Test Bank for Microbiology Principles and Explorations, 9e Jacquelyn Black, Laura Black (All Chapters) 1 / 4
Chapter 1: Scope and History of Microbiology
Question Type: Multiple Choice
1) Microbes live in us, on us and nearly everywhere around us. Which of the following activities are microbes involved in?
a) Decomposing dead organisms
b) Aiding the digestive processes of grazing animals
c) Capturing energy from the sun
d) All of the above
Answer: d
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective 1: LO 1.1 Distinguish the different types of microbes in terms of their cellular structure, including the types of jobs microbiologists may hold as they study them.
Section Reference 1: Section 1.1 Why Study Microbiology?
2) Which of the following is a reason microorganisms are useful in many different research laboratories (such as ecology, biochemistry, evolution and genetics)?
a) They are easy to see and count
b) They have fairly complex structures and are expensive
c) They reproduce fast and grow in large numbers
d) They live everywhere so contaminants from the environment are not a problem.
Answer: c
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective 1: LO 1.1 Distinguish the different types of microbes in terms of their cellular structure, including the types of jobs microbiologists may hold as they study them.
Section Reference 1: Section 1.2 Scope of Microbiology
3) Microbiology is the study of bacteria, algae, fungi, viruses and protozoa. Most of these
are single-celled, except for which two:
- bacteria (some of which are multicellular) and algae
- algae and fungi (some have many cells)
- protozoa and fungi 2 / 4
- bacteria and viruses
Answer: b
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective 1: LO 1.1 Distinguish the different types of microbes in terms of their cellular structure, including the types of jobs microbiologists may hold as they study them.
Section Reference 1: Section 1.2 Scope of Microbiology
4) A parasitologist studies parasites. What does a mycologist study?
- protozoa
- how viruses cause disease and are involved in cancer
- the development of chemical substances to treat diseases
- fungi
Answer: d
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective 1: LO 1.1 Distinguish the different types of microbes in terms of their cellular structure, including the types of jobs microbiologists may hold as they study them.
Section Reference 1: Section 1.2 Scope of Microbiology
5) While a doctor may diagnose and treat a patient who presents with a disease, an
epidemiologist:
- helps in the development and use of vaccines
- investigates what organism is responsible for a particular patient’s disease
- figures out how to use microorganisms to clean up the environment
- studies the frequency and distribution of the disease in the community
Answer: d
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Objective 1: LO 1.1 Distinguish the different types of microbes in terms of their cellular structure, including the types of jobs microbiologists may hold as they study them.
Section Reference 1: Section 1.2 Scope of Microbiology
6) What did ancient civilizations know about disease?
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a) Even though they could not see microbes the Greeks and Romans knew that they
caused disease and could be transmitted.
b) The ancient Mosaic laws in the bible encouraged the burial of waste and the separation
of lepers and other diseased individuals.
c) All ancient civilizations thought that disease struck people that were morally corrupt.
d) Infectious diseases did not have much impact on the survival of people in ancient
civilizations.
Answer: b
Difficulty: Hard
Learning Objective 1: LO 1.2 Compare the germ theory with that of spontaneous
generation, describing the contributions made by Redi, Spallanzani, Pasteur, Tyndall, and Koch that led to a resolution of these conflicting theories and an understanding the role microbes play in disease.
Section Reference 1: Section 1.3 Historical Roots
7) What discovery was crucial to the founding of the field of microbiology?
a) Isolation of lepers limiting the spread of infectious disease
b) Agglutination of bacteria in immune serum
c) The chemical composition of DNA, the genetic material
d) Microscopes which allowed for the direct observation of microbes
Answer: d
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective 1: LO 1.2 Compare the germ theory with that of spontaneous
generation, describing the contributions made by Redi, Spallanzani, Pasteur, Tyndall, and Koch that led to a resolution of these conflicting theories and an understanding the role microbes play in disease.
Section Reference 1: Section 1.3 Historical Roots
8) The English scientist Robert Hooke coined the term cell because the small boxes he saw in the microscope reminded him of a monk’s room. What is the cell theory that was later proposed?
a) Cells are fundamental units of life.
b) Replication requires the division of cells into two equal cells.
c) Hereditary information is passed on in the form of DNA.
d) All organisms are unicellular, made up of one cell.
Answer: a
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