Microbiology exam questions and answers pdf chapter 4 (mutation, conjugation, transduction, transformation)

There are Microbiology exam questions and answers in chapter 5.

Microbiology exam questions and answers pdf chapter 5 (mutation, conjugation, transduction, transformation)

Question 1: What type of mutation involves the insertion or deletion of a single nucleotide, leading to a shift in the reading frame of the gene?

A) Silent mutation
B) Missense mutation
C) Nonsense mutation
D) Frameshift mutation

Answer: D) Frameshift mutation

Question 2: Which of the following is NOT a cause of mutations?

A) Exposure to mutagenic chemicals
B) Spontaneous errors during DNA replication
C) Repair mechanisms
D) Radiation

Answer: C) Repair mechanisms

Question 3: Which of the following mutations results in a change of a single nucleotide that leads to the substitution of one amino acid in the protein?

A) Silent mutation
B) Nonsense mutation
C) Missense mutation
D) Frameshift mutation

Answer: C) Missense mutation

Question 4: Mutations that occur in somatic cells are responsible for:

A) Genetic diseases passed to offspring
B) The formation of gametes
C) Cancer and certain genetic diseases in the individual
D) None of the above

Answer: C) Cancer and certain genetic diseases in the individual

Question 5: Which type of mutagen is known to cause physical alterations to DNA structure?

A) Chemical mutagen
B) Radiation mutagen
C) Spontaneous mutagen
D) Replicative mutagen

Answer: B) Radiation mutagen

Question 6: A mutation that changes a codon encoding an amino acid to a stop codon is called:

A) Silent mutation
B) Missense mutation
C) Nonsense mutation
D) Frameshift mutation

Answer: C) Nonsense mutation

Question 7: Which repair mechanism specifically targets incorrect base pairs that occur due to errors during DNA replication?

A) Mismatch repair
B) Nucleotide excision repair
C) Base excision repair
D) Direct repair

Answer: A) Mismatch repair

Question 8: Which of the following is an example of a point mutation?

A) Deletion of a large segment of DNA
B) Duplication of a gene
C) Substitution of one nucleotide for another
D) Exchange of genetic material between two chromosomes

Answer: C) Substitution of one nucleotide for another

Question 9: The lac operon is an example of which type of gene regulation?

A) Inducible operon
B) Repressible operon
C) Constitutive operon
D) Nonsense operon

Answer: A) Inducible operon

Question 10: What is the term for the process by which bacteria acquire new genetic material from their environment or from other bacteria?

A) Transduction
B) Transformation
C) Conjugation
D) Replication

Answer: B) Transformation

Question 11: Which of the following is a heritable mutation that occurs in gametes and can be passed on to offspring?

A) Somatic mutation
B) Spontaneous mutation
C) Germline mutation
D) Induced mutation

Answer: C) Germline mutation

Question 12: A mutation that has no detectable effect on the phenotype of an organism is called:

A) Silent mutation
B) Nonsense mutation
C) Missense mutation
D) Frameshift mutation

Answer: A) Silent mutation

Question 13: The Ames test is used to:

A) Detect carcinogens by their mutagenic effects on bacteria
B) Determine the rate of spontaneous mutations
C) Assess the repair mechanisms in DNA
D) Study the impact of frameshift mutations

Answer: A) Detect carcinogens by their mutagenic effects on bacteria

Question 14: Which of the following is a type of mutagenic chemical that mimics a DNA base and can be incorporated into the DNA strand during replication, causing mistakes in base pairing?

A) UV radiation
B) X-rays
C) Intercalating agent
D) Alkylating agent

Answer: C) Intercalating agent

Question 15: A mutation in a gene that leads to the loss of its function is termed:

A) Gain-of-function mutation
B) Nonsense mutation
C) Null mutation
D) Spontaneous mutation

Answer: C) Null mutation

Question 16: The process of DNA repair that involves removing a segment of damaged DNA and replacing it with the correct sequence is known as:

A) Mismatch repair
B) Base excision repair
C) Nucleotide excision repair
D) Direct repair

Answer: C) Nucleotide excision repair

Question 17: What type of mutation occurs when one or more nucleotides are added or deleted from the DNA sequence, causing a shift in the reading frame?

A) Silent mutation
B) Missense mutation
C) Nonsense mutation
D) Frameshift mutation

Answer: D) Frameshift mutation

Question 18: The trp operon is an example of which type of gene regulation?

