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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1.Easy

Which type of microorganism causes athlete's foot?

  1. AProtozoan
  2. BVirus
  3. CFungus
  4. DBacterium
2.Easy

What is an antigen?

  1. AA drug that blocks bacterial growth
  2. BA type of white blood cell
  3. CA molecule that the immune system recognises
  4. DA protein made by plasma cells to fight infection
3.Easy

Which bacterium is the classic cause of "strep throat"?

  1. AStaphylococcus aureus
  2. BStreptococcus pneumoniae
  3. CHaemophilus influenzae
  4. DStreptococcus pyogenes
4.Medium

What does PCR do in a diagnostic laboratory?

  1. AIt grows bacteria faster on agar plates
  2. BIt measures the level of specific antibodies in a patient's serum sample
  3. CIt stains bacteria so they can be seen
  4. DIt makes many copies of a specific DNA sequence so it can be detected
5.Medium

What is the main difference between innate and adaptive immunity?

  1. AAdaptive immunity is specific and forms memory; innate immunity does not
  2. BInnate immunity develops only after vaccination
  3. CInnate immunity uses antibodies and forms memory; adaptive immunity does not
  4. DAdaptive immunity acts within minutes of infection
6.Medium

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in a person with advanced HIV is an example of:

  1. AA zoonotic infection
  2. BAn opportunistic infection
  3. CA food-borne infection
  4. DA vector-borne infection
7.Hard

What is the key difference between bactericidal and bacteriostatic antibiotics?

  1. ABactericidal drugs work only outside the body
  2. BBactericidal drugs kill bacteria; bacteriostatic drugs stop growth and rely on the immune system to clear them
  3. CBactericidal drugs work only on viruses; bacteriostatic drugs work on bacteria
  4. DBacteriostatic drugs always work faster than bactericidal drugs
8.Hard

In Griffith's 1928 experiment, mice died after injection of heat-killed smooth (S) pneumococci mixed with live rough (R) pneumococci. What did this show?

  1. AHeat does not kill pneumococci
  2. BViruses carry genes between bacteria
  3. CRough pneumococci are always more virulent than smooth ones
  4. DA "transforming principle" from dead bacteria could change harmless bacteria into virulent ones

Answer key

  1. 1. C · Fungus
  2. 2. C · A molecule that the immune system recognises
  3. 3. D · Streptococcus pyogenes
  4. 4. D · It makes many copies of a specific DNA sequence so it can be detected
  5. 5. A · Adaptive immunity is specific and forms memory; innate immunity does not
  6. 6. B · An opportunistic infection
  7. 7. B · Bactericidal drugs kill bacteria; bacteriostatic drugs stop growth and rely on the immune system to clear them
  8. 8. D · A "transforming principle" from dead bacteria could change harmless bacteria into virulent ones

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