Section A:
[60 marks]
1. Why is Carl Woese an important figure in microbial classification and taxonomy? (5 marks)
2. What is the GC content of the molecule below?
(5 marks)
-CAAAAAGAAAAAAGCCAACCAAGGGCAAAAACGGCCACGA-
3. Explain why the presence of many Archaea has only been confirmed by community sampling
of rRNA genes and not by culture in the laboratory.
(5 marks)
4. When a new organism is described, certain procedures take place before its name and
description become "official." Explain this process.
(5 marks)
5. Explain the defining features of Enteric bacteria.
(5 marks)
6. Explain how Wolbachia and Bacillus thuringiensis might be used as natural insecticides
against arthropods and insects, respectively.
(5 marks)
7. Why does Archaeoglobus represent a metabolically transitional type of organism
that bridged the energy generating processes of S production and methanogenesis?
(5 marks)
8. Compare and contrast Pyrodictium and Pyrolobus.
(5 marks)
9. Explain why Nanoarchaeum is classified as a cell rather than a non-cell.
(5 marks)
10. Where is the thermosome found and what is its apparent role?
(5 marks)
11. Speculate on the possibility of life on other planets.
(5 marks)
12. Why can multiple phylogenetic probes be used on a single sample?
(5 marks)
Section B {Essays):
[60 marks]
1. "We only know about 5-10% of the bacteria out there". Comment on this
statement in an essay highlighting the technological challenges in generating
data to name new bacteria microbes.
2. Describe the diversity in the Proteobacteria.
{30 marks)
(30 marks)
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