A) Inducible operon
B) Repressible operon
C) Constitutive operon
D) Nonsense operon

Answer: B) Repressible operon

Question 19: Which repair mechanism involves the direct reversal of DNA damage, such as the removal of alkyl groups from DNA bases?

A) Mismatch repair
B) Base excision repair
C) Nucleotide excision repair
D) Direct repair

Answer: D) Direct repair

Question 20: Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are associated with an increased risk of:

A) Heart disease
B) Diabetes
C) Breast and ovarian cancer
D) Lung cancer

Answer: C) Breast and ovarian cancer

Question 21: In bacterial conjugation, which structure is responsible for transferring genetic material from the donor bacterium to the recipient bacterium?

A) Plasmid
B) Pilus
C) Capsule
D) Flagellum

Answer: B) Pilus

Question 22: Which type of genetic material is commonly transferred through bacterial conjugation?

A) Chromosomal DNA
B) Ribosomal RNA
C) Mitochondrial DNA
D) Plasmid DNA

Answer: D) Plasmid DNA

Question 23: In conjugation, which bacterium is typically referred to as the “donor” bacterium?

A) The bacterium that receives genetic material
B) The bacterium that donates genetic material
C) A bacterium that remains neutral
D) A bacterium that initiates transformation

Answer: B) The bacterium that donates genetic material

Question 24: What is transduction in bacterial genetics?

A) The direct transfer of genetic material from one bacterium to another
B) The incorporation of foreign DNA into a bacterial genome
C) The transfer of genetic material between bacteria through phages
D) The exchange of genetic material through bacterial conjugation

Answer: C) The transfer of genetic material between bacteria through phages

Question 25: Which of the following is a bacteriophage-mediated transduction process?

A) Transformation
B) Conjugation
C) Horizontal gene transfer
D) Viral vectors transferring DNA

Answer: D) Viral vectors transferring DNA

Question 26: Which of the following is a characteristic of specialized transduction?

A) It involves the transfer of any bacterial genes to a recipient bacterium.
B) It occurs during bacterial conjugation.
C) It results from the accidental packaging of host DNA into a phage particle.
D) It only transfers specific bacterial genes located near the phage integration site.

Answer: D) It only transfers specific bacterial genes located near the phage integration site.

Transformation:

Question 27: What is bacterial transformation?

A) The process of transferring genetic material through pili.
B) The exchange of genetic material between two bacterial cells.
C) The uptake and incorporation of foreign DNA into a bacterial cell.
D) The process of transferring genetic material through bacteriophages.

Answer: C) The uptake and incorporation of foreign DNA into a bacterial cell.

Question 28: Which molecule is crucial for bacterial transformation to occur?

A) Plasmid
B) Capsule
C) Pilus
D) Competence factor

Answer: D) Competence factor

Question 29: What is a competent bacterium in the context of bacterial transformation?

A) A bacterium that has gained resistance to antibiotics.
B) A bacterium that can donate genetic material via conjugation.
C) A bacterium that is able to take up and incorporate foreign DNA.
D) A bacterium that is resistant to phage infection.

Answer: C) A bacterium that is able to take up and incorporate foreign DNA.

Question 30: What is the primary function of the F (fertility) plasmid in bacterial conjugation?

A) To enhance bacterial motility
B) To provide antibiotic resistance to the recipient bacterium
C) To serve as a template for DNA replication
D) To carry the genetic information needed for conjugation

Answer: D) To carry the genetic information needed for conjugation

Question 31: Which bacterial genus is known for its ability to undergo conjugation, leading to the transfer of antibiotic-resistance genes?

A) Escherichia
B) Bacillus
C) Streptococcus
D) Clostridium

Answer: A) Escherichia

Question 32: In generalized transduction, which type of genetic material can be transferred from one bacterium to another?

A) Only plasmid DNA
B) Only chromosomal DNA
C) Any bacterial genetic material, regardless of origin
D) Only transposons

Answer: C) Any bacterial genetic material, regardless of origin

Question 33: Which term refers to the process where bacterial genes located near the integrated phage DNA are transferred to a recipient bacterium via a transducing phage particle?

A) Specialized transduction
B) Generalized transduction
C) Conjugative transduction
D) Fragmented transduction

Answer: A) Specialized transduction

Question 34: In natural transformation, what is required for the bacterial cell to uptake foreign DNA?

