TEST BANK FOR OPEXSTAX MICROBIOLOGY
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS.ALL CHAPTERS
INCLUDED
Chapter 1: An Invisible World
* = Correct answer
Multiple Choice
1. Yeasts are which of the following?
A.a type of algae
B.a type of protist
C.any unicellular microbe
D.unicellular fungi*
Difficulty: Moderate ASM
Standard: 20
3.The cell walls of archaeans often contain which of the following substances?
A.cellulose
B.chitin
C.peptidoglycan
D.pseudopeptidoglycan*
ASM Standard: 20
4.Which of the following is not true of archaeans? A. Some species live on the human body.
B.They are genetically distinct from bacteria.
C.They are only found in extreme environments.*
D.They have substantial metabolic differences from bacteria.
Difficulty: Difficult ASM
Standard: 20
Page 1 of 17
,Which of the following is not true about the process of
fermentation? A. It can help preserve foods, preventing
spoilage.
B. It converts sugars to organic acids, alcohols, and/or gases such as carbon dioxide.
C. It is carried out exclusively by unicellular eukaryotes such as yeast.*
D. It is used to make foods such as cheese and bread.
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 11, 23, 26
5.The Romans may have reduced their risk of waterborne infectious diseases by using which
of the following?
A.a variety of pharmaceutical products
B.aqueducts and a sewer system*
C.prophylactic antibiotics
D.quarantine of people with leprosy
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 23
6.For which of the following is Thucydides known?
A.developing an effective sewer system in ancient Greece, helping to reduce levels of
disease in cities
B.observing microbes, using a microscope, for the first time, even distinguishing between
bacteria and fungi
C.proposing that disease was caused by microorganisms
D.realizing that people who had been infected by the Athenian plague had immunity to
reinfection*
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 23, 31
7.Ernst Haeckel proposed a classification system consisting of which of the following
subgroups? A. five kingdoms
B.four kingdoms*
C.two domains and three kingdoms
D.two domains and five kingdoms
Difficulty: Moderate ASM
Standard: N/A
Page 2 of 17
,8.Viruses not included in phylogenetic trees for which of the following reasons? A. It is too
difficult to observe their characteristics.
B.They are acellular and nonliving.*
C.They do not have any genes, which prevents genetic analysis.
D.They lack a nucleus.
Difficulty: Moderate ASM
Standard: 5
9.Which is the best description of the primary purpose of a phylogeny? A. Phylogenies show
all the alterative names for each species.
B.Phylogenies show all the common names for each species.
C.Phylogenies show evolutionary relatedness between organisms.*
D.Phylogenies show interactions between species in a shared habitat.
Difficulty: Moderate ASM
Standard: 5
10.Current phylogenetic analyses include which of the following?
A.information from a range of sources, including morphological, genetic, and biochemical
data*
B.information on visible similarities only
C.information regarding how to classify organisms on the basis of external morphological
characteristics and visible behaviors
D.varied morphological and structural characteristics, with preference for leaving historical
classifications to prevent confusion
Difficulty: Moderate ASM
Standard: 5
11.Diatoms are classified within which of the following domains?
A.Archaea
B.Bacteria
C.Eukarya*
D.Prokaryota
Difficulty: Moderate ASM
Standard: N/A
12.Horizontal gene transfer involves which of the following?
A.any transfer of genes in a laboratory setting
Page 3 of 17
, B.the transfer of genes from a virus to a bacterium or vice versa but not any other form of
gene transfer
C.the transfer of genes from one individual to another, including from one species to
another, but not from parent to offspring* D. the transfer of genes from parent to offspring
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 2, 4
13.Bacteria are generally identified to species by using which of the following?
A.a combination of genetic, biochemical, and microscopic approaches*
B.a combination of microscopic and physiological approaches, but not genetics
C.primarily characteristics such as motility that can be visualized using microscopy
D.primarily morphological characteristics of individual cells
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 34, 36
14.For taxonomic classification of microbes, serological tests typically are used to do which of
the following?
A.determine complete genome sequences for microbes
B.identify proteins on the basis of their reaction with specific antibodies*
C.run analyses to identify whether particular genes are present
D.visualize microbial external morphology
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 34, 36
Which of the following is true of the microbial world? A. All
microbes are harmful.
B.Humans could survive without microbes.
C.Many microbes are helpful.*D. Most microbes are
pathogenic.
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 23, 24
15.Which of the following is when humans first suspected the existence of microbes?
