Environmental Biology Midterm 2022

General Preferences/HISTORY

100

This type of organism prefers a temperature < 20 degrees C

What is a Psychrophile

200

These types of organism prefer a temperature range of (two answers)

• 20- 45 degrees C 

• T > 45 degrees C

What is a 

- Mesophile 

- Thermophile

300

An organism that prefers saline conditions

What is a Halophile

400

These organisms prefer a pH range of (three answers)

1) 5 < pH < 9

2) pH < 5

3) pH > 9 

What is a... 

• Neutrophile

• Acidophile

• Alkaliphile

500

The Q10 rule states that organisms will double for every ___ degrees Celcius 

What is 10?

600

Within these years Von Leeuwenhoek identified ‘animalcules’ with an early microscope 

1670 - 1680

700

What early 1800s event in Ireland forced people to think about microbiology?

Irish potato Blight– caused by fungus (Phytophthora infestans) , killed about one million people from starvation

800

In the 1800s the French chemist Louis Pasteur invented this ground breaking way to keep food fresh 

What is Pasteurization?

900

A theory by Louis Pasteur in 1861 that theorized that living creatures could arise from non-living matter

What is the spontaneous generation of life theory

1000

Amount of deaths annually that occur from lack of access to clean water 

10 million

FUNgus

100

Are all Fungus aerobic or anaerobic? 

All are aerobic, but some are facultative

200

Fungus are usually saprotrophs, these are...

organisms that decay dead organic matter

300

True or False: Many Fungi are parasites

True-- Fungi can be parasites for both animals and plants 

400

Fungi Cell walls are made out of _____, this allows them to maintain moisture in dry environments and gives them competitive advantage over________ _______

Chitin, heterotrophic bacteria

500

Energy in fungi is primarily stored as _______

glycogen

600

Fungi are important in industry. Which, if any, of the bellow are bacteria and not Fungi?

Penicillin- penicillium candidum 

Alcohol and bread Production- Saccharomyces cerveseria, Brettanomyces

Cheese- many (penicillium roqueforti)  

No!

700

True or False: Fungi are mostly Aquatic 

False:

• Most terrestrial, some aquatic

800

True or False: Fungi can be unicellular or multicellular

True

900

What Fungi is this describing:

• Multicellular, reproduce via spores, have thread-like filaments called hyphae. (group of hyphae is called mycelium)

MOLD

Gram negative Facultative Rods and Chemolithotrophs (prokaryotes)

100

What does it mean to be Enteric?

Exists in Intestines

200

Fecal Coliform Ferments ______ at 44.5 degrees Celsius 

Lactose

300

Fecal Coliform is traditionally used to monitor pathogen levels as it is an indicator organism, what does Fecal Coliform indicate?

Is an indicator of Salmonella and shigella 

400

True or False: Humans are loaded with E.coli 

True

500

Gram Negative chemolithotrophs require inorganic energy sources, name one inorganic energy source

NH₄⁺/NH₃, H₂S, Fe 2+, etc. 

600

Nitrifying bacteria are Gram Negative Chemolithotrophs that include Nitrobacteraceae:

What are the two group that make up Nitrobacteraceae and what process in the nitrogen cycle are they a part of?

• NH4+ → NO2- (nitrosomonas, nitrosospira, Nitrosococcus)

  • Nitrification 

• NO2- → NO3- (Nitrobacter, Nitrospira, Nitrococcus)

  • (nitrification)

700

Colorless Sulfur Bacteria is colorless because.....

It does not use photosynthesis 

800

Colorless Sulfur Bacteria uses _______ ________ as energy 

Reduced Sulfur 

900

What domain are Methane Forming archaebacteria in?

Archaebacteria-- Found in extreme environments, DNA difficult to denature 

1000

Methanogens are Strict________

and convert  (CH3COOH) → CH4 + CO2 and are important in ______ ______ in WWTP

Anaerobes, anaerobic digestors 

Prokaryote vs Eukaryote

100

Has nuclear bound DNA 

What is a Eukaryote

200

Has a Size of 0.5 - 2 um (1)

Has a Size of 2 - 200 um (2)

1. Prokaryote

2. Eukaryote

300

DNA has several chromosomes (1)

DNA is a single molecule (2) 

1. Eukaryotes

2. Prokaryotes

400

Is only Unicellular (1)

Can be unicellular, multicellular, or colonial (2)

1. Prokaryote

2. Eukaryote

500

Where does ATP production happen in Prokaryotes vs. Eukaryotes?

