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MICROBIOLOGY
EXAM I STUDY GUIDE
1.
Define: microbiology, virology, mycology, parasitology, protozoology, phycology, immunology,
epidemiology, etiology, pathology.
2. List several reasons the study of microbiology is important.
3. List early microbiologists and briefly describe their contributions to the development of the field of
microbiology.
4. Describe/explain each of the differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Give
examples of each type.
5. Name the 6 kingdoms of classification. List the general characteristics and examples of
microorganisms in each kingdom. In which kingdoms are the eukaryotic and prokaryotic
microorganisms classified? In which kingdom are viruses classified?
6. Describe scientific nomenclature. How should a scientific name be properly written? What type
characteristics can a scientific name indicate about an organism?
7. What is a bacterial colony? How does the appearance of bacterial colonies produced by different
bacteria vary?
8. In what unit are bacteria measured? What is the average cell size of bacteria?
9. Describe three cell shapes. How does each cell shape and their arrangement vary?
10. Structure of the bacterial cell: identify parts of the cell from a drawing, describe function each
part, describe chemical composition each part.
11. Describe/explain the chemical structure of murein and how the structure relates to its function.
Describe the differences in the structure of the cell walls of Gram positive bacteria, Gram
negative bacteria and acid fast bacteria.
12. Describe the structure/properties of phospholipids. Describe the bilayered structure of the cell
membrane and how the structure relates to its function. How do nutrients/wastes move across
the cell membrane?
13. How do bacteria reproduce? Is this process asexual or sexual? Describe this process (in
detail). Define generation time. What is average bacterial generation time?
14. How is bacterial growth expressed? Draw the bacterial growth curve. How is it derived? Identify
the phases. Describe ( in detail) the activities in each phase. Why study the growth curve?
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15. Temperature requirements: How does temperature affect bacterial growth? Define optimum.
Define mesophiles, psychrophiles, thermophiles. Where might you find these organisms
growing?
16. Describe pH requirements for bacterial growth: optimum pH, neutrophile, acidophile,
alkalinophiles. Where might you find these organisms growing? How does excess acid or alkaline
pH affect the rate of bacterial growth?
17. Oxygen requirements: define aerobes, anaerobes, facultative, microaerophilic. Why is oxygen
required for growth?
18. Why is H2O required for growth? How does an increase in osmolarity affect bacterial growth?
Of what practical use is this? Define halophiles.
19. How does light (UV, radiation) affect bacterial growth? Do any bacteria require light for growth?
Describe a practical application involving the use of UV light/radiation.
20.. List basic nutritional requirements of bacteria. How do bacteria obtain their nutrients?
Define: autotrophs, heterotrophs, saprophytes, parasites.
21. Describe the characteristics of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids.
22. Define: metabolism, catabolism, anabolism, pathway.
23. Briefly describe the two metabolic pathways: photosynthesis and chemosynthesis.
Define: photoautotrophs, photoheterotrophs, chemoautotrophs, chemoheterotrophs.
24. Describe/explain each of the characteristics (properties) of enzymes. Describe their
importance. What is enzyme specificity? What determines their specific action? How are they
classified, named?
25. Define: exoenzymes, endoenzymes, coenzymes, cofactors.
26. Energy: how is it produced (define oxidation-reduction)? How is it stored? Describe the
structure of ATP. Where is the energy stored in this molecule? How is it released/replaced?
27. Embden Meyerhoff pathway: compound metabolized in this pathway; oxygen requirements; how
much ATP required; H+ removed and transferred to ________; end products produced; how
much ATP produced; net gain ATP.
28. Fermentation: oxygen requirements; compounds that enter this pathway; H + transferred to ?; end
products produced; ATP produced.
29. Aerobic respiration: oxygen requirements; two pathways:
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A. Krebs cycle (citric acid cycle): series of cyclic reactions; compounds that enter this
pathway; ATP produced; H+ ions removed  coenzymes  electron transport chain.
B. Electron transport: types of reactions; compounds that enter this pathway; end products
produced; ATP produced.
What is total # ATP's produced as a result of aerobic respiration? How much ATP is
produced (net gain) if a 6 carbon sugar is aerobically metabolized to CO 2 and H2O?
30. How are carbohydrates utilized (in addition to energy production) by bacterial cells? How may
CHO be stored? Briefly describe the metabolism of triglycerides; of proteins.
31. Describe the structure of DNA: list substances in DNA, a nucleotide. Draw an example of DNA.
Describe DNA’s antiparallel structure. The molecule twists to form a ______ ______.
32. Describe how DNA replicates. What is the continuous strand, the discontinuous strand,
semiconservative replication? What is the significance of this process?
33. Describe the genetic code (language) in DNA. What is a triplet; a gene?
34. Protein synthesis (enzyme production): define transcription, translation. Describe process of
protein synthesis (in general).
35. Describe/explain the differences in structure between DNA and RNA. Describe structure of
the 3 types of RNA. Describe the function of each type RNA.
36. See study questions accompanying DNA exercise.
37. Controls of enzyme synthesis/enzyme activity: define constitutive enzymes, inducible enzyme,
allosteric enzyme. Briefly describe feedback inhibition; the operon and how it functions.
38. Define: mutations, spontaneous mutations, induced mutations. List four types changes in DNA
that result in mutations.
39. Briefly describe: transformation, transduction, conjugation. What do these methods of DNA
transfer have in common?
40. List 4 changes in bacteria that can occur as a result of mutation/ DNA transfer.
41. Briefly describe: genetic engineering, polymerase chain reaction, DNA (electrophoresis)
fingerprinting, human genome project, gene therapy. What is a practical application of each?
42. What publication is the authority on bacterial taxonomy? According to this authority, bacteria are
classified in Kingdom ______. Into what groups are the bacteria subdivided in this kingdom
(according to Bergey’s). What criteria is used for bacterial classification and identification?
The kingdom Prokaryotae is currently divided into _____________ and ______________
kingdoms/subkingdoms.
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