WGU D311 MICROBIOLOGY 2026 TEST PAPER EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS MARKED A+
✔✔Flagella of bacteria - ✔✔acts as a propeller to move the cell. Stiff, rotating structure.
✔✔Fimbriae of bacteria - ✔✔hairlike bristles that allow adhesion to surfaces
✔✔Pili of bacteria - ✔✔Appendages that allow bacteria to attach to each other and to
transfer DNA
✔✔Chemotaxis - ✔✔Directional movt from a call in response to chemical attraction
✔✔Phototaxis - ✔✔movement in response to light using flagella
✔✔Bacterium "runs" - ✔✔Movt of bacteria counterclockwise flagellar rotation
✔✔Bacteria "tumbles" - ✔✔Random movt of bacterial cell by clockwise flagellar rotation
✔✔vegetative cell - ✔✔metabolically active and growing and does not contain
endospores. Sensitive to extreme temps and radiation, gram positive, normal water
content
✔✔Endospores - ✔✔A thick-walled protective spore that forms inside a bacterial cell
and resists harsh conditions (extreme temps and radiation) does not absorb gram stain.
No growth
✔✔Why is sporulation important for bacteria - ✔✔Protects bacteria agaisnt degrading
agents, unfavorable growth and nutrient depletion
✔✔What are 6 steps of sporulation process - ✔✔DNA replicates, membranes form
around dna, forespore forms additional membranes, protective cortex forms around the
spore, protein coat forms around the cortex and spore is released
✔✔Gram Negative cell - ✔✔More complex, 3 layers (inner membrane, thin layer if
peptidoglycan and outer membrane containing lipipolysaccharide)
✔✔Gram positive cell - ✔✔Simple structure, thick layer of peptidoglycan with teichoic
acid
✔✔Gram Negative structure - ✔✔Lipopolysaccharides: outer membrane
Periplasmic space: b/T cell wall and plasma membrane
outer membrane: phospholipid bilayer external to the peptidoglycan layer
✔✔All viruses have ? - ✔✔capsid and nucleic acid
, ✔✔Capsid - ✔✔protein coat surrounding a virus
✔✔naked virus - ✔✔no envelope. Composed of nucleic core either dna or rna
✔✔enveloped virus - ✔✔a virus formed with a nucleic-acid packed capsid surrounded
by a lipid layer. Made up of phospholipid membrane that buds from the host cell.
✔✔Hyphae (Fungi Structure) - ✔✔Branching, threadlike tubes that make up the bodies
of fungi
✔✔Mycelium (fungi structure) - ✔✔Negative network of branched, tubular hyphae
✔✔Thallus (fungi structure) - ✔✔Body of fleshy fungi. Commonly occurs with HIV
infection and fungal reproduction. Microbes move to the lymphatic system in the groin
✔✔Dimorphic fungus - ✔✔Fungi that are capable of growing in both the mold form and
the yeast form
ex: human pathogens Histoplasma capsulatum (lung dx) and Candida albicans (vaginal
yeast/oral thrush)
✔✔Ascomycota - ✔✔Yeast, sexual reproduction. Edible mushrooms, truffles and PCN
✔✔Basidiiomycota - ✔✔Club fungi, rust, puffballs and mushrooms
✔✔Microsporidia - ✔✔lack mitochondria, produce polar tube
✔✔Zygomycota - ✔✔bread molds
✔✔What groups are protist - ✔✔Algae, Protozoa, slime mold and water molds
✔✔Characteristics of protozoans - ✔✔eukaryotic organisms that are not fungi, plants, or
animals. Single celled, free living, lack cell wall, divide by binary fusion or budding
✔✔two groups of parasitic helminths - ✔✔flatworms and roundworms
✔✔Characteristics of Nematoda (Round worms) - ✔✔Full digestive system, contain
more than 15000 species. Pinworm is most common in US
✔✔Characteristics of platyhelminthes (flukes/tapeworms) - ✔✔Flukes: nonsegmented
flatworms that have oral sucker, attach to inner walls of intestines, lungs, large blood
vessels or the liver
Tapeworms:
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS MARKED A+
✔✔Flagella of bacteria - ✔✔acts as a propeller to move the cell. Stiff, rotating structure.
