Microbiology worksheet with answers

What is the purpose of pasteurising milk?

1. ATo remove fat from the milk
2. BTo kill all microorganisms, including bacterial spores, by heating
3. CTo kill pathogens by heating, without fully sterilising it
4. DTo add healthy bacteria to the milk

Which bacterium is the most common cause of urinary tract infections?

1. AStreptococcus pyogenes
2. BEscherichia coli
3. CStaphylococcus aureus
4. DMycobacterium tuberculosis

Which type of microorganism causes athlete's foot?

1. AVirus
2. BBacterium
3. CProtozoan
4. DFungus

Which type of immunity is given by breast milk antibodies?

1. AArtificial active immunity
2. BNatural passive immunity
3. CArtificial passive immunity
4. DNatural active immunity

Why does high vaccination coverage also protect babies too young to be vaccinated?

1. AVaccinated people pass antibodies to everyone they meet
2. BVaccines kill the pathogen in the environment
3. CBabies are naturally immune to all vaccine-preventable diseases
4. DFewer people can pass on the infection, so it spreads less

How do people usually become infected with Legionella pneumophila?

1. ABy inhaling aerosols from contaminated water systems
2. BBy person-to-person spread through kissing
3. CBy being bitten by an infected tick
4. DBy eating undercooked chicken or unpasteurised milk products

Why are penicillins ineffective against Mycoplasma pneumoniae?

1. AIt produces large amounts of beta-lactamase
2. BIt lives only inside red blood cells
3. CIt has a thick waxy mycolic acid layer that blocks entry
4. DIt has no cell wall for penicillin to act on

After eating home-canned vegetables, a patient develops double vision, difficulty swallowing and a descending flaccid paralysis. What is the most likely cause?

1. AA viral infection of the motor neurons
2. BBotulinum toxin, which blocks acetylcholine release
3. CEndotoxin from Gram-negative bacteria
4. DTetanus toxin, which blocks inhibitory neurotransmitters