microbiology chapter 11 test bank

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Candida albicans. Candida albicans is the most common cause of vaginal yeast infections due to its ability to overgrow in warm, moist environments like the vagina. It is a type of fungus that naturally resides in the body, but can cause infection when its growth is not regulated. Histoplasma capsulatum (A) causes a lung infection, Aspergillus niger (C) causes fungal sinusitis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (D) is a type of yeast used in baking and brewing, not typically associated with vaginal infections.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Rickettsia rickettsii. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, a bacterium transmitted by ticks. This pathogen primarily affects the endothelial cells of blood vessels, leading to vasculitis. Borrelia burgdorferi (choice A) causes Lyme disease, not Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Rickettsia prowazekii (choice C) causes epidemic typhus, and Ehrlichia chaffeensis (choice D) causes human monocytic ehrlichiosis, both of which are distinct from Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Therefore, the correct choice is B based on the specific etiology of the disease.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Moeller. Moeller staining method is specifically designed to detect spores due to its ability to differentiate between the spore and the vegetative cell. It involves applying multiple stains such as malachite green, safranin, and heat to visualize the endospore structure. This method is essential for proving the formation of spores as it highlights the resistant spore structures within the bacterial cell. A: Klett and Gins is not used for spore staining. B: Ziehl-Neelsen is used for acid-fast staining, not spore staining. C: Gram and Loeffler's are used for gram staining, not spore staining.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Toxoplasma. Toxoplasma gondii causes Toxoplasmosis, a protozoan disease that can affect the brain and lead to vision loss. The halfmoon-shaped unicellular organisms with pointed ends described in the blood analysis are characteristic of Toxoplasma parasites. Toxoplasma infection commonly occurs through ingestion of contaminated food or water, or contact with infected cat feces. Leishmania causes Leishmaniasis, Lamblia causes Giardiasis, Amoeba causes Amebiasis, and Trichomonad causes Trichomoniasis, none of which match the symptoms and blood analysis findings described in the question.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Transduction is the transfer of genetic material between bacterial cells with the help of a phage (virus). This process involves a phage infecting a bacterial cell, replicating inside it, and then transferring bacterial DNA along with phage DNA to another bacterial cell. This is different from transformation (choice A) which involves the uptake of naked DNA by a bacterial cell and plasmid transfer (choice C) which involves the transfer of small, circular DNA molecules. Therefore, the correct answer is B because it specifically describes the process of transduction in bacteria, while choices A and C describe different mechanisms of genetic transfer.