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NCLEX-RN Bacteriology — practice questions — page 2

Explore 38 free Bacteriology questions in NCLEX-RN Microbiology. Open each question or exercise to read its content, reference answers and available explanation.

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Bacteriology questions and exercises with answers

Showing questions 31–38 of 38.

How do bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa help clear mercury pollution?Read the answer and worked solution →Commensal bacteria on the skin and in the gut benefit their human host in which way?Read the answer and worked solution →Which structure lets some soil bacteria survive heat and drought until conditions improve?Read the answer and worked solution →Sort the two Gram stain groupsRead the answer and worked solution →Build a biofilm stage by stageRead the answer and worked solution →Name the microbe behind each clueRead the answer and worked solution →Split helpful microbes from harmfulRead the answer and worked solution →Catch the prokaryotic parts onlyRead the answer and worked solution →

Worked practice questions

How do bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa help clear mercury pollution?

  1. They bind mercury inside their capsules
  2. They break mercury down into oxygen gas
  3. They convert Hg+2 into nontoxic Hg0
  4. They excrete mercury as a solid sulfide
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Correct answer: C. They convert Hg+2 into nontoxic Hg0

1. Bioremediation uses microbial metabolism to remove pollutants. 2. Mercury is a toxic metal used in some pesticides and produced as a by-product of processes such as battery making. 3. Methyl mercury is highly toxic because it accumulates in living tissues. 4. Several bacterial species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa among them, convert Hg+2 into Hg0, which is nontoxic to humans. 5. Mercury is an element, so no organism can break it down into another gas. _Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "Prokaryotes: Bacteria and Archaea", section 22.5 Beneficial Prokaryotes_

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Commensal bacteria on the skin and in the gut benefit their human host in which way?

  1. They replace the need for any vaccines
  2. They dissolve the lining of the intestine
  3. They stop all antibiotics from working
  4. They produce vitamins and aid digestion
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Correct answer: D. They produce vitamins and aid digestion

1. Commensal bacteria inhabit human skin and the gastrointestinal tract. 2. They protect against pathogens, help digest food, and produce some vitamins and other nutrients. 3. Evidence also suggests they influence mood, activity levels and weight. 4. Damaging the intestinal lining is what a pathogen does, not a commensal. _Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "Prokaryotes: Bacteria and Archaea", section 22.5 Beneficial Prokaryotes_

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Which structure lets some soil bacteria survive heat and drought until conditions improve?

  1. An endospore formed inside the cell
  2. A flagellum used to swim to water
  3. A plasmid carrying spare genes
  4. A pilus anchoring it to a surface
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Correct answer: A. An endospore formed inside the cell

1. Almost all prokaryotes have a cell wall, which lets them survive hyper-osmotic and hypo-osmotic conditions. 2. Some soil bacteria go further and form endospores. 3. Endospores resist heat and drought, so the organism survives until favorable conditions return. 4. Flagella move a cell but offer no protection from heat. 5. Plasmids carry extra genes and pili grip surfaces, so neither is a survival capsule. _Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "Prokaryotes: Bacteria and Archaea", section 22.1 Prokaryotic Diversity_

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