Microbiology Exam Study Guide PDF - Biology Spring 2025

BIOL 3220 Microbiology Spring 2025 Exam \#1 Study Guide Be able to define terms, describe topics, and provide examples of the material covered in class. The open note 75-minute test will have 50 questions (150 points total) and be a mix of multiple choice, true/false, matching, and short answer....

BIOL 3220 Microbiology Spring 2025 Exam \#1 Study Guide Be able to define terms, describe topics, and provide examples of the material covered in class. The open note 75-minute test will have 50 questions (150 points total) and be a mix of multiple choice, true/false, matching, and short answer. This exam covers all lecture materials to-date (Lectures 1 through 8), Homework Assignment \#1, In Class Activity worksheets \#1 & \#2, and In Class Attendance & Group Activities. Note that emphasis will be placed on topics discussed and highlighted in lecture. For Exam \#1 you should be able to: Define microbiology and a microorganism Microbiology: The study of the biology of microscopic organisms (microorganisms) Microorganism: a microscopic organism that has one cell or clusters Discuss the importance of microorganisms and how they are different from all other organisms Microorganisms were the first entities on Earth that showed properties of life Explain why we are only able to culture 1% of microbes on the planet Explain what makes microbes diverse and why they are more diverse compared to other organisms List Koch's postulates and how they advanced medical microbiology Discuss the importance of Robert Hooke, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, and their contributions to microbiology Describe the theory of spontaneous generation and how Louis Pasteur disproved it List the types of microorganisms Identify the similarities and differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes Define and identify cellular structures within prokaryotes and eukaryotes Discuss differences between Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryotes cell structures Explain why microbes are the size and shape they are Discuss how the cytoplasmic membrane functions and the role it plays in cell function Identify the similarities and differences between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria cell walls Discuss the importance and role of cell structures involved in attachment, motility, energy generation, and protection Identify macronutrients and micronutrients required by microbes for growth Define culture medium including the difference between defined media, complex media, selective media, and differential media Be able to develop a media to grow a microbe from a given environment (e.g. like the coffee example in class) Define metabolism and discuss the multiple energy generation mechanisms of microorganisms Define the five energy generation classes Discuss the similarities and differences between the five energy generation classes Identify and define microorganisms based on their oxygen requirements Discuss the different types of electron donors and acceptors that microbes can use for energy (e.g. think about the redox tower) and how this affects the amount of energy gained Discuss how respiration and fermentation are similar and different Explain how a microbe that is capable of both respiration and fermentation decides which to use and under what conditions Define the two major steps in microbial growth Define microbial growth and how we measure it 2 Discuss the different methods used to quantify microbial growth and the advantages and disadvantages of each Choose a method of microbial growth based on a scenario provided (e.g. see thought question on slides linking back to coffee example) Define a generation time and discuss how generation times vary between microbes as well as if the same organism is grown in the lab or natural environment Define the four phases of the growth cycle and discuss what happens in each Discuss how temperature, pH, and oxygen affect microbial growth and growth ranges Define microbes based on their temperature, pH, salt, and oxygen growth preferences Explain how microbes have adapted to high and low temperatures including how the cytoplasmic membrane adapts Discuss different ways we control microbial growth Define genomics and a microbial genome Discuss the importance of a microbial genome and how we can use this information to learn about specific microbes Explain how genome size correlates with cell size and microbial metabolism and function Discuss mechanisms through which genomes evolve Explain the role and importance of mobile elements Compare a microbial core genome and pan genome Discuss the types of genes you expect to find in the core genome and pan genome Explain the two gene transfer mechanisms in microorganisms and how they work Discuss how mutation drives evolutionary changes in microbes Identify mutations that are more likely to lead to evolutionary change, cell death, or no change List what causes mutations in microorganisms Compare mutation rates within a single microbe (e.g. different genes in the same microbe) as well as between types of microbes (e.g. bacteria, archaea, viruses, and eukaryotes) Discuss scenarios when microbes can be good or bad Discuss the three horizontal gene transfer mechanisms in prokaryotes and how they work Explain what's similar and different about the three horizontal gene transfer mechanisms Identify the gene transfer mechanism that is best suited for a given scenario (e.g. based on amount of DNA transferred, environmental conditions, phylogenetic relatedness of cells) Compare what we know about conjugation in Bacteria and Archaea Describe the cell morphology, environmental conditions, and exposure route for humans for Staphyloccocus aureus Explain why Staphylococcus aureus can evade human host immunity to cause infection while other Staphylococcus species cannot Explain how bacteriophage can contribute to increased antibiotic resistance in bacteria