Chapter 17 - Host-Microbe Interactions

Chapter 17
Host-Microbe Interactions

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The idea that communicable diseases were caused by the passage of living things from one
person to another was first put forth by
A. Fracastorius.
B. Pasteur.
C. Thucydides.
D. Leeuwenhoek.

2. The connection between a particular organism and a specific disease was first made by
A. Fracastorius.
B. Pasteur.
C. Koch.
D. Leeuwenhoek.

3. The series of steps used to connect an organism to a disease are known as

A. Pasteur's postulates.
B. Lister's aseptics.
C. Linnaeus taxonomics.
D. Koch's postulates.

4. The interaction of all organisms within a biological community is called a(n)

A. dialogue.
B. chat room.
C. ecosystem.
D. relationship.

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5. The microorganisms that are regularly found in or on the body, yet do no apparent harm are
called
A. abnormal flora.
B. transient flora.
C. variant flora.
D. normal flora.

6. The microorganisms that are occasionally found in or on the body are called
A. abnormal flora.
B. transient flora.
C. variant flora.
D. normal flora.

7. Organisms that are found together and interact on a more or less permanent basis are in a
relationship termed
A. mutualism.
B. parasitism.
C. symbiosis.
D. transient flora.

8. The symbiotic relationship wherein both partners benefit is termed

A. commensalism.
B. parasitism.
C. independence.
D. mutualism.

9. A relationship in which one partner benefits and the other is unaffected is termed
A. commensalism.
B. parasitism.
C. independence.
D. mutualism.

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10. A relationship in which one partner benefits and the other is harmed is termed
A. commensalism.
B. parasitism.
C. independence.
D. mutualism.

11. The resident microbial population of the human fetus is

A. zero.
B. sparse.
C. complex.
D. symbiotic.

12. Which of the following is true about the role normal flora play in maintaining host
health?
A. They provide a surface that is incompatible for attachment of an invader.
B. They establish competition for nutrients and vitamins.
C. They produce antimicrobial substances.
D. They stimulate the immune system.
E. All of the choices are true.

13. Which of the following members of the normal flora inhibit the growth of Candida
albicans?
A. E. coli
B. Lactobacillus species.
C. Staphylococci species.
D. Propionibacterium species.

14. The composition of the normal flora may be affected by

A. hormonal changes.
B. use of antibiotics.
C. obesity level.
D. diet.
E. All of the choices are correct.

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15. The "hygiene hypothesis" proposes that

A. lack of exposure to microbes can promote development of allergies.
B. cleanliness truly is next to godliness.
C. hand washing is the best preventative measure against infection.
D. the immune system develops best in a clean environment.

16. The infectious dose

A. is the same for all microorganisms.
B. may be 10-100 cells for Salmonella.
C. is expressed as ID50.
D. is defined as the number of microbes necessary to ensure infection.
E. is expressed as ID50 AND is defined as the number of microbes necessary to ensure
infection.

17. The number of organisms necessary to insure infection is termed the

A. infectious dose.
B. fatal number.
C. minimum lethal dose.
D. pathogenic number.

18. Growth of a parasitic organism in or on the host is referred to as

A. colonization.
B. infection.
C. pathogenism.
D. mutualism.

19. A disease-causing microorganism or virus is referred to as a(n)

A. avirulent infection.
B. colony.
C. commensal.
D. pathogen.

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20. Opportunists or opportunistic pathogens

A. are usually saprophytes.
B. take advantage of special circumstances.
C. are usually mutualistic.
D. always cause disease.

21. The suffix -emia means in the

A. body.
B. lymph.
C. interstitial tissue.
D. blood.

22. Attributes of an organism that promote pathogenicity are called

A. disease factors.
B. colonization factors.
C. mutualistic.
D. virulence factors.

23. Avirulent organisms are

A. more likely to cause disease.
B. more likely to cause severe disease.
C. unable to cause disease.
D. pathogenic.

24. Which of the following may be considered virulence factors?

A. adhesins
B. capsules
C. endotoxins
D. proteases
E. All of the choices are correct.

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25. Which of the following does S. pneumoniae use to survive in the host?
A. plasmids
B. pili
C. flagella
D. capsules

26. Which of the following would be considered a sign of a disease?

A. headache
B. pain
C. nausea
D. fever of 39C

27. People who carry and may spread pathogenic organisms without any overt symptoms of
illness are called
A. primary infections.
B. secondary infections.
C. mutualists.
D. carriers.

28. The spread of toxin via the circulation is called

A. septicemia.
B. bacteremia.
C. sepsis.
D. toxemia.

29. If a disease affects only a human and not an animal, then it would be difficult to fulfill
Koch's postulate number
A. 1.
B. 2.
C. 3.
D. 4.

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30. A more modern equivalent to Koch's Postulates is termed

A. Pasteur's Systematics.
B. Hoch's Postulates.
C. Atomic Theory.
D. Protein Theory.
E. Molecular Postulates.

31. Species of both Shigella and Streptococcus

A. invade host cells.
B. produce a toxin.
C. cause ergot poisoning.
D. are delivered via flea bites.
E. invade host cells AND produce a toxin.

32. Which of the following causes a foodborne intoxication?

A. Staphylococcus aureus
B. E. coli O157:H7
C. Clostridium botulinum
D. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
E. Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli O157:H7 AND Clostridium botulinum

33. Adhesins are

A. involved in the first step of the infectious process.
B. often found at the tip of pili.
C. found in flagella.
D. endotoxins.
E. involved in the first step of the infectious process AND often found at the tip of pili.

