General Microbiology MCQs 50 Score: 0 Attempted: 0/50 Subscribe 1. : Who is known as the Father of Microbiology? (A) Robert Koch (B) Louis Pasteur (C) Anton van Leeuwenhoek (D) Joseph Lister Show All Answers 2. : The scientist who discovered penicillin was: (A) Louis Pasteur (B) Alexander Fleming (C) Robert Koch (D) Edward Jenner 3. : The first vaccine developed was against: (A) Cholera (B) Smallpox (C) Rabies (D) Plague 4. : Bacteria that require oxygen for growth are called: (A) Anaerobes (B) Facultative anaerobes (C) Aerobes (D) Microaerophiles 5. : The bacterial cell wall is mainly composed of: (A) Chitin (B) Cellulose (C) Peptidoglycan (D) Lipid bilayer 6. : The instrument used to sterilize culture media is: (A) Autoclave (B) Incubator (C) Centrifuge (D) Microscope 7. : Gram-positive bacteria appear __________ under microscope after Gram staining. (A) Red (B) Blue or violet (C) Green (D) Pink 8. : The process of heat-killing microorganisms in milk is called: (A) Fermentation (B) Pasteurization (C) Sterilization (D) Incubation 9. : Which structure helps bacteria in motility? (A) Capsule (B) Pili (C) Flagella (D) Ribosomes 10. : The smallest living organisms are: (A) Viruses (B) Protozoa (C) Bacteria (D) Fungi 11. : Which of the following is an example of a eukaryotic microorganism? (A) E. coli (B) Yeast (C) Salmonella (D) Mycoplasma 12. : Which staining method differentiates bacterial species into two major groups? (A) Acid-fast stain (B) Gram stain (C) Simple stain (D) Endospore stain 13. : A culture containing only one kind of microorganism is called: (A) Mixed culture (B) Pure culture (C) Continuous culture (D) Batch culture 14. : Which scientist formulated the germ theory of disease? (A) Koch (B) Pasteur (C) Lister (D) Leeuwenhoek 15. : Endospores in bacteria are formed for: (A) Reproduction (B) Genetic exchange (C) Survival under harsh conditions (D) Motility 16. : Which part of the bacterial cell controls cell division? (A) Ribosome (B) Nucleoid (C) Cell wall (D) Cytoplasm 17. : The term “pathogen” refers to: (A) Any harmless microorganism (B) A disease-causing microorganism (C) A photosynthetic bacterium (D) A decomposer 18. : Which of the following is not a prokaryote? (A) Bacteria (B) Archaea (C) Fungi (D) Cyanobacteria 19. : The structure used for bacterial conjugation is: (A) Flagella (B) Pili (C) Capsule (D) Ribosome 20. : The first person to see microorganisms under a microscope was: (A) Koch (B) Pasteur (C) Leeuwenhoek (D) Jenner 21. : The enzyme lysozyme destroys bacterial: (A) Cytoplasm (B) Cell wall (C) Ribosomes (D) Nucleoid 22. : The pH range most suitable for bacterial growth is: (A) 1–3 (B) 4–5 (C) 6.5–7.5 (D) 8–10 23. : Which bacterial structure is responsible for adherence to surfaces? (A) Capsule (B) Pili (C) Flagella (D) Endospore 24. : Which of the following is not an aseptic technique? (A) Sterilizing instruments (B) Hand washing (C) Blowing air over cultures (D) Using disinfectants 25. : The generation time is: (A) Time for DNA replication (B) Time for one cell to divide into two (C) Time for spore formation (D) Time for cell death 26. : The bacterial chromosome is usually: (A) Linear (B) Circular (C) Segmented (D) Absent 27. : The outermost layer of Gram-negative bacteria is composed of: (A) Lipopolysaccharide (B) Peptidoglycan (C) Chitin (D) Protein coat 28. : Psychrophilic bacteria grow best at: (A) 0–20°C (B) 25–37°C (C) 45–60°C (D) 70–80°C 29. : Mesophilic bacteria prefer temperatures around: (A) 10°C (B) 20°C (C) 37°C (D) 60°C 30. : Thermophiles are microorganisms that thrive in: (A) Cold conditions (B) High temperature (C) Low pH (D) High salt 31. : Which of the following is a differential medium? (A) Nutrient agar (B) MacConkey agar (C) Tryptic soy agar (D) Peptone water 32. : The logarithmic phase in bacterial growth curve represents: (A) Lag phase (B) Stationary phase (C) Exponential growth (D) Decline phase 33. : The Gram stain was developed by: (A) Louis Pasteur (B) Hans Christian Gram (C) Robert Koch (D) Edward Jenner 34. : Bacterial spores can resist: (A) Heat and desiccation (B) Antibiotics only (C) Freezing only (D) Radiation only 35. : The bacterial capsule provides: (A) Energy (B) Protection against phagocytosis (C) Protein synthesis (D) Cell movement 36. : Viruses differ from bacteria because they: (A) Have no cell wall (B) Cannot reproduce outside host cells (C) Contain both DNA and RNA (D) Are larger than bacteria 37. : Which microscope is used to observe living cells without staining? (A) Electron microscope (B) Phase contrast microscope (C) Fluorescence microscope (D) Compound microscope 38. : The bacterial ribosome is of type: (A) 80S (B) 70S (C) 60S (D) 50S 39. : Mycoplasma is unique because it lacks: (A) Cell wall (B) Cell membrane (C) Ribosomes (D) Cytoplasm 40. : Which of these diseases is caused by a bacterium? (A) Influenza (B) Tuberculosis (C) Measles (D) Dengue 41. : The main component of bacterial flagella is: (A) Actin (B) Tubulin (C) Flagellin (D) Collagen 42. : Bacteria that can grow in the presence or absence of oxygen are: (A) Obligate aerobes (B) Facultative anaerobes (C) Microaerophiles (D) Obligate anaerobes 43. : The enzyme catalase breaks down: (A) Hydrogen peroxide (B) Water (C) Carbon dioxide (D) Glucose 44. : Which process involves transfer of genetic material by a bacteriophage? (A) Transformation (B) Transduction (C) Conjugation (D) Translation 45. : DNA replication in bacteria is: (A) Conservative (B) Dispersive (C) Semiconservative (D) Random 46. : The bacterial enzyme used in PCR is: (A) Lipase (B) Taq polymerase (C) Amylase (D) Catalase 47. : Which staining method is used for Mycobacterium tuberculosis? (A) Gram stain (B) Acid-fast stain (C) Spore stain (D) Negative stain 48. : The presence of plasmids in bacteria gives: (A) Antibiotic resistance (B) Motility (C) Capsule formation (D) Color 49. : Which bacterial shape is spiral? (A) Coccus (B) Bacillus (C) Vibrio (D) Spirillum 50. : The medium that supports the growth of all bacteria is called: (A) Selective medium (B) Differential medium (C) Enriched medium (D) Defined medium