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Practice Quiz
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1
As reported in “Microbial Diversity Unbound,” microbiologists have discovered new technologies that allow:
A)all microbes to be cultured in a lab.
B)life to grow in sand, water, and soil.
C)microbial cells to be opened.
D)microbes to be viewed under a microscope.
2
According to “Microbial Diversity Unbound,” the first thing that microbiologists check when sampling a new habitat is the:
A)ribosomal gene.
B)bacterial growth.
C)HIV protein.
D)DNA sequencing.
3
As noted in “Microbial Diversity Unbound,” thanks to breakthroughs in microbiologic techniques, microbiologists now know that there are five kingdoms of life.
A)True
B)False
4
As defined in “Extreme Microbes,” the archaea have been dubbed “extremophiles” because they:
A)are so brightly colored.
B)live underwater, but require oxygen to breath.
C)emit high levels of dangerous radiation.
D)can survive under what might be considered impossible conditions.
5
As suggested in “Extreme Microbes,” one word to describe the haloarchaea might be:
A)adaptable.
B)dangerous.
C)delicate.
D)rare.
6
As presented in “Extreme Microbes,” archaea are not considered “true” bacteria because they more closely resemble organisms with a nucleus than those without.
A)True
B)False
7
According to “Pondering a Parasite,” cedar-apple rust is a type of:
A)parasitic fungus.
B)symbiont fungus.
C)tree worm.
D)intestinal parasite.
8
As explained in “Pondering a Parasite,” a symbiont fungus is one that:
A)lives off its host until the host dies.
B)provides instructions to its host to produce a foreign substance.
C)has a give-and-take relationship with another life form.
D)has a “brain” or central-command system.
9
As noted in “Pondering a Parasite,” fungi are rarely found in colonies.
A)True
B)False
10
According to “Say Hello to the Bugs in Your Gut,” the majority of microbes in humans inhabit the:
A)stomach.
B)esophagus.
C)mouth.
D)intestines.
11
As claimed in “Say Hello to the Bugs in Your Gut,” there is evidence to suggest that microbes can cause excess weight in humans by:
A)becoming too numerous.
B)expanding as they feed on ingested nutrients.
C)extracting too much energy from indigestible material.
D)failing at their job to break down and digest calories.
12
As noted in “Say Hello to the Bugs in Your Gut,” by adulthood, almost everyone’s gut microbiota is the same.
A)True
B)False
13
According to “Nurturing Our Microbes,” probiotics are food or supplements designed to:
A)rid our gastrointestinal tract of microbes.
B)introduce or replenish beneficial microbe species in the gut.
C)drug dangerous microbes to render them harmless.
D)provide healthy nutrients for gut microbes to consume.
14
As detailed in “Nurturing Our Microbes,” experiments on rats with calcium deficiencies demonstrated that:
A)removing rats’ ovaries increased calcium production and bone density.
B)bone loss was significantly reduced when subjects were given L. acidophilus.
C)a combination of probiotics and prebiotics provided the most dramatic bone retention.
D)prebiotic supplements restored ovary function in sterile rats.
15
As claimed in “Nurturing Our Microbes,” most probiotics confer a wide range of benefits that affect a variety of health conditions and microbial species.
A)True
B)False
16
As presented in “An Endangered Species in the Stomach,” scientists have found that the prevalence of H. pylori in the human stomach increases the risk of:
A)esophageal cancer.
B)acid reflux disease.
C)peptic ulcers.
D)intestinal cancer.
17
According to “An Endangered Species in the Stomach,” the disappearance of H. pylori in the stomach appears to result in:
A)a decrease in the risk for any disease.
B)an increase in diseases of the esophagus.
C)a decrease in problems related to the digestive system.
D)an increase in stomach cancer.
18
As noted in “An Endangered Species in the Stomach,” one of the most extraordinary things about H. pylori is its level of genetic diversity.
A)True
B)False
19
As noted in “Bacteria Are Picky about Their Homes on Human Skin,” the National Institutes of Health project’s goal is to:
A)identify those bacteria that can cause fatal illnesses.
B)isolate bacteria associated with individual racial and ethnic groups.
C)conduct a census of the bacteria that live within and upon human skin.
D)use skin bacteria to fight contagious diseases.
