THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN AFRICA

CHD 125: MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY

CAT 1 (32 Marks)
TIME: 1 HOUR DATE:

Instructions:
 Write your REGISTRATION NUMBER, COURSE, COURSE CODE and DATE.
 Answer all questions on the answer sheet provided.
 All questions are compulsory.
PART I: MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (15 MARKS)
1. Which scientist is most responsible for finally laying the theory of spontaneous generation to
rest?
a) Joseph Lister
b) Francesco Redi
c) Robert Koch
d) Louis Pasteur
2. If you are asked to sterilize a heat sensitive item which of the following would be most
suitable?
a) Steam autoclave
b) Pasteurization
c) Ethyl Alcohol
d) Hot air oven
3. Bacteria that grow at 25-40°C are termed as ____
a) Psychrophiles
b) Mesophiles
c) Halophiles
d) Commensals
4. Which of the following is mismatched?
a) vibrio - comma-shape
b) coccobacilli - intermediate between round and rod
c) coccus - round
d) bacillus - flexible and wavy
e) spirillum - corkscrew-shape
5. Which term is used to describe flagella that are found all over the surface of the bacterial
cell:
a) peritrichous
b) monotrichous
c) amphitrichous
d) atrichous
e) lophotrichous
6. Superoxide dismutase is an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of oxygen radicals to
peroxides. Which groups of organisms do not have this enzyme?
a) Aerobes
b) Facultative anaerobes
c) Strict anaerobes
d) Aerotolerant anaerobes
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7. Which of the mentioned structure is not a part of gram-positive bacteria cell wall?
a) Lipopolysaccharide
b) Peptidoglycan
c) Teichoic acid
d) N-acetylmuramic acid
8. What is the primary characteristic used in laboratory diagnosis of tuberculosis? The
a) Gram stain in conjunction with the typical morphology
b) acid-fast stain in conjunction with typical morphology
c) morphology of tubercle bacilli
d) slow rate of growth
9. A child is diagnosed with Pertussis. How was this infection acquired?
a) Release of oral flora into the bloodstream by dental work.
b) Contact with livestock or animal products such as leather or wool.
c) Consumption of dairy products made from unpasteurized milk
d) Inhalation of respiratory droplets of another human being.
10. A 67-year-old man with chronic pulmonary disease develops pneumonia caused by
Streptococcus pneumoniae. What is the most important virulence factor of this bacterium? A
a) polysaccharide capsule
b) variety of secreted proteases
c) surface protein which inhibits complement activation
d) Protein fimbriae which attach bacteria tightly to lung epithelial cells
11. What is the colonization site of Corynebacterium diphtheriae?
a) Skin
b) Urethra
c) Eye
d) Throat
12. Virulence of microorganisms is not determined by ____
a) Ability to adhere and colonize
b) Host temperature and pH
c) Invasiveness
d) Ability to evade host defense mechanisms
13. Which of the following is not true of viruses?
a) replicated only when inside host cells
b) too small to be seen in a light microscope
c) all cause human disease
d) contain only one type of nucleic acid
e) acellular

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14. A patient suffered from tightness and severe pain in his jaw. He was admitted to the hospital
and developed severe facial spasms. His history indicated that he had stepped on a nail at his
family's farm a few days ago. The wound appeared to be minor and he had not sought
professional treatment prior to admission to the hospital. The organism in this case is most
likely:
a) Clostridium botulinum
b) Clostridium difficile
c) Clostridium tetani
d) Pseudomonas aeruginosa
e) Escherichia coli
15. Whooping cough is most likely caused by:
a) Escherichia. coli
b) Vibrio cholerae
c) Staphylococcus epidermidis
d) Neisseria gonorrhoeae
e) Bordetella pertussis

PART II: ESSAY QUESTIONS (15 MARKS)

1. With the aid of a well labeled diagram, indicate 5 parts on the general structure of a bacteria
cell (5 Marks)
2. Explain the contribution of the following development of microbiology (3 Marks)
a) Edward Jenner
b) Louis Pasteur
c) Robert Koch
3. Describe the process of gram staining (5 Marks)
4. Explain the mode of action of the following antibiotics: (4 Marks)
a) Penicillins
b) Tetracyclines
c) Sulphonamides
d) Quinolones