Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The presence of acid-fast bacilli stained red against a blue background indicates mycobacteria, specifically Mycobacterium tuberculosis in this case. Ziehl-Neelsen staining is commonly used to detect tuberculosis. Diphtheria is caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, which does not stain with Ziehl-Neelsen. Pneumonia is a general term for lung infections caused by various pathogens. Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprae, which requires special staining methods different from Ziehl-Neelsen.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Acid-fast cell wall. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is characterized by its unique cell wall composition, containing high levels of mycolic acids which make it acid-fast. This property allows it to resist decolorization during acid-fast staining procedures. This distinguishes it from other bacteria. A: Producing spores is not a key feature of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Spore formation is more commonly associated with bacterial species such as Bacillus and Clostridium. B: Mycobacterium tuberculosis is not Gram-negative. It is classified as acid-fast Gram-positive. D: Mycobacterium tuberculosis does not produce toxins as a key feature. Its pathogenicity is more closely related to its ability to evade host immune responses and persist in host tissues.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: streptococci. This term refers to beadlike chains of cocci formed after cell division along a single axis. "Diplococci" (A) are pairs of cocci, "tetrads" (C) are groups of four cocci, and "sarcinae" (D) are cube-like groups of eight cocci. Streptococci is the most appropriate term for describing the specific arrangement mentioned in the question.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Mycelium. Mycelium refers to the network of branching filaments that form the main body of a fungus. When fungi grow on solid media, they develop a visible mass of mycelium. Hyphae (A) are the individual filaments that make up mycelium. Spores (C) are reproductive cells produced by fungi. Columella (D) refers to a specialized structure found in some fungi but is not related to the colonies grown on solid media. Therefore, the correct term for the colonies of fungi on solid media is mycelium.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: To determine the antibiotic susceptibility of microorganisms. PCR is not suitable for determining antibiotic susceptibility as it is a technique used to amplify DNA/RNA, not to test for antibiotic resistance. To prove latent infection (A), PCR can be used to detect low levels of pathogens. For rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases (B), PCR is commonly used due to its sensitivity and specificity. To demonstrate DNA and RNA molecules (D), PCR is ideal as it can amplify and detect specific sequences. Therefore, choice C is incorrect as PCR is not designed for determining antibiotic susceptibility.