Unit 1

An overview of Microbiology

1. What prevented the science of microbiolgy from developing before the era of van
Leeuwenhoek?

2. How did Pasteur's swan neck flask experiment show that the concept of spontaneous
generation was invalid?

3. If the Chickungunya virus epidemic had first started in Jamaica, how would you identify
the cause of the disease?

4. What is a pure culture? How is this important in microbiology?

5. How would you convince a friend that microorganisms are not just agents of disease but
make significant contributions to their lives?

6. Describe 5 ways humans exploit microorganisms for their benefit.

7. What factors might cause some older diseases to show an increase in number of cases.

UNIT 2

Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cell Biology

1. Describe the structure of the cell membrane and describe its components.

2. Explain the following terms with the use of diagrams:

a) isotonic

b) hypertonic

c) hypotonic

3. Compare diffusion, facilitated diffusion, active transport and group translocation.

UNIT 3

Main Groups of Microorganisms

1. Discuss reproduction of algae and fungi.

2. Describe how protozoa are classified. Give the name of member of each group and a
disease caused by that organism.
3. Outline how viruses reproduce

UNIT 4

Bacteria

1. Outline the process of endospore formation

2. Draw and label the structure of flagella found in gram negative organisms
3. State the various shapes and arrangements of bacilli and cocci also giving the respective
planes of division.

4. How are structure and function related in the bacterial capsule?

5. How do mycoplasmas survive without a cell wall?
6. Could a mycoplasma infection be treated with penicillin? Explain.

7. Describe the structure of peptidoglycan.

a) What are the functions of the cell wall to bacterial cell and give evidence of these
functions?

b) Two strain of a species of bacterium are examined. One produces a capsule and the
other does not. In terms of survival, what are five advantages of the capsular strain over
the one without?

UNIT 5

Methods of Investigating Microorganisms

1. In doing periodic testing of drinking water from the local reservoir, a microbiologist
observed dark colonies on an EMB plate along with a green surface sheen on the plate.

a) What caused the green sheen on the plate? Explain the reaction.
b) What type of media is EMB and why?
c) Describe the prokaryotic cell envelope and detail what parts would be found in the
organism growing on the plate and why?

2. A smear of a thirty six hour culture of a particular organism was stained with malachite
 green and then counterstained with safranin:

a) Draw a labeled diagram of the structure that stained green

b) Explain the mechanism of this staining procedure.

c) Describe how the structure in (a) was produced.

2. Describe briefly various types of microscopes

TEM Phase contrast SEM Flourescent bright field and dark field

3. What type of stains are the following? How do the stains work?

Acid fast stain capsule stain flagella stain

UNIT 6

Microbial Growth and Reproduction

a) Explain the following terms as they relate to a bacterium's response to molecular oxygen
(O2).

i. obligate aerobe
ii. obligate anaerobe
iii. facultative (an)aerobe

b) Draw a typical growth curve for a bacterial population in a closed system (like a test tube.
Label each of these phases of the growth cycle: a. lag; b. exponential; c. stationary; d. death.
Describe the condition of the cells at each phase of the cycle.

c) What is the generation time of a bacterial culture?

d) If a fresh culture medium is inoculated with 500 bacterial cells per ml, how many cells will
be present after four generations?

e) A bacterium having a generation time of 30 minutes will undergo_____cell divisions per

hour. During 3 hours of growth, the cells would double______times. Beginning with 10 cells
per ml at time 0, how many cells would be present at 3 hours?

f) Starting with four bacterial cells in a rich medium with a one-hour lag phase and a 20
minute generation time, how many cells will there be one hour after inoculation of the
medium? Two hours after inoculation of the medium?
Unit 7

Control of Microorganisms

1. What are the factors influencing the effectiveness of microbial control methods?
2. How does light (UV, radiation) affect bacterial growth? Describe a practical application
involving the use of UV light/radiation.
3. Boiling at ________ (temperature) for _____ minutes will kill most vegetative microbes,
but not _____________________________.Explain
4. Give at least three examples of types of situations that require microbial growth control,
and why.
5. What does it mean to say that most chemicals are disinfectants rather than sterilants?
6. Describe Joseph Lister’s importance in the history of microbiology.
7. Give the mode of action of the following:
a. Tetracycline
b. Penicillin
c. Rifampicin
d. Aminoglycosides
e. Quinolones
f. Polymixin
g. Chlorine
h. Glutaraldehyde
i. Iodine
j. Alcohol
k. Hydrogen peroxide
l. Phenol

Unit 8

Microorganisms and the Human Health

1. How does the normal flora provide infection resistance?

2. Distinguish between resident and transient microorganisms.
3. Identify physical and chemical barriers to pathogens. How might these barriers be
compromised?
4. Application Question:

Mucous membranes are effective barriers against colonization and growth of

microorganisms. However mucous membranes, for example in the throat, are colonized
with a variety of different microorganisms that occasionally cause disease. Explain how
normally non-pathogenic microorganisms can become pathogenic under certain
circumstances. Be sure to describe at least one set of circumstances that might encourage
pathogenicity.

Unit 9
Host-Microbe Relationships and Disease Processes

1. Using specific examples, explain the differences between infection & contamination.
2. What type of reservoir does the pathogen Treponema pallidum have? Explain why it is said
to cause acute and possible chronic illness in infected patients.
3. Define zoonosis. Describe the lifecycle of a vector-borne parasite and explain why
elimination of the parasite reservoir is important in controlling the spreadof the disease.
4. Describe some of the ways in which pathogens evade host defenses.
5. Using specific examples, explain how limiting exposure to apathogen and adherence to rigid
immunization schedules may prevent the spread of infectious disease.
6. Write short notes on two diseases caused by Mycobacterium sp.
7. Write short notes on viral infections with skin manifestations

Unit 10
Microbiology of Foods

1. Define spoilage & discuss three factors that contribute to the deterioration of food.
2. Suggest some reasons why control of spoilage is important.
3. Using specific examples, explain how food infection differs from food intoxication.
4. What is botulism? Explain why it is associated with improperly canned low acid foods.
UNIT 11
Industrial Processes

1. With the aid of examples from industry differentiate between primary and secondary
microbial metabolites.
2. Outline the important properties microbes should possess if they are to be used for
industrial scale production. 
3. Outline one industrial fermentation process carried out locally and identify departures from
the generic fermentation process given
4. Identify the similarities and differences between batch and continuous fermentation
processes.
5. Outline the process of beer production
6. Outline differences and similarities between yoghurt and cheese production.
7. Give a local example where bioremediation is used regularly.