34. The first step in the establishment of infection is that the organism must
A. invade host tissues.
B. attach to host cells.
C. evade phagocytes.
D. produce toxins.

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35. Which of the following factors is not considered important for the establishment of an
infection?
A. adherence
B. dose
C. toxicity
D. virulence factors

36. Typically, adhesins

A. are found on pili.
B. help bacteria attach to host cells.
C. are proteins.
D. are found on host cells.
E. are found on pili, help bacteria attach to host cells AND are proteins.

37. The lack of susceptibility to diseases of other species in humans may be due to the
A. secretion of exotoxins.
B. presence of endotoxins.
C. action of IL-2.
D. lack of receptors that are recognized by adherence factors.

38. An example of genetic variation used in pathogen survival may be

A. production of a comet's tail.
B. protease production.
C. inhibition of MHC Class I antigen production.
D. changing the pilus type.
E. production of a comet's tail AND protease production.

39. Colonization of the body is inhibited by

A. the shedding of skin cells.
B. the movement of mucus by cilia.
C. peristalsis.
D. the flushing action of the urinary tract.
E. All of the choices are correct.

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40. The process by which infectious agents are ingested by host cells is termed
A. exocytosis.
B. pinocytosis.
C. endocytosis.
D. phagosome fusion.

41. Bacteria that resist killing by complement proteins are termed

A. carriers.
B. serum resistant.
C. balanced pathogens.
D. mutualistic
E. carriers AND serum resistant.

42. C5a peptidase

A. is a virulence factor.
B. synthesizes C5a.
C. is produced by the host cell in response to infection.
D. is a molecule promoting chemotaxis.
E. is a virulence factor AND is a molecule promoting chemotaxis.

43. Bacteria may survive phagocytosis by

A. preventing fusion of the lysosome with the phagosome.
B. lysing the phagosome.
C. producing comet tails.
D. preventing fusion of two phagosomes.
E. preventing fusion of the lysosome with the phagosome AND lysing the phagosome.

44. The chemical nature of endotoxins is that of a

A. protein.
B. nucleic acid.
C. lipid.
D. lipopolysaccharide.

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45. The chemical nature of exotoxins is that of a

A. protein.
B. carbohydrate.
C. lipid.
D. lipopolysaccharide.

46. Which is true about superantigens?

A. They are a type of exotoxin.
B. They bind to MHC class II antigen on T cells.
C. They enhance specific antibody production.
D. They are processed intracellularly.
E. They are a type of exotoxin AND they bind to MHC class II antigen on T cells.

47. Which is true about botox?

A. It is an endotoxin.
B. It is produced by S. aureus.
C. It may cause botulism.
D. It is useful in treating conditions related to muscle contractions.
E. It may cause botulism AND it is useful in treating conditions related to muscle
contractions.

48. Which of the following is/are true about endotoxins?

A. Lipid A is the toxic portion of the molecule.
B. The toxic effects depend on the bacteria from which it came.
C. The lipid A is immunogenic.
D. They are proteins.
E. The toxic effects depend on the bacteria from which it came AND they are proteins.

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49. Which is/are true of viruses?

A. They may suppress the production of MHC Class I protein.
B. They may produce an MHC Class I mimic protein.
C. They may prevent cell suicide.
D. They may bind to MHC class II antigens.
E. They may suppress the production of MHC Class I protein, they may produce an MHC
Class I mimic protein AND they may prevent cell suicide.

50. Diseases in which the causative agent becomes latent is/are

A. cold sores.
B. genital herpes.
C. typhus.
D. shingles.
E. All of the choices are correct.

51. The damage caused by parasites may be due to

A. competition for nutrients.
B. the physical blocking of organs.
C. the direct digestion of host tissue.
D. the host's immune response
E. All of the choices are correct.

Matching Questions

52. Which of the following best matches the description:

1. disease-causing organism avirulent 3

2. establish microbial growth on a body surface colonization 2
3. microbe lacks the ability to cause disease opportunist 4
4. able to produce disease in a host with impaired defenses pathogen 1

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True / False Questions

53. The most successful parasites are the ones that live in harmony with their hosts.
TRUE

54. A human fetus has no resident microbial population.

TRUE

55. Infection always leads to disease.

FALSE

56. A disease is an infection that impairs the normal state of health.

TRUE

57. Obligate intracellular parasites may be grown in special synthetic media.

FALSE

58. During incubation and convalescence a person may still spread infectious organisms.
TRUE

59. The infectious dose of most pathogens is about equal.

FALSE

60. A strong attachment of a microorganism to a host cell automatically leads to disease.

FALSE

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61. High concentrations of some bacteria are necessary for successful invasion because only
at high density are their virulence genes expressed.
TRUE

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62. Only Gram-positive bacteria produce exotoxins.

FALSE

Essay Questions

63. What reason could there be for some people to doubt that HIV is the causative agent of
AIDS?

Koch's postulates have been used to make a connection between particular organisms and
specific diseases. However, there are limitations to the use of the postulates. Koch's postulate
#3 requires inoculating the host with the potential pathogen. Obviously, this is not possible for
diseases only found in humans. This barrier may sometimes be circumvented if there is a
good animal model. There is no real good animal model for AIDS. With no good animal
model, it is not possible to make the direct connection between organism and disease, and one
has to rely on indirect connections.

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