Microbiology Study Guide – Exam #3 (Ch. 5, 7, 10, 13 & 17)
This is a list of the types of things you should be able to describe or explain in your own words for each
chapter. You are still responsible for the material covered in lecture and should know all of the key
terms at the end of the notes for each chapter.
Chapter 5 (Microbial Metabolism)
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the concept of metabolic pathways, also endergonic vs exergonic, catabolic vs anabolic
how enzymes catalyze (increase the rate of) chemical reactions
factors that affect enzyme activity (temperature, pH, salt concentration, substrate conc., etc.)
enzyme regulation/inhibition (competitive, allosteric, feedback)
characteristics of ATP
oxidation/reduction, substrate-level vs oxidative phosphorylation
the basic process, purpose and various products of fermentation
the roles of electron carriers (NADH, FADH2), electron transport, H+ gradient in respiration
distinguish aerobic from anaerobic respiration
Essay question:
1. Describe the main events and products of each stage of aerobic respiration (Krebs, electron
transport, chemiosmosis). For each stage, indicate how much ATP is made and how it is made.
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Chapter 7 (DNA Replication & Gene Expression)
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the processes of DNA replication (lagging and leading strands)
the process of gene expression: transcription and translation
differences between DNA and RNA
the nature of operons in prokaryotes
the nature of the genetic code
use base pairing rule to transcribe a DNA sequence
use genetic code to translate an RNA sequence
the various types of mutations and how they may affect gene expression
levels of gene expression at which regulation can occur
how the lac operon in E. coli is regulated in response to lactose and glucose
the basic processes of bacterial recombination: conjugation, transformation & transduction
Essay Question:
1. Describe Frederick Griffith’s famous 1928 experiments with mice. What did he conclude about his
results? Was he unable to identify the “transforming factor”?
Chapter 10 (Antimicrobial Drugs)
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the concepts of spectrum of antimicrobial drugs and selective toxicity
the features of bacteria, viruses and fungi that are good targets for antimicrobial drugs
describe the mechanisms of action of the various antimicrobial drugs
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basis of antimicrobial sensitivity drug tests
understand what targets drugs are appropriate for what types of pathogen
discuss safety concerns with antimicrobial drugs (anaphylaxis, dysbiosis, toxicity, resistance,
drug interactions, etc.)
describe antibiotic/antimicrobial resistance and how it may be acquired
Essay question:
1. Describe 5 different categories of antimicrobial drugs, their mechanisms of action, and provide one
example of each.
Chapter 13 (Viruses, Viroids & Prions)
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structure and variety of viral components (genetic material, capsid, envelope)
how viruses differ from living cells
how viruses are classified
the basic stages of an animal virus “life” cycle
human cancer and oncogenic viruses
lytic and lysogenic cycles of bacteriophages
how animal viruses penetrate, escape from host cells
differences in life cycles of types of DNA, RNA animal viruses and how they replicate
the nature of viroids and viroid-based illness
the nature of prions and prion-based illness
Essay questions:
1. Describe the life cycle of an animal virus. Discuss different known mechanisms for each stage.
2. Describe the disease(s) caused by one of the human herpes viruses discussed in class. Discuss the
pathogen, symptoms, epidemiology, treatment, prognosis, complications, and other important features
of the disease.
Chapter 17 (Applications of Immunology)
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describe how a vaccine induces immunity
describe the different types of vaccines
distinguish between immunoprecipitation, agglutination, and hemagglutination
and how they can be used to detect specific antibodies or antigens in clinical samples
describe the process of fluorescent antibody labeling involving secondary antibodies
describe the ELISA test and its limitations
describe a Western Blot and its application
Essay question:
1. Describe the major safety risks or concerns surrounding vaccination.