A patient with a painful ulcer had a wound culture revealing Gram-negative rods with a characteristic 'safety pin' appearance. What is the most likely causative agent?

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Yersinia pestis. Y. pestis is a Gram-negative rod that exhibits a 'safety pin' appearance on staining due to bipolar staining. This bacterium is the causative agent of plague, which can present as painful ulcers known as buboes. Y. pestis is transmitted by fleas and can cause outbreaks in humans. Summary: - B: Francisella tularensis causes tularemia, not typically associated with painful ulcers. - C: Brucella abortus causes brucellosis, which does not typically present with painful ulcers. - D: Clostridium botulinum causes botulism, characterized by muscle weakness and paralysis, not painful ulcers.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Van Leeuwenhoek. Van Leeuwenhoek was a Dutch scientist known for his pioneering work in microscopy. He was the first to observe microbial life, including bacteria on teeth, using his handmade microscopes in the 17th century. Jenner (choice A) is known for developing the smallpox vaccine, not for microbial observations. Semmelweis (choice B) discovered the importance of handwashing in preventing infections. Pasteur (choice D) is famous for his work on pasteurization and germ theory, but not specifically for observing microbial life on teeth. Van Leeuwenhoek's meticulous observations and groundbreaking discoveries make him the correct choice in this context.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: serratia spp. This is because serratia spp. are not typically found in the normal skin microflora. Normal skin microflora primarily consist of bacteria such as diphtheroids, alpha-hemolytic streptococci, and epidermidis. Serratia spp. are more commonly associated with healthcare-associated infections rather than being a part of the skin's natural bacterial flora. Therefore, choice B is the correct answer. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect as they are commonly found in the normal skin microflora.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Family Reoviridae. Reassortment of gene segments occurs in segmented viruses like Reoviruses. In Reoviridae, each segment encodes a specific protein, allowing for reassortment to generate new strains. Togaviridae (A) is a non-segmented virus, not capable of reassortment. Picornaviridae (C) and Paramyxoviruses (D) are also non-segmented viruses, limiting their ability for reassortment. Therefore, the correct choice is B due to the segmented nature of Reoviruses allowing for genetic reassortment.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: ocular lens. The ocular lens is the lens closest to the eye in a compound light microscope. This lens is responsible for magnifying the image produced by the objective lens. It typically has a magnification power of 10x. The objective lens, choice B, is positioned closer to the specimen and provides the primary magnification of the image. The condenser, choice C, is located beneath the stage and helps focus light onto the specimen. The stage, choice D, is where the specimen is placed for observation. Therefore, the ocular lens is the correct choice as it is the lens closest to the eye and responsible for further magnifying the image.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A because the cloudy surface indicates that the bacteria are growing where oxygen is present (aerobes), causing turbidity. The clear bottom suggests that the bacteria are not growing in the absence of oxygen. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because the observed phenomena do not necessarily indicate the need for an anaerobic chamber, enzyme deficiencies, or the microorganism being non-aerotolerant.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Escherichia coli. E. coli is the most common cause of acute cystitis. It typically presents with leukocytes and gram-negative bacilli in the urine. The green pigment production indicates pyocyanin, which is a characteristic of E. coli. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (A) can also produce green pigment, but it is less common in urinary tract infections. Proteus mirabilis (B) is associated with a swarming motility pattern on agar, not mucous colonies. Klebsiella pneumoniae (D) is associated with pneumonia and other respiratory infections, not cystitis.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Step 1: Gram-positive cocci in grape-like clusters suggest Staphylococcus. Step 2: Catalase-positive indicates Staphylococcus (negative for Streptococcus). Step 3: Coagulase-positive is specific for Staphylococcus aureus. Summary: B: Streptococcus pyogenes is catalase-negative. C: Enterococcus faecalis does not form grape-like clusters. D: Micrococcus luteus is catalase-positive but not coagulase-positive.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: 1 chromosome. Bacterial cells typically have a singular circular chromosome that contains their genetic material. This chromosome is essential for the cell's survival and contains all the necessary genetic information for its functions. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because they refer to the chromosome numbers found in human cells (23 pairs or 46 individual chromosomes). Bacteria, being prokaryotic organisms, have a simpler genetic makeup compared to eukaryotic organisms like humans, hence they possess only one chromosome.