prevent growth of pathogenic microbes, and
train the immune system.
, ◉ When do microorganisms/microbiota colonize the body? Answer: At
birth.
◉ How are scientific names of microbes written? Answer: Genus is
capitalized, species is lowercase, both are in Latin and italicized or
underlined.
◉ What does the scientific name Escherichia coli indicate? Answer:
Honors scientist Theodor Escherich and describes its habitat in the large
intestine.
◉ What does the scientific name Staphylococcus aureus indicate?
Answer: Describes clustered spherical cells and gold-colored colonies.
◉ What are the characteristics of bacteria? Answer: Unicellular,
prokaryotes, peptidoglycan cell walls, divide via binary fission.
◉ What are the characteristics of Archaea? Answer: Prokaryotes, lack
peptidoglycan cell walls, live in extreme environments, do not cause
disease.
◉ Name three types of Archaea. Answer: Methanogens, Halophiles,
Thermophiles.
ANTIMICROBIAL DRUGS STUDY GUIDE
CHAPTER 14 2026 COMPLETE ANSWERS
◉ What are the types of microbes? Answer: Bacteria, Fungi, Protozoa,
Algae, Viruses.
◉ What term describes a disease-causing microbe? Answer: Pathogenic.
◉ What roles do microbes play in the environment? Answer:
Decomposers, Producers, Fermenters.
◉ Why is it important to study microorganisms? Answer: To prevent
food spoilage, prevent disease, and understand causes and transmission
to prevent epidemics.
◉ How many cells are in the human body? Answer: 30 trillion.
◉ How many bacteria colonize the human body? Answer: 40 trillion
bacterial cells.
◉ What is the purpose of the microbiome on the human body? Answer:
Help maintain good health, prevent growth of pathogenic microbes, and
train the immune system.
, ◉ When do microorganisms/microbiota colonize the body? Answer: At
birth.
◉ How are scientific names of microbes written? Answer: Genus is
capitalized, species is lowercase, both are in Latin and italicized or
underlined.
◉ What does the scientific name Escherichia coli indicate? Answer:
Honors scientist Theodor Escherich and describes its habitat in the large
intestine.
◉ What does the scientific name Staphylococcus aureus indicate?
Answer: Describes clustered spherical cells and gold-colored colonies.
◉ What are the characteristics of bacteria? Answer: Unicellular,
prokaryotes, peptidoglycan cell walls, divide via binary fission.
◉ What are the characteristics of Archaea? Answer: Prokaryotes, lack
peptidoglycan cell walls, live in extreme environments, do not cause
disease.
◉ Name three types of Archaea. Answer: Methanogens, Halophiles,
Thermophiles.
