Microbiology- Essay Portion
Directions:
Choose 7 of the following10 questions listed below. Your answer for each question should be a minimum of 150 words (half page). Please number your answers and print
the number of the question you are answering above your answers. Identify subsections accordingly.
We suggest you write or print out the essay questions for handy reference as you develop your answers.
1) Blood isolated from an emergency room patient contains antibodies against the measles virus.
Please explain whether or not the patient should be quarantined immediately because they are infected with the measles virus and why?
What are theother plausible explanations for anti-measles antibodies in the patient’s blood?
2) Describe how the clonal expansion theory explains the more rapid production of antigen specific antibodies, Helper T- cells and Cytotoxic T-cells,during a secondary infection.
3) Positive diagnosis of AIDS is made when a patient has antibodies against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Please explain why the patient has an immune deficiency if he or she is making antibodies?
4) Characterize the differences and similarities between innate and
adaptive immunity in form and function.
5) What is the effect of discharging primary-treated sewage on the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and dissolved O2(DO) of the receiving body of water? What is the effect of secondary-treated sewage on the BOD and DO?
6) A newspaper headline reported “Algal Bloom Kills Fish.”
As you read, you find that the algae did not produce toxins. Please explain what actually caused fish death, given that the algae are not toxic? What could have caused the algal bloom?
7) Explain the data from a bioremediation experiment in Table
1 below.
Table 1:
These results were obtained from a bioremediation experiment:
|
Number of colonies on
|
|
Minimal Salts Agar
Inoculated with Soil
|
Agar
Inoculated with Soil
|
Uninoculated
Minimal Salts Agar
|
|
Without Gasoline
|
With Gasoline
|
Without Gasoline
|
With Gasoline
|
Without Gasoline
|
|
3
|
33
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
8) What is fermentation and how can it be used to preserve foods? Please give specific examples in your explanation.
9) Compare and contrast how a farmer would use Rhizobium versus Bacillus thuringiensis? Are there any other types of microbes the farmer could use for similar purposes?
Figure 1
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10) Salmonella heidelberg gastroenteritis occurred on three cruises aboard the T.S.S. Festivale. Figure 1 shows on-board clinic visits for diarrheal illness between February 10 and March 3.
a. Explain the incidence pattern shown on the graph.
b. What are probable modes of transmission?
c. What changes would you recommend before the ship books more cruises after March 3?