20
As defined in “Biofilms,” a biofilm is a:
A)slimy substance that is left behind when microorganisms move on.
B)slide, film, or photograph that is created to study microorganisms
C)group of microorganisms bonded together and attached to a surface.
D)various planktonic bacteria collected together in a laboratory.
21
As described in “Biofilms,” one essential purpose of a biofilm is to:
A)allow for the easy study of a variety of microbes.
B)isolate various microbial species from each other.
C)protect individual microbe residents from attackers and environmental changes.
D)keep one microbial species from destroying another.
22
As claimed in “Biofilms,” only one species of microbe can exist in a biofilm at any given time.
A)True
B)False
23
According to “Understanding Fungi Through Their Genomes,” within mycology, the most powerful genetic technologies are available to those researchers studying:
A)mushrooms.
B)yeast.
C)Neurospora.
D)bacteria.
24
As explained in “Understanding Fungi Through Their Genomes,” one of the major problems with the seven species chosen by funders for initial genome sequencing is that the species are:
A)primarily varieties of yeast.
B)primarily varieties of yeast.
C)primarily varieties of filamental fungi.
D)weighted toward plant pathogens.
25
As suggested in “Understanding Fungi Through Their Genomes,” plant pathogens kill more people by destroying food crops than human pathogens do through disease.
A)True
B)False
26
As defined in “Going with His Gut Bacteria,” metabolites allow scientists to study:
A)bacteria in the gut.
B)blood cells.
C)cancer-causing cells.
D)chemical reactions in the body.
27
As presented in “Going with His Gut Bacteria,” the metabolome provides detailed information about a person’s:
A)genetic makeup.
B)gut bacteria.
C)physical health.
D)physical environment.
28
As noted in “Going with His Gut Bacteria,” most gut bacteria remains constant within and across human populations.
A)True
B)False
29
As presented in “New Tactics against Tuberculosis,” the most alarming thing about the current tuberculosis (TB) pandemic is the:
A)rapid spread of TB into developed nations.
B)failure of scientists to identify the bacteria that causes TB.
C)emergence of TB strains that are resistant to all known TB treatments.
D)fact that the disease attacks only certain populations.
30
According to “New Tactics against Tuberculosis,” TB is the leading cause of death among:
A)HIV-positive individuals.
B)children.
C)citizens of undeveloped countries.
D)carriers of the TB bacteria.
31
As noted in “New Tactics against Tuberculosis,” the majority of people infected with Mtb, the bacteria that causes TB, never develop active TB.
A)True
B)False
32
According to “Fighting Killer Worms,” humans become infected with schistosomes when they come into contact with:
A)other infected humans.
B)infected blood.
C)water infested with immature schistosomes.
D)worm-infested food.
33
As described in “Fighting Killer Worms,” a major cause of the organ impairment seen in those with schistosomiasis is:
A)scar tissue resulting from the human immune system’s attack on schistosome eggs.
B)toxins secreted by schistosome eggs that have lodged in the organs.
C)damage resulting from schistosomes feeding on human organs.
D)schistosome eggs hatching in human organs.
34
As noted in “Fighting Killer Worms,” so far, no drug developed has proven effective in clearing a schistosome infection from the body.
A)True
B)False
35
As presented in “Bacterial Therapies,” major problems in current chemotherapy treatment for cancer include an inability to do all of the following except:
A)provide high levels of toxicity.
B)efficiently penetrate tumors.
C)effectively target tumors.
D)distinguish cancerous tissue from normal tissue.
36
As claimed in “Bacterial Therapies,” the exceptional targeting ability of bacteria in treating cancers is due to:
A)bacteria’s ability to distinguish between healthy and cancerous tissue.
B)the small size of bacteria, which makes it easy to inject into tumors.
C)unique microenvironments in tumors that are attractive to bacteria.
D)bacteria’s attraction to the oxygen present in tumors.
37
As discussed in “Bacterial Therapies,” “preferential growth” refers to a bacteria’s tendency to migrate to regions of tumors that present the necessary conditions for that bacteria’s proliferation.
A)True
B)False
38
As presented in “Microbial Moxie,” microbial fuel cells are based on the fact that some microbes:
A)are made of pure energy.
B)produce electricity when they break down organic matter.
