Deck 26: Environmental Microbiology

Question 1

A group of organisms of the same species within a community is called a

A)niche.
B)habitat.
C)population.
D)community.
E)biome.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The oxidation of ammonia (NH₄⁺) to nitrate (NO₃^-) is called

A)ammonification.
B)nitrogen fixation.
C)photosynthesis.
D)nitrification.
E)denitrification.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which trophic level forms the base of a food chain?

A)primary consumers
B)quarternary consumers
C)secondary consumers
D)primary producers
E)tertiary consumers

Answer 3

D

Question 4

All of the following are abiotic factors, except

A)atmospheric gases.
B)an animal carcass.
C)minerals.
D)water.
E)light.

Question 5

Which of the following is not correct about nitrogen fixation?

A)Some nitrogen-fixing bacteria live free.
B)Some nitrogen-fixing bacteria live in a symbiotic relationship with plants.
C)Nitrogen-fixation is an aerobic process.
D)The primary product of nitrogen fixation is ammonium ion, NH₄⁺.
E)Legumes are plants that are able to fix nitrogen.

Question 6

Which of the following can carry out denitrification to completion?

A)Rhizobium
B)Nitrobacter
C)Pseudomonas
D)Nostoc
E)Azotobacter

Question 7

Life would not be possible without

A)autotrophs
B)primary consumers
C)secondary consumers
D)heterotrophs
E)chemoheterotrophs

Question 8

The terrestrial realm of the biosphere is distributed into particular climatic regions called

A)niches.
B)habitats.
C)populations.
D)communities.
E)biomes.

Question 9

The thin envelope of life that surrounds the earth's surface is called the

A)atmosphere.
B)biosphere.
C)lithosphere.
D)hydrosphere.
E)ecosystem.

Question 10

Which is mismatched?

A)parasitism - one organism benefits and the other receives no benefit
B)competition - one organism gives off substances that inhibit or kill other organisms
C)predator - seeks out and ingests live prey
D)scavengers - feed on live to dead cells and wastes
E)omnivores - feed on plants and flesh

Question 11

Which organism is a nitrogen fixing symbiont of legumes?

A)Rhizobium
B)Nitrobacter
C)Pseudomonas
D)Nostoc
E)Azotobacter

Question 12

The conversion of gaseous nitrogen (N₂) to the ammonium ion (NH₄⁺) occurs during

A)ammonification.
B)nitrogen fixation.
C)photosynthesis.
D)nitrification.
E)denitrification.

Question 13

Why do all living things need phosphorus?

A)For energy.
B)It is part of nucleic acids.
C)It is needed for lipid synthesis.
D)It is needed for creating the bonds that stabilize proteins.
E)All of the above.

Question 14

The conversion of nitrate (NO₃^-) to nitrogen gas (N₂) is called

A)ammonification.
B)nitrogen fixation.
C)photosynthesis.
D)nitrification.
E)denitrification.

Question 15

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is

A)removed from the atmosphere during photosynthesis.
B)a source of carbon.
C)returned to the atmosphere during respiration and fermentation.
D)used by marine organisms to make limestone for their hard shells.
E)All of the choices are correct.

Question 16

Thiobacillus thiooxidans is found in an environmental sample.Which of the following should then apply to this sample?

A)contains lithotrophs
B)probably obtained from mining drainage
C)very acidic
D)contains microbes that oxidize sulfur to sulfates
E)All of the choices are correct.

Question 17

The physical location in the environment to which an organism has adapted is called

A)niches.
B)habitats.
C)populations.
D)communities.
E)biomes.

Question 18

The energy of photons is converted into chemical energy during

A)ammonification.
B)nitrogen fixation.
C)photosynthesis.
D)nitrification.
E)denitrification.

Question 19

Which of the following is a nitrifying microbe?

A)Nitrospira
B)Nitrobacter
C)Nitrococcus
D)Nitrosomonas
E)All of the above.

Question 20

The overall role that a species serves in a community is its

A)niche.
B)habitat.
C)population.
D)community.
E)biome.

Question 21

Eutrophication

A)encourages heavy surface algal blooms.
B)can block the O₂ supply to the lake.
C)occurs when there are excess nutrients in aquatic ecosystems.
D)causes massive die-off of fish and invertebrates.
E)All of the choices are correct.

Question 22

Bacteria can function in all the following roles in an ecosystem, except as a

A)primary producer.
B)consumer.
C)decomposer.
D)parasite.
E)Bacteria can function in all the roles listed.

Question 23

Potable water is

A)contaminated.
B)polluted.
C)safe to drink.
D)foul testing.
E)None of the choices are correct.

Question 24

All of the following pertain to red tides, except

A)due to overgrowth of red and brown algae in water.
B)due to overgrowth of toxin-producing dinoflagellates.
C)cause paralytic shellfish poisoning.
D)involve toxin concentrating in shellfish.
E)humans can become ill from eating the shellfish.

Question 25

Analysis of a water sample by a series of presumptive, confirmatory, and completed tests that help establish an estimate of coliform numbers in the water is called

A)membrane filter method.
B)most probable number (MPN) procedure.
C)standard plate count.
D)coliform determination test.
E)None of the choices are correct.

Question 26

Which of the following is not a greenhouse gas?

A)Carbon dioxide (CO₂₎
B)Sulfur dioxide (SO₂)
C)Methane (CH₄)
D)Ammonia (NH₄)
E)All of these are green house gasses.

