Francisella tularensis is:

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Gram-negative coccobacillus. Francisella tularensis is a Gram-negative coccobacillus because it has a unique shape that is between a coccus (spherical) and a bacillus (rod-shaped) and it stains pink/red in the Gram staining process. It is important to note that it is not a coccus (choice B) or a Gram-positive bacterium (choice A). Choice C is too general and does not specify the coccobacillus shape of F. tularensis. So, the correct answer is D due to its specific characteristics as a Gram-negative coccobacillus.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Entamoeba histolytica. This protozoon is known to cause amoebic dysentery, presenting symptoms of weakness, intestinal pain, and indigestion. The presence of microbial cysts with four nuclei in fecal samples is characteristic of Entamoeba histolytica. These cysts are the infective form of the parasite and can cause severe invasive disease in the intestines. Incorrect choices: B: Entamoeba coli does not typically cause invasive disease or severe symptoms like those described in the question. C: Balantidium is a ciliated protozoan that causes balantidiasis, which presents differently from the symptoms described in the question. D: Trichomonad is a flagellated protozoan that typically infects the urogenital tract, not the intestine, and does not form cysts with four nuclei. In summary, the key clues in the question were the symptoms of weakness, intestinal pain,

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Protoplast. Lipopolysaccharides of Gram-negative bacteria consist of three main components: O-specific polysaccharide chain, R-specific polysaccharide chain, and Lipid A. Protoplast is not a component of lipopolysaccharides. O-specific polysaccharide chain is responsible for serotype specificity, R-specific polysaccharide chain varies among strains, and Lipid A is the endotoxin component. Protoplast refers to a bacterial cell devoid of a cell wall, which is not a component of lipopolysaccharides.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: The lysozyme hydrolyzes the glycoside bonds between the N-acetylmuramic acid and the N-acetylglucosamine in the peptidoglycan of the cell wall. This is because lysozyme is an enzyme that specifically targets the peptidoglycan layer of bacterial cell walls, breaking down the structure by cleaving the glycosidic bonds between these two specific sugar molecules. This action weakens the cell wall, leading to bacterial cell lysis. The other choices are incorrect because lysozyme does not target phosphate bonds in phospholipids (B), disulfide bonds in immunoglobulins (C), or hydrogen bonds in bacterial capsules (D).

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A. Method of Ziel-Neelsen. This method uses a special stain (carbol fuchsin) to detect acid-fast organisms like Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis. The staining procedure involves heating the slide to help penetrate the mycolic acid layer of the bacteria, making them resistant to decolorization by acid-alcohol. The red stained acid-fast bacilli stand out against the blue counterstain. This method is specific for identifying tubercle bacilli in sputum samples. Choice B: Method of Romanowsky-Giemsa is used for staining blood smears and is not suitable for detecting acid-fast bacilli in sputum. Choice C: Method of Gram is used for staining bacteria based on their cell wall composition and is not effective for identifying acid-fast bacilli like Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Choice D: Method of Neisser is not a specific staining method for acid-fast bacilli and is not suitable