C)produce a gasoline-like substance as a waste product.
D)move rapidly enough to generate usable energy.
39
According to “Microbial Moxie,” a major limitation of prototype microbial fuel cells is that they:
A)do not work without the presence of oxygen.
B)are not particularly efficient.
C)cannot be easily explained to potential investors.
D)do not produce power fast enough for practical use.
40
As claimed in “Microbial Moxie,” most microbes have evolved to become efficient energy producers.
A)True
B)False
41
As profiled in “Eyeing Oil, Synthetic Biologists Mine Microbes for Black Gold,” biologist Jay Keasling is currently attempting to create classes of compounds that are key components of:
A)various medications.
B)microorganisms.
C)agricultural products.
D)transportation fuels.
42
As claimed in “Eyeing Oil, Synthetic Biologists Mine Microbes for Black Gold,” most new biofuel producers are setting their sights on replacing:
A)ethanol.
B)diesel fuel.
C)gasoline.
D)hydrocarbons.
43
As noted in “Eyeing Oil, Synthetic Biologists Mine Microbes for Black Gold,” a major problem for biofuel producers is that they cannot beat the current price of conventional petroleum.
A)True
B)False
44
As defined in “The Bacteria Fight Back,” “bad bugs” are bacteria that:
A)cause fatal diseases in humans.
B)resist antibiotic treatments.
C)cause HIV/AIDS.
D)are not native to the human body.
45
According to “The Bacteria Fight Back,” many infections in hospitalized patients arise from:
A)foreign bacteria entering the body.
B)unsanitary conditions that breed disease-causing bacteria.
C)“good” bacteria turning “bad.”
D)the patient’s own bacteria flourishing where it is not supposed to be.
46
As presented in “The Bacteria Fight Back,” methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacterial strains have acquired an entirely new gene in order to fight the effects of methicillin.
A)True
B)False
47
As explained in “Germ Warfare,” antibiotic resistance in bacteria is caused by the:
A)increasing use of antibiotics.
B)failure to treat infections with antibiotics.
C)human consumption of bacteria-carrying animals.
D)overcooking of meat.
48
As suggested in “Germ Warfare,” the assumption that everyone is carrying resistant organisms would result in:
A)increased treatment with antibiotics.
B)restrictions on overseas travel.
C)increased levels of hospitalization.
D)isolation of everyone who entered a hospital.
49
As claimed in “Germ Warfare,” most bacteria will never become resistant to antibiotics.
A)True
B)False
50
As presented in “Routes of Resistance,” as much as 70 percent of antibiotics are currently being used to:
A)treat human infections.
B)carry out experimental trials against resistant bacteria.
C)promote food production.
D)prevent, rather than treat, illness.
51
As claimed in “Routes of Resistance,” the majority of antibiotics in use today are based on:
A)naturally occurring compounds produced by bacteria and fungi.
B)newly discovered synthetic compounds.
C)bacterial compounds taken from healthy humans.
D)naturally occurring compounds that are highly lethal to most bacteria.
52
As noted in “Routes of Resistance,” antibiotics have existed far longer than the human ability to harness them.
A)True
B)False
53
As profiled in “Is Your Patient Taking the Right Antimicrobial?”, one thing that might have contributed to Catherine Vrtis’ death was:
A)a fatal bacteria that could not be treated with antimicrobials.
B)an accidental overdose of antimicrobials.
C)the failure to treat a particular bacterial infection in her system.
D)the spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria throughout her body.
54
According to “Is Your Patient Taking the Right Antimicrobial?”, the most frequent healthcare-associated infection in hospitalized patients in the United States is:
A)urinary tract infection.
B)pneumonia.
C)bloodstream infection.
D)surgical-site infection.
55
As claimed in “Is Your Patient Taking the Right Antimicrobial?”, different microorganisms in the body require different antimicrobials as treatment.
A)True
B)False
56
According to “Constant Struggle to Conquer Bacteria,” as the number of drug-resistant bacterial strains increases, pharmaceutical companies are:
A)stepping up production of existing antibiotics.
B)investing heavily in finding new ways to combat these strains.
C)leaving the field of antibiotic research and development.
D)presenting more new antibiotics for FDA approval.