A) Contact with a conjugative pilus
B) Physical attachment to a bacteriophage
C) Formation of a F pilus
D) Competence, a physiological state enabling DNA uptake

Answer: D) Competence, a physiological state enabling DNA uptake

Question 35: Which of the following bacterial species is well known for its ability to undergo natural transformation?

A) Staphylococcus aureus
B) Mycobacterium tuberculosis
C) Streptococcus pneumoniae
D) Clostridium botulinum

Answer: C) Streptococcus pneumoniae

Question 36: What term describes the genetic material taken up from the environment by a bacterial cell and incorporated into its genome?

A) Conjugation
B) Transduction
C) Transformation
D) Replication

Answer: C) Transformation

Question 37: Which bacterial group is commonly associated with the ability to transfer antibiotic resistance genes through conjugation?

A) Gram-positive bacteria
B) Acid-fast bacteria
C) Obligate anaerobic bacteria
D) Cyanobacteria

Answer: A) Gram-positive bacteria

Question 38: During bacterial conjugation, which of the following molecules is responsible for the physical connection between donor and recipient bacteria?

A) Plasmid
B) Flagellum
C) Pilus
D) Capsule

Answer: C) Pilus

Question 39: Which type of transduction involves the accidental packaging of host DNA into a phage particle during the lytic cycle?

A) Generalized transduction
B) Specialized transduction
C) Conjugative transduction
D) Directed transduction

Answer: A) Generalized transduction

Question 40: What is the term for a bacterial cell that is susceptible to being infected by a transducing phage and receiving foreign DNA?

A) Lytic cell
B) Non-receptive cell
C) Competent cell
D) Conjugative cell

Answer: C) Competent cell

Question 41: Which discovery is often credited to Frederick Griffith’s experiment using Streptococcus pneumoniae?

A) Bacterial conjugation
B) Bacterial transduction
C) Bacterial transformation
D) Bacterial replication

Answer: C) Bacterial transformation

Question 42: In bacterial transformation, what is the process that involves the uptake of naked DNA fragments from the environment?

A) Uptake and incorporation
B) Transduction
C) Conjugation
D) Uptake and integration

Answer: A) Uptake and incorporation

Question 43: What does the term “competence” refer to in the context of bacterial transformation?

A) The ability of bacteria to produce toxins
B) The capacity of bacteria to replicate their DNA
C) The physiological state enabling bacteria to uptake and incorporate foreign DNA
D) The process of transferring genetic material through pili

Answer: C) The physiological state enabling bacteria to uptake and incorporate foreign DNA

Question 44: What is the basic unit of heredity that carries genetic information?

a) Protein
b) Amino Acid
c) Nucleotide
d) Carbohydrate

Answer: c) Nucleotide

Question 45: Which scientist is known as the “Father of Genetics” for his work on pea plants?

a) Isaac Newton
b) Gregor Mendel
c) Charles Darwin
d) Louis Pasteur

Answer: b) Gregor Mendel

Question 46: What is the term for the specific location of a gene on a chromosome?

a) Allele
b) Locus
c) Genotype
d) Phenotype

Answer: b) Locus

Question 47: A trait that is expressed only when an individual has two identical alleles for a particular gene is called:

a) Dominant trait
b) Recessive trait
c) Co-dominant trait
d) Incomplete dominance

Answer: b) Recessive trait

Question 48: Which genetic disorder is characterized by a missing or non-functional X chromosome in females, leading to developmental and cognitive issues?

a) Down syndrome
b) Hemophilia
c) Turner syndrome
d) Cystic fibrosis

Answer: c) Turner syndrome

Question 48: In a DNA molecule, adenine (A) always pairs with:

a) Thymine (T)
b) Cytosine (C)
c) Guanine (G)
d) Uracil (U)

Answer: a) Thymine (T)

Question 49: What is the term for a change in the DNA sequence of a gene?

a) Mutation
b) Transcription
c) Translation
d) Replication

Answer: a) Mutation

Question 50: The process by which genetic information is copied from DNA to RNA is called:

a) Translation
b) Replication
c) Transcription
d) Transduction

Answer: c) Transcription

Question 51: Which genetic disorder is characterized by an extra copy of chromosome 21, leading to intellectual disabilities and certain physical features?

a) Hemophilia
b) Down syndrome
c) Sickle cell anemia
d) Muscular dystrophy

Answer: b) Down syndrome

Question 52: What is the term for the observable characteristics or traits of an organism?

a) Genotype
b) Phenotype
c) Allele
d) Mutation

Answer: b) Phenotype

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