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Chapter 30: Microbial Ecology
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1
Which of the following statements are NOT TRUE regarding microbial growth in low-nutrient environments?
A)Low-nutrient environments are common in nature.
B)Microbial growth occurs in such environments in thin layers called biofilms.
C)Some microbes can multiply in distilled water reservoirs in labs or in medical respiratory equipment.
D)Microbial growth will result in a cloudy appearance that is easily observed.
E)All the above are true.
2
The environment that immediately surrounds a microorganism is called the
A)ecology.
B)community.
C)ecosystem.
D)biosphere. The
E)microenvironment.
3
Which of the following statements are TRUE regarding microorganisms and their survival in the microenvironment?
1. The species best adapted to a specific microenvironment will inhabit it and exclude others from inhabiting it.
2. The ability of microbes to compete is related to a large degree on how long it takes to multiply.
3. The ability to survive adverse conditions is important for microbes.
4. Some microbes produce antibiotics to discourage the growth of other microbes.
5. Competition and antagonism can ultimately lead to a relatively stable community.
A)1,2,3.
B)1,2,4.
C)2,3,4.
D)1,2,3,4.
E)1,2,3,4,5
4
All of the following would result in changes in the microbial community EXCEPT
A)changes in the pH.
B)exposure to antibiotics.
C)addition or depletion of nutrients.
D)changes in the oxygen availability.
E)all the above would change the microbial community.
5
All of the following statements are true of microorganisms in the soil EXCEPT
A)An important function of soil microorganisms is to degrade dead plants and animals.
B)There are fewer than several dozen species that can live in the soil.
C)Some species can change nitrogen gas to a form that is usable for plants and animals, like ammonia.
D)Some species produce antibiotics that can be used to treat infections.
E)The soil contains a number of pathogenic microbes.
6
Which of the following bacteria live in the soil and can, under adverse conditions, swarm to produce fruiting bodies and spores that can survive until conditions become favorable?
A)geosmins.
B)Streptomyces.
C)myxobacteria.
D)Arthrobacter.
E)Nocardia.
7
Fungus that grows in association with the roots of a plant and has a symbiotic relationship in which both benefit is called
A)actinomycetes.
B)mycorrhizae.
C)lichen.
D)cyanobacteria.
E)mycoplasma.
8
Which of the following microbes live in the gut of termites and assist termites in digestion of the wood that they ingest?
A)bacteria.
B)fungi.
C)mycorrhizae.
D)protozoa.
E)cyanobacteria.
9
Which of the following environmental influences will affect the composition of microbes inhabiting the soil?
A)water content.
B)pH.
C)temperature.
D)nutrient composition and supply.
E)All the above.
10
Microbes that can survive in environments with high salt concentrations that inhibit the growth of most other microbes are called:
A)halophiles.
B)psychrophiles.
C)thermophiles.
D)saltophiles.
E)barophiles.
11
Which of the following are reasons that water and aquatic environments are excellent for microbial growth?
1. Water can absorb wavelengths of light that allow photosynthesis.
2. Water is an excellent solvent.
3. Water can dissolve underground nutrients and gases that can be used for microbial growth.
4. Water remains a liquid over a wide range of temperatures.
5. Water is important in many chemical reactions.
A)1,2,3.
B)1,2,4.
C)1,2,4,5.
D)2,3,4,5.
E)1,2,3,4,5.
12
Microbes that obtain their energy by oxidizing hydrogen sulfide are called
A)primary producers.
B)extremophiles.
C)chemoautotrophs.
D)barophiles.
E)black smokers.
13
The recycling of vital elements is essential to life. Microorganisms that are responsible for digesting and converting dead plants and animals into molecules that can be used by living organisms are referred to as:
A)producers.
B)consumers.
C)decomposers.
D)digesters.
E)convertors.
14
Which vital element(s) is/are cycled by the processes of respiration and photosynthesis?
1. Carbon
2. Oxygen
3. Sulfur
4. Nitrogen
5. Phosphorus
A)1,2,3.
