1. Which of the following processes describes the transfer of genetic material between bacterial cells via a bacteriophage?
a) Transformation
b) Conjugation
c) Transduction
d) Transposition
Answer: c) Transduction
2. In bacterial genetics, what is transformation?
a) The exchange of genetic material between two bacterial cells through direct contact
b) The uptake of free DNA from the environment by a bacterial cell
c) The replication of DNA within a bacterial cell
d) The insertion of a new gene into a bacterial genome by a virus
Answer: b) The uptake of free DNA from the environment by a bacterial cell
3. Which genetic element is known as an “episome” and can integrate into the bacterial chromosome?
a) Plasmid
b) Transposon
c) Bacteriophage
d) Chromosome
Answer: a) Plasmid
4. The lac operon in E. coli is an example of gene regulation in response to:
a) Temperature
b) Light
c) Nutrient availability
d) Oxygen levels
Answer: c) Nutrient availability
5. What is the role of DNA polymerase in DNA replication?
a) To unwind the DNA double helix
b) To synthesize RNA from a DNA template
c) To synthesize new DNA strands by adding nucleotides to the growing DNA chain
d) To repair mutations in the DNA
Answer: c) To synthesize new DNA strands by adding nucleotides to the growing DNA chain
6. In the context of microbial genetics, what is a mutation?
a) The process of transferring genetic material between organisms
b) The alteration of the DNA sequence in an organism’s genome
c) The replication of genetic material within a cell
d) The exchange of plasmids between bacterial cells
Answer: b) The alteration of the DNA sequence in an organism’s genome
7. Which type of mutation results in the introduction of a premature stop codon into a gene sequence?
a) Silent mutation
b) Missense mutation
c) Nonsense mutation
d) Frameshift mutation
Answer: c) Nonsense mutation
8. Which enzyme is responsible for joining Okazaki fragments during DNA replication?
a) DNA polymerase
b) Ligase
c) Helicase
d) Primase
Answer: b) Ligase
9. In bacterial conjugation, what is the function of the F plasmid?
a) To integrate into the bacterial chromosome
b) To facilitate the transfer of genetic material between bacteria
c) To protect the bacteria from phage infection
d) To repair damaged DNA
Answer: b) To facilitate the transfer of genetic material between bacteria
10. In microbial genetics, transposition refers to:
a) The replication of DNA
b) The transfer of genes from one location to another within the same genome
c) The uptake of foreign DNA by a bacterial cell
d) The synthesis of RNA from DNA
Answer: b) The transfer of genes from one location to another within the same genome