Microbiology worksheet with answers

Free printable Microbiology worksheet: 8 problems from easy to exam level, with an answer key. Print it or save it as a PDF.

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Name: ____________________   Date: ____________

1.Easy

What is a bacteriophage?

  1. AA virus that infects bacteria
  2. BA white blood cell that eats bacteria
  3. CAn antibiotic made by fungi
  4. DA bacterium that infects viruses
2.Easy

What is an obligate anaerobe?

  1. AAn organism that needs oxygen to grow
  2. BAn organism that grows both with and without oxygen present
  3. CAn organism that lives only in the lungs
  4. DAn organism that cannot grow in the presence of oxygen
3.Easy

What is sterilisation?

  1. AReducing the number of microorganisms to a level safe for patients
  2. BKilling or removing all microorganisms including spores
  3. CKilling only bacteria but not viruses
  4. DCleaning visible dirt from surfaces
4.Medium

Which organism causes typhoid fever?

  1. AVibrio cholerae
  2. BShigella dysenteriae
  3. CSalmonella Typhi
  4. DCampylobacter jejuni
5.Medium

Which bacterium causes whooping cough (pertussis)?

  1. ABordetella pertussis
  2. BHaemophilus influenzae
  3. CMycoplasma pneumoniae
  4. DCorynebacterium diphtheriae
6.Medium

Which organism is a common cause of infection in burns and in people with cystic fibrosis, and can produce a green pigment?

  1. APseudomonas aeruginosa
  2. BHelicobacter pylori
  3. CStreptococcus pyogenes
  4. DClostridium tetani
7.Hard

Which mechanism of antibiotic resistance does a bacterium use when it pumps the drug out of the cell?

  1. AEnzymatic inactivation
  2. BReduced porin uptake only
  3. CEfflux pumps
  4. DTarget modification
8.Hard

A patient with suspected infectious pulmonary tuberculosis is admitted. Which precautions are needed?

  1. AAirborne precautions, ideally a negative-pressure room and respirator masks for staff
  2. BDroplet precautions with a surgical mask, and only within one metre
  3. CContact precautions only, with gloves and an apron
  4. DNo special precautions, because TB spreads only by blood

Answer key

  1. 1. A · A virus that infects bacteria
  2. 2. D · An organism that cannot grow in the presence of oxygen
  3. 3. B · Killing or removing all microorganisms including spores
  4. 4. C · Salmonella Typhi
  5. 5. A · Bordetella pertussis
  6. 6. A · Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  7. 7. C · Efflux pumps
  8. 8. A · Airborne precautions, ideally a negative-pressure room and respirator masks for staff

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