Prokaryotes: At the cell membrane 

Eukaryote: Within the cell itself 

Oxygen Related

100

What is the most Common terminal electron acceptor and what are organisms called that use it as a TEA 

Oxygen, aerobic organisms 

200

This type of organism does not use O2 as a TEA (1) and instead uses (name one TEA that is not O2)

1. Anaerobic Organism 

2. Nitrate (NO3 -), Sulfate (SO4 2-), Fe 3+, Fe 2+, other inorganic elements 

300

This organism prefers non-O2 TEA but can use O2

Facultative Anaerobe 

400

This type of Organism has to have O2

What is an obligate aerobe

500

A that system has > 2 mg/L dissolved Oxygen  

What is an aerobic system 

600

A system that has < 2 mg DO/L 

What is an anaerobic system

700

DO < 2 mg/L    AND NO₃^-  (nitrate) is present 

Anoxic System 

Carbon and Oxygen Cycle

100

This step in the C/O cycle turns inorganic carbon into organic carbon 

Hints:

• CO2 + H2O → CH2O + O2 

• Fixes Carbon: CO2 → Organic Carbon 

• Or, formation of reduced carbon (foundation of the food web)

• Solar energy → chemical energy 

What is Photosynthesis?

200

This stage in the C/O cycle Converts fixed carbon into CO₂

• CH₂O + O₂ → CO₂ + H₂O + heat (Δ)

• Releases Energy

Aerobic Respiration

300

This stage in the C/O cycle that is carried out by saprotrophs 

What is Decay?

400

This process within the C/O cycle  converts CO2 → CH4

• Fixes carbon

• and is carried out by archaebacteria

What is Methanogenesis 

500

• CO₂ + H₂O → CH₂O + O₂

Photosynthesis 

600

• CO₂ → CH₄

What is Methanogenesis 

700

Converts fixed carbon to CO₂

Aerobic Restoration

800

The process of turning inorganic carbon into organic carbon 

What is Carbon Fixing

900

What is CH₂O 

What is a Carbohydrate?

Energy

100

Uses Light as energy 

Phototroph

200

Uses Chemical Energy : Organic Molecules

chemoorganotroph

300

Uses Chemical Energy: inorganic molecules

chemolithotroph

400

Give one example of an inorganic molecule that is commonly used as an energy source

NH4+/NH3 (ammonium/ammonia), H2S (hydrogen Sulfide)

500

Organic Molecules are...

Any carbon containing molecule (some exceptions)

600

Name the three carbon containing molecules that are not considered Organic Molecules

Carbonates (H2CO3, HCO3-, CO32-), Carbon dioxide, and Carbides 

700

CO₂ dissolved in water becomes this 

H₂CO₃

(H2O + CO2 = H2CO3)

800

This organism uses Organic Carbon as a carbon source

Heterotroph 

900

This organism uses inorganic carbon for carbon source 

Autotroph 

Algae

100

Most algae are ________ (what do they consume?)

photoautotrophs (light and inorganic carbon)

200

Can be non-motile, or flagellated, none are ____

ciliated

300

Can be planktonic or benthic, what does this mean?

(in suspension in water)

(in sediments/soil)

400

Most Algae preform what type of photosynthesis?

oxygenic photosynthesis

500

Many are primary producers but can cause problems such as.... (name one)

 Eutrophication , DO depletion, toxin production

600

What Phylum of Algae does this describe: 

• Chlorophyll a & b. Carbs stored as starch 

• Cellulosic cell wall

• Freshwater, marine, or terrestrial 

• Can have harmful algae blooms

• 
  

  • E.g. cladophora- filamentous algae 

What is Chlorophyta/ Green Algae

700

What Phylum of algae does this describe? 

• Includes yellow-green, golden-brown, and diatoms

• yellow - green and golden-brown

  • Chlorophyll A and C

  • Store energy as lipids- unsaturated  

  • Mainly freshwater, some marine

  • Diatoms
    Ubiquitous: freshwater, marine, and terrestrial

    • Cell wall contains silica 

    • Shell called ‘frustule’

    • Dead diatoms constitute ‘diatomaceous earth’

    • Importance primary  producers 

Chrysophyta

800

• Classified as protozoa and alga 

• No cell wall, usually flagellated

• Can live phototrophically or heterotrophically

• Commonly found in freshwater with high organic content 

• Chlorophyll a and b 

• Store energy as paramylon 

Euglenophyta

900

• Mainly marine, some freshwater

  • Typically planktonic

  • Generally bi-flagellated 

  • Mainly heterotrophs, most are also phototrophs 

  • Cellulose/silica cell wall (armor like) 

  •  Can cause harmful algal blooms (HABs)

    • Red Tides: Gonyaulax and others 

    • Paralytic shellfish poisoning

      • Gonyaulax and pfiesteria   

Dinoflagellates

1000

Eutrophication can cause 

an overabundance of algae and plants. The excess algae and plant matter eventually decompose, producing large amounts of carbon dioxide. This lowers the pH of seawater, a process known as ocean acidification

Protozoa

100

Protozoa are classified based on _______

Motility 

200

The class Mastigophora use ________ to move. Many are parasites, including Giardia 

Flagellum 

300

The class _________ move by pseudopodia and can cause amoebic dysentery (through Entamoeba histolytica) and eat using phagocytosis 

Sarcodina (Amoeba)

400

Ciliophora move through hairlike projections called  _______

cilia

 

500

This class of Protozoa are non-mobile and are obligate parasites 

Sporozoa (Apicomplexa)

600

Plasmodium belongs to what class of Protozoa and causes what disease 

• Sporozoa (Apicomplexa)

• Plasmodium- causes malaria

700

Vorticella are stalked protozoa that help clean bulk water in WWTP, what class do they belong to?