B)1,2.
C)1,2,3,4.
D)2,3.
E)1,2,5.
15
Decomposition of organic matter is carried out by which of the following organisms?
1. Fungi
2. bacteria
3. protozoa
4. algae
5. lichens
A)1,2,3.
B)1,2,3,4.
C)1,2.
D)2,3,5.
E)1,3,4.
16
Which of the following elements is necessary for the synthesis of proteins and nucleic acids and must be "fixed" by prokaryotes because the gaseous form is not usable by eukaryotic organisms?
A)carbon.
B)oxygen.
C)nitrogen.
D)phosphorus.
E)sulfur.
17
When excessive amounts of this element are added to aquatic habitats, it results in increased growth of algae (algal blooms) and poor water quality, a process called eutrophication. Which of the following elements is associated with these processes?
A)carbon.
B)sulfur.
C)phosphorus.
D)nitrogen.
E)oxygen.
18
Some bacteria can use nitrate as an electron acceptor in place of oxygen. The nitrogen is then converted into nitrogen gas and released as a waste product and lost from the soil. This process is called
A)nitrogen fixation.
B)ammonification.
C)nitrification.
D)denitrification.
E)aerobic respiration.
19
Using microbes to breakdown toxic substances like DDT and PCB into substances that are not harmful to the environment is called
A)microbial antagonism.
B)bioengineering.
C)bioremediation.
D)environmental toxin recycling.
E)toxin decomposition.
20
Which of the following microbes attaches to the root systems of legumes and forms nodules that are capable of fixing nitrogen?
A)Aspergillus.
B)Rhizobium.
C)Clostridium.
D)Bacillus.
E)Pseudomonas.
21
Southeast Asian rice farmers are known to seed their fields with nitrogen fixing microbes. Which is the most likely reason for this practice?
A)It is done for religious reasons only.
B)Nitrogen fixing microbes replace the need for fertilizer.
C)Nitrogen fixing microbes break down pollution that could kill rice.
D)Nitrogen fixing bacteria reduce toxic levels of nitrogen.
E)The microbes compete with harmful plant pathogens.
22
An agricultural extension agent was asked to help with the following problem: A farmer used a field to grow corn eight years in a row. The corn depleted all the nitrogen in the soil. New environmental standards about farm chemical runoff prohibit the farmer from adding nitrogen fertilizers to the soil. So, the agent suggested growing nitrogen fixing plants in the field for one year. Which of the following plants would the agent most likely suggest for planting?
A)Alfalfa.
B)Cyanobacteria.
C)Alder trees.
D)Barley.
E)Rhizobium.
23
Radioactive carbon dioxide is a possible byproduct of nuclear accidents and radioactive fallout from nuclear weapons. How can the carbon cycle carried out by plants worsen the spread of radioactivity to people?
A)It converts the radioactive carbon dioxide into radioactive inorganic carbon.
B)It converts the radioactive carbon dioxide into radioactive water.
C)The radioactive carbon dioxide is converted to radioactive water.
D)It will fix radioactive carbon dioxide into inorganic nitrates.
E)It will fix radioactive carbon dioxide into edible plant parts.
24
Which of the following best explains why orchids growing under sterile greenhouse conditions do not grow as well as those in the wild?
A)They are lacking adequate mycorrhizae.
B)They need pathogenic soil bacteria to grow.
C)There is no biogeochemical cycling in sterile story.
D)Greenhouses do not provide the environmental conditions needed for orchids.
E)Roots cannot penetrate sterile soil.
25
Acid rain and sulfur air pollution are very destructive to algae. What is the best explanation for the fact that lichens are decreasing in regions that have acid rain and sulfur air pollution?
A)Lichens graze on algae.
B)Lichens are composed of algae cooperating with a fungus.
C)Lichens contain a fungus that is genetically identical to algae.
D)Acid also harms fungi.
E)The fungi in lichen feed on bacteria that feed on algae.





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