A.during the Industrial Revolution
B.in prehistoric times*
C.in the last century
Page 4 of 17
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS.ALL CHAPTERS
INCLUDED
Chapter 1: An Invisible World
* = Correct answer
Multiple Choice
1. Yeasts are which of the following?
A.a type of algae
B.a type of protist
C.any unicellular microbe
D.unicellular fungi*
Difficulty: Moderate ASM
Standard: 20
3.The cell walls of archaeans often contain which of the following substances?
A.cellulose
B.chitin
C.peptidoglycan
D.pseudopeptidoglycan*
ASM Standard: 20
4.Which of the following is not true of archaeans? A. Some species live on the human body.
B.They are genetically distinct from bacteria.
C.They are only found in extreme environments.*
D.They have substantial metabolic differences from bacteria.
Difficulty: Difficult ASM
Standard: 20
Page 1 of 17
,Which of the following is not true about the process of
fermentation? A. It can help preserve foods, preventing
spoilage.
B. It converts sugars to organic acids, alcohols, and/or gases such as carbon dioxide.
C. It is carried out exclusively by unicellular eukaryotes such as yeast.*
D. It is used to make foods such as cheese and bread.
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 11, 23, 26
5.The Romans may have reduced their risk of waterborne infectious diseases by using which
of the following?
A.a variety of pharmaceutical products
B.aqueducts and a sewer system*
C.prophylactic antibiotics
D.quarantine of people with leprosy
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 23
6.For which of the following is Thucydides known?
A.developing an effective sewer system in ancient Greece, helping to reduce levels of
disease in cities
B.observing microbes, using a microscope, for the first time, even distinguishing between
bacteria and fungi
C.proposing that disease was caused by microorganisms
D.realizing that people who had been infected by the Athenian plague had immunity to
reinfection*
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 23, 31
7.Ernst Haeckel proposed a classification system consisting of which of the following
subgroups? A. five kingdoms
B.four kingdoms*
C.two domains and three kingdoms
D.two domains and five kingdoms
Difficulty: Moderate ASM
Standard: N/A
Page 2 of 17
,8.Viruses not included in phylogenetic trees for which of the following reasons? A. It is too
difficult to observe their characteristics.
B.They are acellular and nonliving.*
C.They do not have any genes, which prevents genetic analysis.
D.They lack a nucleus.
Difficulty: Moderate ASM
Standard: 5
9.Which is the best description of the primary purpose of a phylogeny? A. Phylogenies show
all the alterative names for each species.
B.Phylogenies show all the common names for each species.
C.Phylogenies show evolutionary relatedness between organisms.*
D.Phylogenies show interactions between species in a shared habitat.
Difficulty: Moderate ASM
Standard: 5
10.Current phylogenetic analyses include which of the following?
A.information from a range of sources, including morphological, genetic, and biochemical
data*
B.information on visible similarities only
C.information regarding how to classify organisms on the basis of external morphological
characteristics and visible behaviors
D.varied morphological and structural characteristics, with preference for leaving historical
classifications to prevent confusion
Difficulty: Moderate ASM
Standard: 5
11.Diatoms are classified within which of the following domains?
A.Archaea
B.Bacteria
C.Eukarya*
D.Prokaryota
Difficulty: Moderate ASM
Standard: N/A
12.Horizontal gene transfer involves which of the following?
A.any transfer of genes in a laboratory setting
Page 3 of 17
, B.the transfer of genes from a virus to a bacterium or vice versa but not any other form of
gene transfer
C.the transfer of genes from one individual to another, including from one species to
another, but not from parent to offspring* D. the transfer of genes from parent to offspring
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 2, 4
13.Bacteria are generally identified to species by using which of the following?
A.a combination of genetic, biochemical, and microscopic approaches*
B.a combination of microscopic and physiological approaches, but not genetics
C.primarily characteristics such as motility that can be visualized using microscopy
D.primarily morphological characteristics of individual cells
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 34, 36
14.For taxonomic classification of microbes, serological tests typically are used to do which of
the following?
A.determine complete genome sequences for microbes
B.identify proteins on the basis of their reaction with specific antibodies*
C.run analyses to identify whether particular genes are present
D.visualize microbial external morphology
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: 34, 36
Which of the following is true of the microbial world? A. All
microbes are harmful.
B.Humans could survive without microbes.
C.Many microbes are helpful.*D. Most microbes are
pathogenic.
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 23, 24
15.Which of the following is when humans first suspected the existence of microbes?
A.during the Industrial Revolution
B.in prehistoric times*
C.in the last century
Page 4 of 17
