Microbiology Study Guide Exam #2

Write or type out the answers to the following objectives. (Please note that copying and
pasting will result in no points for that objective.) Please use the same numbering system
on your study guide that is here on these objectives. This is an individual assignment.
It is due the day of the exam by 11:59 pm in the drop box connected with this assignment.
Chapter 5
1. Explain the principles of sterilization, disinfection, pasteurization, decontamination, sanitization,
and preservation.
2. Compare and contrast the methods used to control microbial growth in daily life, healthcare
settings, microbiology laboratories, food and food production facilities, water treatment
facilities, and other industries.
3. Explain how the type and number of microbes, environmental conditions, risk for infection, and
composition of the item influence the selection of an antimicrobial procedure.
4. Compare and contrast the methods and outcomes of boiling, pasteurization, sterilization using
pressurized steam, the commercial canning process, and dry heat
5. Explain how heat can kill microbes.
6. Describe how membrane filters, depth filters, and HEPA filters are used to remove microbes.
7. Compare and contrast the use of gamma radiation, ultraviolet radiation, microwaves, and high
pressure for destroying microorganisms.
8. Describe the difference between sterilants, high-level disinfectants, intermediate-level
disinfectants, and low-level disinfectants.
9. Describe the important factors to consider when selecting an appropriate germicidal chemical.
10. Compare and contrast the characteristics and use of alcohols, aldehydes, biguanides, ethylene
oxide gas, halogens, metals, ozone, peroxygens, phenolic compounds, and quaternary
ammonium compounds as germicidal chemicals.
11. Compare and contrast chemical preservatives, low-temperature storage, and reducing the
available water as methods to preserve perishable products.

Chapter 6

1. Compare and contrast catabolism and anabolism.

2. Describe the energy sources used by photosynthetic organisms and chemoorganoheterotrophs.
3. Describe the components of metabolic pathways (enzymes, ATP, chemical energy sources and
terminal electron acceptors, and electron carriers) and the role of precursor metabolites.
4. Describe the roles of the three central metabolic pathways.
5. Distinguish between cellular respiration and fermentation.
6. Describe the active site of an enzyme, and explain how it relates to the enzyme-substrate
complex.
7. Compare and contrast cofactors and coenzymes.
8. List two environmental factors that influence enzyme activity.
9. Describe allosteric regulation.
10. Compare and contrast competitive enzyme inhibition and non-competitive enzyme inhibition.

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 11. Diagram a simple overview that shows how the central metabolic pathways degrade glucose
(include the starting and end products).
12. Compare and contrast each of the central metabolic pathways with respect to the yield of ATP,
reducing power, and number of different precursor metabolites.
13. Describe the components of the electron transport chain and how they generate a proton
motive force.
14. Compare and contrast the electron transport chains of eukaryotes and prokaryotes.
15. Describe how a proton motive force is used to synthesize ATP and how the ATP yield of aerobic
respiration is calculated.
16. Describe the role of fermentation and the importance of the common end products.
17. Briefly describe how polysaccharides and disaccharides, lipids, and proteins are degraded and
used by a cell.
18. Explain how chemolithotrophs obtain energy.
19. Describe the role of chlorophylls, bacteriochlorophylls, accessory pigments, reaction-center
pigments, and antennae pigments in capturing radiant energy.
20. Compare and contrast the tandem photosystems of cyanobacteria and photosynthetic
eukaryotes with the single photosystems of purple and green bacteria.
21. Describe the three stages of the Calvin cycle.
22. Describe the synthesis of lipids, amino acids, and nucleotides.

Chapter 7
1. Compare and contrast the characteristics of DNA and RNA.
2. Explain why gene regulation is important to a cell.
3. Describe the DNA replication process, including its initiation and the events that occur at the
replication fork.
4. Describe the process of transcription, focusing on the role of RNA polymerase, sigma (σ) factors,
promoters, and terminators.
5. Describe the process of translation, focusing on the role of mRNA, ribosomes, ribosome-binding
sites, rRNAs, tRNAs, and codons.
6. Describe four differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic gene expression.
7. Describe how quorum sensing and two-component regulatory systems allow cells to adapt to
fluctuating environmental conditions.
8. Compare and contrast antigenic variation and phase variation.
9. Give an example of a constitutive enzyme, an inducible enzyme, and a repressible enzyme.
10. Using the lac operon as a model, explain the role of inducers, repressors, and inducer exclusion.
11. Describe how RNA interference silences genes.
12. Explain how protein-encoding regions are found when analyzing a DNA sequence.
13. Describe metagenomics and the information it can provide.

Chapter 8
1. Define the terms mutation, horizontal gene transfer, genotype, phenotype, auxotroph, and
prototroph.

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 2. Describe three outcomes of base substitutions.
3. Describe the consequences of removing or adding nucleotides.
4. Explain how transposons cause mutations.
5. Describe the three general groups of chemical mutagens.
6. Explain why transposons induce mutations.
7. Explain how X rays and UV light damage DNA.
8. Explain how errors in nucleotide incorporation by DNA polymerase can be repaired, and the role
of methylation in the process.
9. Explain how modified nucleobases can be repaired.
10. Describe three mechanisms cells use to repair thymine dimers.
11. Compare and contrast direct and indirect selection.
12. Describe how direct selection is used to screen for possible carcinogens.
13. Describe the process of DNA-mediated transformation, including the role of competent cells.
14. Describe the process of DNA-mediated transformation, including the role of competent cells.
15. Compare and contrast conjugation involving the following donor cells: F+, Hfr, and F′.
16. Describe the concepts of a core genome and of a mobile gene pool.
17. Compare and contrast plasmids, transposons, genomic islands, and phage DNA.
18. Explain how restriction modification systems and CRISPR systems recognize and destroy
invading DNA.

Chapter 9
1. Describe the role of restriction enzymes, gel electrophoresis, and CRISPR in biotechnology.
2. Describe the applications of genetic engineering.
3. Outline the steps used to genetically engineer bacteria.
4. Describe some concerns regarding DNA technologies.
5. Describe two applications of DNA sequencing.
6. Describe the automated dideoxy chain termination method of DNA sequencing, and compare its
use to that of high-throughput methods.
7. Describe how PCR can be used to diagnose diseases.
8. Explain how PCR can be used to exponentially amplify a select region of DNA.