Question 27

Indicator bacteria are

A)coliforms.
B)gram-negative rods.
C)evidence of fecal contamination.
D)used in water quality tests.
E)All of the choices are correct.

Question 28

Using microbes to break down or remove toxic wastes in water and soil is called

A)decomposition.
B)synergism.
C)mineralization.
D)bioremediation.
E)recycling.

Question 29

What is the source of CO₂ released into the atmosphere?

A)Respiration
B)Anaerobic microbial activity
C)Fuel combustion
D)Volcanic activity
E)All of the above.

Question 30

Which of the following is incorrect about water?

A)When a water quality test is negative for coliforms, it is considered fit for human consumption.
B)There is no acceptable level for fecal coliforms, enterococci, viruses, or pathogenic protozoans in drinking water.
C)The (Most Probable Number) MPN specifically detects fecal coliforms.
D)The membrane filter method is a widely used rapid method to test large quantities of water for quality.
E)Finding coliforms in high numbers indicates fecal contamination of the water.

Question 31

As energy is transferred to the next trophic level, how much of it is generally lost as heat?

A)None.
B)5 %
C)10 %
D)50 %
E)90 %

Question 32

The Gaia Theory says that

A)the biosphere contains a diversity of habitats and niches favorable to life because living things have made it that way.
B)the complementary actions of respiration and photosynthesis have maintained a relatively stable atmospheric pool of carbon dioxide and oxygen.
C)all living things must obtain nutrients and energy from their environment.
D)all elements have their origin in a nonliving, long-term reservoir.
E)ecosystems are open with regard to energy because the sun is constantly renewing them with a renewable source.

Question 33

Which of the following regions includes the seashore?

A)Littoral zone
B)Limnetic zone
C)Photic zone
D)Benthic zone
E)Estuary zone

Question 34

The niche of an organism includes all of the following, except

A)Nutritional intake
B)Position in the community structure
C)Rate of population growth
D)Number of offspring it produces
E)All of the above.

Question 35

Which of the following cannot be photoautrophs?

A)Bacteria
B)Fungi
C)Plants
D)Algae
E)All of the above can be photoautrophs.

Question 36

The sediment in a lake, composed of organic debris and mud, is termed the

A)photic zone.
B)benthic zone.
C)profundal zone.
D)littoral zone.
E)limnetic zone.

Question 37

Which of the following water-borne pathogens are protozoans?

A)Vibrio
B)Hepatitis A
C)Giardia
D)Shigella
E)Norwalk virus

Question 38

How does methyl mercury affect living things?

A)It interferes with translation of mRNA.
B)It interferes with DNA replication.
C)It inhibits transcription.
D)It precipitates proteins.
E)It inhibits the electron transport chain during cellular respiration.

Question 39

An example of a primary consumer would be a

A)dog.
B)cow.
C)tiger.
D)mushroom.
E)None of the above.

Question 40

In a large body of standing water, which area exists between the hypolimnion and the epilimnion?

A)Thermocline
B)Photic
C)Limnetic
D)Littoral
E)Profundal

Question 41

Organisms that inhabit soil or water and breakdown and absorb the organic matter of dead organisms are called _____.

Question 42

The combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and gas, have contributed to the steady increase in atmosphere CO₂ gas over the last 25 years.

Question 43

An _____ is a region where the river meets the sea.

Question 44

An _____ is the term for a deep groundwater source.

Question 45

The slowly decaying organic litter from plant and animal tissues that is found in the soil is called _____.

Question 46

Carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are believed to be _____ gases that could disrupt the temperature balance of the earth.

Question 47

Mycorrhizae are the mutualistic relationship between fungi and the roots of certain plants.

Question 48

Living or dead organisms that occupy an organism's habitat are called biotic factors.

Question 49

A food web is generally simpler to visualize than a food chain.

Question 50

Some bacteria, such as Desulfovibrio, are able to reduce sulfates to hydrogen sulfide as the final step in the electron transport chain.

Question 51

The primary role of producers is to recycle nutrients in an ecosystem.

Question 52

In a synergistic relationship, the action of one microbe favorably affects another, but the first microbe receives no benefit.

Question 53

A ___________ is a form of consumer that actively seeks out and ingests live prey.

Question 54

The lithosphere is an area that is without living microorganisms.

Question 55

The main decomposers are the fungi and bacteria.

Question 56

_____ is a floating, surface microbial community that drifts with the currents and waves.

Question 57

The science called microbial _____ studies interactions between microbes and their environment and how those interactions affect the earth.

Question 58

The total amount of water in the hydrologic cycle has decreased over millions of years.

Question 59

Which of the following are sources of greenhouse gases?

A)electric cars
B)cows
C)goats
D)both B & C

Question 60

With the Exxon Valdez oil spill, what was needed by the microorganisms to facilitate the speed of the bioremediation process?

A)more bacteria
B)more oil
C)more phosphate
D)all of these

Question 61

Finding __________ in water is a good indication that it has been fecally contaminated.

Question 62

Discuss and give several examples of the use of microbes in bioremediation.

Question 63

Differentiate between the following terms and provide an example for each: mutualism, communalism, synergism, parasitism.

Question 64

Nutrient deficient ecosystems are called ___________.

Question 65

Describe the carbon cycle from the atmosphere to the primary producers and back again.

Question 66

Discuss the specific effects caused by the runoff of organic industrial waste into a freshwater stream.

Question 67

Draw an energy pyramid and provide specific examples of each level.

Question 68

What is "nitrogen fixation" and how do legumes play a role in this important cycle?