Which of the following bacteria is responsible for causing the plague?

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Yersinia pestis. Y. pestis is responsible for causing the plague, a severe infectious disease. This bacterium is transmitted via fleas from rodents to humans. It causes bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plague. Clostridium difficile causes gastrointestinal infections, Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes gonorrhea, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause various infections but not the plague.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D, "All of the above." Escherichia coli is the most common bacteria causing UTIs due to its ability to colonize the urinary tract. Salmonella enterica and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are not typically associated with UTIs. Therefore, by process of elimination, since A is correct, B and C are incorrect.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Outer membrane with lipopolysaccharides. Gram-negative bacteria have an outer membrane that contains lipopolysaccharides, which play a role in pathogenicity and resistance to certain antibiotics. This outer membrane is a distinguishing feature of Gram-negative bacteria, as opposed to Gram-positive bacteria that have a thick peptidoglycan layer. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because Gram-negative bacteria have a thin peptidoglycan layer, do have a cell wall (although it is different from Gram-positive bacteria), and do not contain teichoic acids.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D because all three bacteria mentioned (Clostridium botulinum, Vibrio cholerae, and Escherichia coli) are capable of producing exotoxins that cause severe diarrhea. Clostridium botulinum produces botulinum toxin leading to botulism, Vibrio cholerae produces cholera toxin causing cholera, and some strains of Escherichia coli produce enterotoxins causing severe diarrhea. Choices A, B, and C alone are incorrect because each of them can produce exotoxins that cause severe diarrhea.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D, "All of the above." Clostridium botulinum produces botulinum toxin causing botulism, Vibrio cholerae produces cholera toxin leading to severe diarrhea, and certain strains of Escherichia coli produce toxins causing gastrointestinal illness. Therefore, all three bacteria are known for producing toxins that can cause severe gastrointestinal illness. Choices A, B, and C individually represent bacteria known for producing toxins that can cause severe gastrointestinal illness, making them incorrect individual choices.