Ciliophora (ciliates)

800

Least specialized of the four Classes of protozoa 

Sarcodina (Amoeba)

900

which is false: 

Protozoa are all unicellular 

Protozoa cannot survive in low DO environments

Protozoa CAN survive in low DO environments

1000

Name all 4 classes of protozoa and their mobility type 

Mastigophora: use flagellum 

Sarcodina (amoeba): use pseudopodia 

Ciliophora: move via cilia 

Sporozoa: no movement 

Prokaryotes: Phototrophic bacteria

100

Cyanobacteria (blue green algae) are the only type of prokaryotes to use this process 

Oxygenic Photosynthesis 

200

True or false: 

Cyanobacteria is a Prokaryotic Phototrophic Bacteria that can fix nitrogen gas

True, Cyanobacteria can fix nitrogen gas

300

True or false: 

Cyanobacteria does not cause problematic blooms in eutrophic environments

False, Cyanobacteria can cause harmful blooms and produces cyanotoxins

400

Purple vs Green Photosynthetic sulfur bacteria: 

Which stores sulfur intracellularly?

Purple Photosynthetic Bacteria 

500

Purple vs Green photosynthetic sulfur bacteria:

Carries out anoxygenic Photosynthesis 

Both

600

Purple vs. green photosynthetic sulfur bacteria:

Can tolerate lower levels of light and a higher concentration of H₂S₂

Green photosynthetic sulfur bacteria 

700

Which type of Prokaryotic Purple/Green photosynthetic bacteria is this describing:

1. Can only tolerate low levels of H₂S

2. Is a Facultative Anaerobe

 

Purple/Green photosynthetic  non-sulfur bacteria 

800

Oxygen is toxic to Cyanobacteria (true or False)

False, Cyanobacteria uses oxygenic photosynthesis and needs oxygen- they are aerobic photoautotrophs 

900

list the order of Prokaryotic Phototrophic bacteria that you would find in a lake's water column  from top to bottom 

1.Cyanobacteria 

2. Purple/Green photosynthetic non-sulfur Bacteria

3. Purple photosynthetic sulfur bacteria 

4. Green Photosynthetic sulfur bacteria 

Prokaryotes:Sheathed Bacteria

100

Spherotilus  can cause what in WWTP sludge and why? 

Poorly settling sludge because the filaments they grow are spread out and float on the surface 

200

This is a group of spiral-shaped/helically coiled bacteria that can cause diseases such as syphilis and Lyme disease

What are Spirochetes?

300

This process differentiates bacteria based on the thickness of their peptidoglycan layer– the thicker this is the harder it is to penetrate the cell wall. The stain colors the cell depending on this thickness. Leves cells purple, blue, or red– negative or gram positive

What is a Gram Stain?

400

This Genus of prokaryotic Sheathed Bacteria is very good at degrading Xenobiotics and is important in WWTP and remediation

What are Pseudomonads 

500

This Pseudomonad is the 2nd most studied bacteria after e.coli and can be found in the lungs of persons with cystic fibrosis 

What is P. aeruginosa 

600

Aztobacer and Rhizobacteria are ______ fixing bacteria 

Nitrogen

700

Azotobacter is found in _____

Soil 

800

________ is found in root nodules in plants and fixes nitrogen 

Rhizobacteria 

The Nitrogen Cycle

100

Nitrogen is important because it is a major component of________ (name one)

What are: Nucleic Acids, Amino Acids, and Proteins (enzymes)

200

First step in the Nitrogen Cycle. Carried out by microbes such as Cyanobacteria

Consumes H+, so _____ pH

Typically occurs at a ____ O₂ level 

Nitrogen Fixation, 

increase, 

low 

300

Biological assimilation is the ___ step in the nitrogen cycle and turns NO₃- into _____

2nd, Organic-Nitrogen 

400

Mineralization in the __ step of the nitrogen cycle, is anaerobic or aerobic, and turns Org-N into _____

3rd, NH₄+

500

The 4th step of the Nitrogen Cycle 

Oxidation of ammonia to nitrite then nitrate

Nitrification

600

Reduction of nitrate to nitrogen gas 

is an _______ process

Denitrification, Aerobic 

(Carried out by Pseudomonas, Thiobacillus)

700

Name all the steps of the Phosphorous cycle