57
As claimed in “Constant Struggle to Conquer Bacteria,” at the core of drug company decisions around antibiotic research and development lies:
A)economics.
B)humanitarian concerns.
C)a new understanding of how bacteria cause disease.
D)the ease of creating newer and better antibiotics.
58
As argued in “Constant Struggle to Conquer Bacteria,” providing financial incentives to pharmaceutical companies is the best way to solve the problem of drug-resistant bacteria.
A)True
B)False
59
As defined in “Super Bugged,” “DNA pollution” refers to the:
A)increasing number of germs found in polluted water.
B)exchange of DNA between various bacteria and species of bacteria.
C)exchange of DNA between bacteria and their human hosts.
D)DNA mutations that are found in patients with drug-resistant bacterial infections.
60
As claimed in “Super Bugged,” most of the resistance genes found in vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) and other multi-drug-resistant bacteria are:
A)of human origin.
B)benign.
C)foreign to the original bacteria.
D)chance mutations of indigenous genes.
61
As noted in “Super Bugged,” the complexity of bacterial genes for drug resistance stems from recent mutations in response to human antibiotic use.
A)True
B)False
62
As presented in “New Antimicrobial Agents for the Treatment of Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections,” it has become essential for drug developers to focus on treatment for infections caused by:
A)Gram-positive bacteria.
B)Gram-negative bacteria.
C)multidrug-resistant organisms.
D)naturally occurring human flora.
63
As detailed in “New Antimicrobial Agents for the Treatment of Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections,” one of the new agents that has shown to be effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria is:
A)linezolid.
B)quinupristin-dalfopristin.
C)oritavancin.
D)tigecycline.
64
As explained in “New Antimicrobial Agents for the Treatment of Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections,” linezolid is a synthetic antibiotic that inhibits protein synthesis and prevents the formation of protein initiation complex.
A)True
B)False
65
As described in “Bacteriophage Lysins as Effective Antibacterials,” lysins are produced by bacteriophages in order to create:
A)infection in host bacteria.
B)an entry point into other bacteria.
C)an exit point for the infecting virus.
D)infection in humans.
66
As claimed in “Bacteriophage Lysins as Effective Antibacterials,” the majority of human infections begin:
A)at a wound-entry point.
B)in a mucous membrane.
C)on the skin.
D)in the blood.
67
As noted in “Bacteriophage Lysins as Effective Antibacterials,” current practice in treating infections is to use preventive measures when the possibility of infection is indicated.
A)True
B)False
68
According to “HIV Integrase Inhibitors—Out of the Pipeline and into the Clinic,” one reason that drug-resistant HIV develops in HIV-positive people is that:
A)a variety of competing antibiotics must be taken.
B)the current HIV medications are not potent enough to suppress the virus.
C)doctors are reluctant to add additional medications to a patient’s current regimen.
D)some patients have sporadic or interrupted adherence to the drug regimen.
69
As explained in “HIV Integrase Inhibitors—Out of the Pipeline and into the Clinic,” the medication raltegravir treats HIV by:
A)preventing the virus from entering the bloodstream.
B)inhibiting strand transfer of the virus into the host genome.
C)creating multiple steps for the virus in order for it to infect the host genome.
D)eliminating drug-resistant genomes to allow other medications to work.
70
As presented in “HIV Integrase Inhibitors—Out of the Pipeline and into the Clinic,” adding a single new drug to a failing HIV-medication regimen can provide long-term benefits to patients.
A)True
B)False
71
According to “Removing the Golden Coat of Staphylococcus aureus,” targets for the antimicrobial agents currently being used to fight infection in humans include all of the following [except]:
A)pathways that are common to bacteria and humans.
B)bacterial cell-wall metabolism.
C)bacterial protein synthesis.
D)biosynthetic pathways unique to bacteria.
72
As explained in “Removing the Golden Coat of Staphylococcus aureus,” the agent discovered by Liu and colleagues that shows promise in treating drug-resistant bacteria targets is:
A)bacterial protein synthesis.
B)genes for color.
C)cholesterol synthesis.
D)mutant genes.
73
As claimed in “Removing the Golden Coat of Staphylococcus aureus,” inhibiting the synthesis of a virulence factor by countering pathogenicity is a new concept in infection treatment.