✔✔Fimbriae of bacteria - ✔✔hairlike bristles that allow adhesion to surfaces
✔✔Pili of bacteria - ✔✔Appendages that allow bacteria to attach to each other and to
transfer DNA
✔✔Chemotaxis - ✔✔Directional movt from a call in response to chemical attraction
✔✔Phototaxis - ✔✔movement in response to light using flagella
✔✔Bacterium "runs" - ✔✔Movt of bacteria counterclockwise flagellar rotation
✔✔Bacteria "tumbles" - ✔✔Random movt of bacterial cell by clockwise flagellar rotation
✔✔vegetative cell - ✔✔metabolically active and growing and does not contain
endospores. Sensitive to extreme temps and radiation, gram positive, normal water
content
✔✔Endospores - ✔✔A thick-walled protective spore that forms inside a bacterial cell
and resists harsh conditions (extreme temps and radiation) does not absorb gram stain.
No growth
✔✔Why is sporulation important for bacteria - ✔✔Protects bacteria agaisnt degrading
agents, unfavorable growth and nutrient depletion
✔✔What are 6 steps of sporulation process - ✔✔DNA replicates, membranes form
around dna, forespore forms additional membranes, protective cortex forms around the
spore, protein coat forms around the cortex and spore is released
✔✔Gram Negative cell - ✔✔More complex, 3 layers (inner membrane, thin layer if
peptidoglycan and outer membrane containing lipipolysaccharide)
✔✔Gram positive cell - ✔✔Simple structure, thick layer of peptidoglycan with teichoic
acid
✔✔Gram Negative structure - ✔✔Lipopolysaccharides: outer membrane
Periplasmic space: b/T cell wall and plasma membrane
outer membrane: phospholipid bilayer external to the peptidoglycan layer
✔✔All viruses have ? - ✔✔capsid and nucleic acid
, ✔✔Capsid - ✔✔protein coat surrounding a virus
✔✔naked virus - ✔✔no envelope. Composed of nucleic core either dna or rna
✔✔enveloped virus - ✔✔a virus formed with a nucleic-acid packed capsid surrounded
by a lipid layer. Made up of phospholipid membrane that buds from the host cell.
✔✔Hyphae (Fungi Structure) - ✔✔Branching, threadlike tubes that make up the bodies
of fungi
✔✔Mycelium (fungi structure) - ✔✔Negative network of branched, tubular hyphae
✔✔Thallus (fungi structure) - ✔✔Body of fleshy fungi. Commonly occurs with HIV
infection and fungal reproduction. Microbes move to the lymphatic system in the groin
✔✔Dimorphic fungus - ✔✔Fungi that are capable of growing in both the mold form and
the yeast form
ex: human pathogens Histoplasma capsulatum (lung dx) and Candida albicans (vaginal
yeast/oral thrush)
✔✔Ascomycota - ✔✔Yeast, sexual reproduction. Edible mushrooms, truffles and PCN
✔✔Basidiiomycota - ✔✔Club fungi, rust, puffballs and mushrooms
✔✔Microsporidia - ✔✔lack mitochondria, produce polar tube
✔✔Zygomycota - ✔✔bread molds
✔✔What groups are protist - ✔✔Algae, Protozoa, slime mold and water molds
✔✔Characteristics of protozoans - ✔✔eukaryotic organisms that are not fungi, plants, or
animals. Single celled, free living, lack cell wall, divide by binary fusion or budding
✔✔two groups of parasitic helminths - ✔✔flatworms and roundworms
✔✔Characteristics of Nematoda (Round worms) - ✔✔Full digestive system, contain
more than 15000 species. Pinworm is most common in US
✔✔Characteristics of platyhelminthes (flukes/tapeworms) - ✔✔Flukes: nonsegmented
flatworms that have oral sucker, attach to inner walls of intestines, lungs, large blood
vessels or the liver
Tapeworms:
