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.

New worksheetPractise online with hints

For teachers: free to print, copy and use in class. Every new worksheet has new values and its own answer key. A link to ExamProblems on your course page is appreciated.

Name: ____________________   Date: ____________

1.Easy

What is a yeast?

  1. AA type of spiral bacterium
  2. BA small virus
  3. CA multicellular parasite
  4. DA single-celled fungus
2.Easy

How do bacteria usually reproduce?

  1. ABudding from a spore
  2. BMeiosis
  3. CBinary fission
  4. DMitosis with a nuclear membrane
3.Easy

What is a plasmid?

  1. AA layer of sugar around the bacterial cell that protects it from phagocytosis
  2. BA type of bacterial ribosome
  3. CThe protein coat of a virus
  4. DA small circle of DNA separate from the bacterial chromosome
4.Medium

Which organism is a Gram-negative diplococcus that causes a sexually transmitted infection?

  1. AChlamydia trachomatis
  2. BNeisseria gonorrhoeae
  3. CTrichomonas vaginalis
  4. DTreponema pallidum
5.Medium

Why are Gram-negative bacteria often harder to treat with antibiotics?

  1. AThey divide much more slowly
  2. BTheir outer membrane blocks many drugs
  3. CThey have a thicker peptidoglycan layer
  4. DThey have no ribosomes
6.Medium

How is DNA transferred between bacteria during conjugation?

  1. ABy uptake of free DNA from the environment
  2. BBy a bacteriophage carrying bacterial DNA
  3. CThrough direct contact using a sex pilus
  4. DBy fusion of two bacterial cells into one
7.Hard

A teenager has fever, neck stiffness and a non-blanching purple rash. CSF shows Gram-negative diplococci. Which organism is most likely?

  1. ANeisseria meningitidis
  2. BEscherichia coli
  3. CStreptococcus pneumoniae
  4. DListeria monocytogenes
8.Hard

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. BEndotoxin from Gram-negative bacteria
  3. CTetanus toxin, which blocks inhibitory neurotransmitters
  4. DBotulinum toxin, which blocks acetylcholine release

Answer key

  1. 1. D · A single-celled fungus
  2. 2. C · Binary fission
  3. 3. D · A small circle of DNA separate from the bacterial chromosome
  4. 4. B · Neisseria gonorrhoeae
  5. 5. B · Their outer membrane blocks many drugs
  6. 6. C · Through direct contact using a sex pilus
  7. 7. A · Neisseria meningitidis
  8. 8. D · Botulinum toxin, which blocks acetylcholine release

Full step-by-step solutions: practise this topic on examproblems.com.