A)True
B)False
74
As explained in “Antibodies for the Treatment of Bacterial Infections,” antibodies that kill drug-resistant bacteria are unlikely to select for cross-resistance because:
A)antibody therapies are new and resistance has not yet been developed to them.
B)patients resistant to one modality often respond to a different one.
C)the antibodies exploit mechanisms distinct from those of antibiotics.
D)the dosage is so much higher with antibodies than with antibiotics.
75
As identified in “Antibodies for the Treatment of Bacterial Infections,” one of the drawbacks to the short in vivo half-lives of antibody products is that:
A)it is difficult to keep a supply in a laboratory setting for testing.
B)they require frequent dosing.
C)they may lose effectiveness by the time they are distributed to patients.
D)they must be applied directly to the site of the infection.
76
As noted in “Antibodies for the Treatment of Bacterial Infections,” despite positive data in animal-disease models, several antibody therapies currently being evaluated in clinical trials have failed.
A)True
B)False
77
As detailed in “Sponge’s Secret Weapon Revealed,” it appears that an ocean-dwelling sponge:
A)is able to resist all bacteria.
B)can reproduce itself within minutes.
C)exudes a chemical that is toxic to bacteria.
D)produces a chemical that can re-program antibiotic-resistant bacteria to make them vulnerable to medicines again.
78
As related in “Immunity’s Early-Warning System,” the discovery of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) has produced an excitement among immunologists akin to that seen when:
A)Benjamin Franklin published his experiments with lightning.
B)Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin.
C)American astronauts landed on the moon.
D)Christopher Columbus returned from the New World.
79
As defined in “Immunity’s Early-Warning System,” Toll-like receptors are an ancient family of:
A)proteins.
B)viruses.
C)pathogens.
D)peptides.
80
According to “Immunity’s Early-Warning System,” even when the innate response is absent, the adaptive system will spring into action to protect the body from infection.
A)True
B)False
81
According to “How Cells Clean House,” the word autophagy is from the Greek meaning:
A)self-copying.
B)disease-fighting.
C)cell-destroying.
D)self-eating.
82
As mentioned in “How Cells Clean House,” autophagy’s role in refurbishing the cytoplasm of cells is particularly important for cells that do not get replaced, such as:
A)neurons.
B)blood cells.
C)T-cells.
D)brain cells.
83
As noted in “How Cells Clean House,” autophagy also acts as a defense against harmful viruses and bacteria.
A)True
B)False
84
As described in “Start Early to Prevent Genital HPV Infection,” HPV is responsible not only for cervical cancers, but also for:
A)ovarian cancers.
B)genital warts.
C)syphilis.
D)herpes.
85
As reported in “Start Early to Prevent Genital HPV Infection,” women who are from minority or low socioeconomic groups and who lack insurance are disproportionately affected by cervical cancer; these women also have the lowest rates of screening with:
A)blood tests.
B)MRIs.
C)Pap tests.
D)biopsies.
86
As stated in “Start Early to Prevent Genital HPV Infection,” genital HPV infection is the third most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States.
A)True
B)False
87
As asserted in “How Safe Are Vaccines?”, the primary concern of parents is that vaccines will trigger:
A)Reye’s syndrome.
B)autism.
C)HIV.
D)hyperactivity.
88
As recounted in “How Safe Are Vaccines?”, country doctor Edward Jenner first innoculated his son and other children in 1796 against:
A)smallpox.
B)measles.
C)whooping cough.
D)mumps.
89
According to “How Safe Are Vaccines?”, immunization rates in the United States are higher than 90 percent because the federal government mandates immunization for school children.
A)True
B)False
90
As postulated in “Caution: Killing Germs May Be Hazardous to Your Health,” the question we should be asking ourselves is not how to kill bacteria, but how to:
A)kill only the bad bacteria.
B)protect ourselves from resistant strains.
C)live with them.
D)introduce beneficial bacteria into our systems.
91
As mentioned in “Caution: Killing Germs May Be Hazardous to Your Health,” MRSA was responsible for more deaths in the United States in 2005 than:
A)heart disease.
B)stroke.
C)cancer.
D)AIDS.
92
As related in “Caution: Killing Germs May Be Hazardous to Your Health,” 12-year-old Hunter Spence survived MRSA but was left with only 35 percent of normal lung capacity.
