Chapter 5 - Metagenomics

What does metagenomics study?
a) Plants in the environment
b) Microbes using environmental DNA (eDNA)
c) The behavior of large animals
d) The effect of pollution on humans

• a

• b

• c

• d

Where can microbes be found?
a) Only in water
b) Only in soil
c) Everywhere, including extreme environments
d) Only in warm and wet areas

• a

• b

• c

• d

What do microbes help control?
a) The movement of planets
b) Global biogeochemical cycles
c) Human emotions
d) The speed of ocean currents

• a

• b

• c

• d

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What do microbial communities contain?
a) Only bacteria
b) Only viruses
c) Both living and dead cells
d) Only animals

• a

• b

• c

• d

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Which of the following is NOT a requirement for microbial life?
a) Water
b) Suitable pH and temperature
c) A human host
d) An energy source

• a

• b

• c

• d

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What is the main problem with cultivation-dependent methods?
a) They are too expensive
b) They do not represent all microbial diversity
c) They require too many scientists
d) They only work for viruses

• a

• b

• c

• d

What is the ‘Great Plate Count Anomaly’?
a) The inability to count bacteria
b) The fact that most bacteria do not grow on standard lab plates
c) A mistake scientists make in counting microbes
d) A special method for studying fungi

• a

• b

• c

• d

Why is it hard to mimic real environmental conditions in a lab?
a) Lack of symbionts, nutrients, or surfaces
b) Labs do not have enough space
c) Scientists do not know how to grow bacteria
d) Bacteria prefer artificial environments

• a

• b

• c

• d

How much of the bacterial world can be cultured in a lab?
a) Less than 2%
b) 10%
c) 50%
d) Almost all bacteria

• a

• b

• c

• d

What is an advantage of cultivation-independent methods?
a) They require growing bacteria in a lab
b) They allow scientists to study microbes directly from the environment
c) They are easier and faster than DNA sequencing
d) They can only study viruses

• a

• b

• c

• d