A)True
B)False
93
As noted in “Why We’re Sicker,” the environmental explanation for why one individual develops allergies or immune-system disease is only part of the equation; the other major factor is:
A)nutrition.
B)genetic predisposition.
C)the pathogens that he or she encounters.
D)built-up resistance to common medications.
94
As given in “Why We’re Sicker,” even though hay fever, eczema, asthma, and food allergies seem quite different, they share in common that they are all:
A)caused by the immune system responding to normally benign substances.
B)much less prevalent than they were 50 years ago.
C)resistant to common antibiotics.
D)more prevalent in less-developed parts of the world.
95
As shown in “Why We’re Sicker,” in extreme cases, food allergies can cause anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening.
A)True
B)False
96
As explained in “Novel Anti-Infectives,” an emerging concept for fighting infection is selective modulation of:
A)existing antibiotics.
B)cellular replacement.
C)the pathogens themselves.
D)innate immunity.
97
According to “Novel Anti-Infectives,” one potential caution in regard to combining a virus manipulating innate immunity and a TLR agonist doing the same is that the result could be an exacerbation of:
A)development of drug-resistant viruses.
B)pain symptoms while alleviating disease progression.
C)pro-inflammatory responses.
D)diseases the patient may have in addition to the one being targeted.
98
As listed in “Novel Anti-Infectives,” the threat of new and variant pathogens is exemplified by the emergence of HIV, SARS, and avian influenza.
A)True
B)False
99
As described in “Malaria Vaccines and Their Potential Role in the Elimination of Malaria,” the new aim of achieving malaria elimination has replaced the previous target of:
A)preventing the development of symptoms in infants and children.
B)elimination only in the most heavily infected locations.
C)reduction in the burden of clinical malaria.
D)combating only the more serious strain of Plasmodium falciparum.
100
As stated in “Malaria Vaccines and Their Potential Role in the Elimination of Malaria,” the majority of deaths from malaria occur in:
A)Southeast Asia.
B)sub-Saharan Africa.
C)Central America.
D)Micronesia.
101
According to “Malaria Vaccines and Their Potential Role in the Elimination of Malaria,” complete protection against malaria was achieved in humans who were exposed to the bites of mosquitoes that had been irradiated to attenuate their sporozoites, but this was determined to be an impractical way to deliver immunity.
A)True
B)False
102
As presented in “Preventing the Next Pandemic,” the author notes that we have no reason to believe that predicting pandemics is inherently more difficult than predicting:
A)tsunamis.
B)food shortages.
C)earthquakes.
D)traffic jams.
103
As revealed in “Preventing the Next Pandemic,” pathogens that have been transmitted from humans to animals include:
A)HIV and pneumonia.
B)influenza and rabies.
C)ebola and SARS.
D)tuberculosis and measles.
104
As stated in “Preventing the Next Pandemic,” animal viruses that are found in humans invariably cause illness in their hosts.
A)True
B)False
105
As defined in “An Ill Wind, Bringing Meningitis,” meningitis is an infection of the meninges, which is:
A)the spongy tissue of the lungs.
B)a thin membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal column.
C)a component of bone marrow.
D)a coating found on white blood cells.
106
As explained in “An Ill Wind, Bringing Meningitis,” the weather conditions that bring about a meningitis epidemic are:
A)cool, damp, and rainy.
B)hot, humid, and rainy.
C)unseasonably cool and dry.
D)hot, dry, and windy.
107
As stated in “An Ill Wind, Bringing Meningitis,” the Meningitis Vaccine Project was aided in developing a conjugate vaccine by receiving technology from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
A)True
B)False
108
According to “The Flu Hunter,” Robert Webster was first alerted to the H5N1 strain of avian flu after a young boy died of it in:
A)Shanghai.
B)Dubai.
C)Paris.
D)Hong Kong.
109
As stated in “The Flu Hunter,” Webster was part of a team that had the idea four decades ago to create a flu vaccine with fewer side effects by first breaking up the virus with:
A)detergent.
B)vegetable oil.
C)isopropyl alcohol.
D)inert serum.
110
As reported in “The Flu Hunter,” Webster was delighted on a family vacation when his granddaughter told him she had discovered some bird poop for him.
A)True
B)False
111
According to “Climate, Environment, and Infectious Disease,” the biggest source of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is:
A)automobiles.
B)coal.
C)farm animals.
D)factories.
112
As mentioned in “Climate, Environment, and Infectious Disease,” a mysterious respiratory disease that began affecting otherwise healthy people in the U.S. Southwest in 1993 was discovered to be:
A)SARS.
B)Legionnaires’ disease.
C)Myasthenia gravis.
D)hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
113
As shown in “Climate, Environment, and Infectious Disease,” dengue fever is an example of a disease for which climate modeling has been successfully used to forecast an extension of the disease.
A)True
B)False
114
As explained in “Mosquito Modifications,” the failure of insecticides in combating mosquitoes that carry malaria has led researchers to explore a new strategy; they hope to:
A)render male mosquitoes sterile.
B)create a mosquito that is immune to malaria.
C)create mosquitoes that no longer prefer human blood.
D)develop topical antibiotics that render mosquito bites harmless.
115
As discussed in “Mosquito Modifications,” the first thing a female mosquito does after mating is to:
A)kill the male with whom she has mated.
B)seek a human so she can have a blood meal.
C)find an appropriate nest for her eggs.
D)sleep.
116
As revealed in “Mosquito Modifications,” the use of the insecticide DDT has been discontinued in the United States both because of its toxicity and because mosquitoes have developed resistance to it.
A)True
B)False
117
As defined in “The White Plague,” TB is called the white plague because of:
A)characteristic white spots that appear on the lungs of those affected.
B)the fact that the pathogen appears white under a microscope.
C)the deathly pallor of those affected.
D)the relatively minor symptoms that appear at first.
118
As pointed out in “The White Plague,” in modern times, TB initially started to spiral among the poor and the HIV-positive, but now its rise in the west is mainly among:
A)the elderly.
B)African-Americans.
C)immigrants.
D)infants.
119
As revealed in “The White Plague,” even Egyptian mummies have been found with evidence of TB.
A)True
B)False
120
As presented in “Rising Incidence of Valley Fever and Norovirus,” in order to protect against valley fever infection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest controlling dust exposure by using air conditioning, wetting soil before digging, and:
A)staying indoors on windy days.
B)using backhoes and other equipment to maintain distance from the dust.
C)wearing masks to filter dust particles.
D)drinking lots of water to keep one’s throat hydrated.
121
As related in “Rising Incidence of Valley Fever and Norovirus,” valley fever has recently been on the rise in:
A)the northeastern United States.
B)the southwestern United States.
C)sub-Saharan Africa.
D)Asia, particularly China.
122
As detailed in “Rising Incidence of Valley Fever and Norovirus,” the norovirus spreads mainly through the respiratory system.
A)True
B)False
123
As presented in “They Came from Above,” the variety of Cryptococcus responsible for a spike in infections in British Colombia in late 2001 was C. gattii, a species known primarily to inhabit:
A)date palm trees found in coastal California.
B)African baobab trees.
C)Australian eucalyptus groves.
D)cactii common in the southwestern United States.
124
As reported in “They Came from Above,” researchers suspect that the mating of the fungi C. neoformans and C. gattii was unusual in that:
A)immature cells appear to have mated.
B)they seem to have mated in mid-air rather than on the ground.
C)cross-species mating had taken place.
D)same-sex mating appears to have occurred.
125
As explained in “They Came from Above,” microbes in alpine lakes in the Pyrenees Mountains make use of nutrients coming from dust drifting in from Africa.
A)True
B)False
126
As reported in “Toxic Salad,” the 2006 outbreak of food poisoning from bagged spinach appears to have resulted from the feces left on the spinach by:
A)wild pigs.
B)domestic dogs.
C)agricultural workers.
D)migrating birds.
127
As noted in “Toxic Salad,” the infection found recently on spinach and lettuce was known in the early 1980s as:
A)fish flu.
B)salad bar disease.
C)strawberry sickness.
D)hamburger disease.
128
As explained in “Toxic Salad,” patients affected by E. coli O157 generally recover fully if given antibiotics within 48 hours of exposure.
A)True
B)False
129
As concluded in “Fear of Fresh,” one reason that outbreaks of E. coli in produce are on the rise is that:
A)government funding for the FDA has been severely cut.
B)people are eating more fresh fruit and vegetables than 30 years ago.
C)the pathogen is more drug-resistant than it used to be.
D)more vegetable farms are located next to cattle farms than 30 years ago.
130
As disclosed in “Fear of Fresh,” two-year-old Kyle Allgood died because his mother made him a smoothie with contaminated:
A)apples.
B)milk.
C)spinach.
D)bananas.
131
As mentioned in “Fear of Fresh,” the CDC has a program discouraging antibiotic use for people who have colds.
A)True
B)False
132
According to “Protecting Ourselves from Shellfish Poisoning,” a monitoring strategy for shellfish has been used around the world for decades since an outbreak of mussels poisoning in 1927 in:
A)Boston, Massachusetts.
B)Miami, Florida.
C)Encinitas, Mexico.
D)San Francisco, California.
133
As detailed in “Protecting Ourselves from Shellfish Poisoning,” saxitoxin, the poison in contaminated mussels, is actually produced by a:
A)microfungus that grows on rocks at the shoreline.
B)photosynthetic swimming alga.
C)variant of Staphylococcus aureus.
D)protozoac cyst.
134
As revealed in “Protecting Ourselves from Shellfish Poisoning,” the domoic-acid toxin has been used in Japan as a treatment for internal parasites in children.
A)True
B)False
135
As postulated in “Better Safe Than Sorry,” if you want 100 percent food safety, you can either grow all of your own food, or:
A)stop eating.
B)avoid all imported foods.
C)lobby for drastically increased funding for the Food and Drug Administration.
D)become a locavore.
136
As mentioned in “Better Safe Than Sorry,” the Food and Drug Administration is responsible for monitoring 80 percent of the food supply in the United States, everything but:
A)fish and seafood.
B)meat.
C)packaged precooked meals.
D)organic foods.
137
As stated in “Better Safe Than Sorry,” despite urging from consumers and domestic producers for country-of-origin labeling of imported foods, only seafood is currently required to be labeled with this information.
A)True
B)False
138
As explained by the author of “Detecting Mad Cow Disease,” prions, the infectious pathogen responsible for scrapie, mad cow disease, and Creutzefeldt-Jakob disease, are different from most pathogens in consisting only of a:
A)single cell.
B)protein.
C)gamete.
D)protazoa.
139
As noted in “Detecting Mad Cow Disease,” prions, the agents that cause mad cow disease, can incubate without symptoms for:
A)8 to 10 days.
B)4 to 6 weeks.
C)6 to 8 months.
D)years or decades.
140
As identified in “Detecting Mad Cow Disease,” Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is uniformly fatal.
A)True
B)False
141
As pointed out in “Yeasts in Foods and Beverages,” the identification of new yeast isolates once required the laborious completion of 80 to 100 different analyses, this task is now quickly achieved by:
A)spectrographic examination.
B)computer modeling.
C)a simple field test.
D)DNA sequencing.
142
As mentioned in “Yeasts in Foods and Beverages,” among the foods in which yeast fermentation plays an important role are:
A)meats and seafood.
B)bread, beer, and wine.
C)fruits and vegetables.
D)vinegars and oils.
143
As stated in “Yeasts in Foods and Beverages,” although cultural procedures remain basic to the need to identify yeasts and their occurrence and significance in foods and beverages, molecular methods now provide a convenient method also.
A)True
B)False
144
As concluded in “The Microbiology of Cocoa Fermentation and Its Role in Chocolate Quality,” consistently high-quality products can be achieved by a combination of three procedures: control of the amount of free pulp at the start of fermentation, use of a defined starter culture, and:
A)breeding of hybrid varieties of beans.
B)improved fermenter design.
C)selection of specific yeasts for fermentation.
D)standardization of drying and roasting times.
145
As pointed out in “The Microbiology of Cocoa Fermentation and Its Role in Chocolate Quality,” chocolate or cacao probably originated in:
A)Europe.
B)sub-Saharan Africa.
C)Mesoamerica.
D)Asia.
146
As reported in “The Microbiology of Cocoa Fermentation and Its Role in Chocolate Quality,” cocoa beans are fermented, then slowly dried in the sun or artificially before further processing.
A)True
B)False





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