revision

  1. What is sterilisation?

  2. What technique uses pressurised steam to sterilise items?

  3. At what temperature and duration does autoclaving occur for most laboratory items?

  4. What change occurs in Browne’s tubes during sterilisation?

  5. Name two items that can be sterilised using dry heat.

  6. Why is dry heat unsuitable for sterilising plastic or culture media?

  7. How are heat-sensitive liquids, such as those containing antibiotics, sterilised?

  8. What sterilisation technique is used for Petri dishes and surgical gloves?

  9. Define ‘biocidal’ and ‘biostatic’.

  10. How does concentration affect the efficacy of disinfectants?

Risk Assessment and Safety Measures

  1. Differentiate between a hazard and a risk in microbiology.

  2. What is a novel risk assessment?

  3. Why is selective media used in microbiology?

  4. What type of culture vessels is less likely to break if dropped?

  5. Why should laboratory coats be removed before leaving the lab?

  6. Name a protective measure taken during the cleanup of a small-scale spillage.

  7. How are fermenter rooms designed to handle large-scale spillages?

Culture Media and Techniques

  1. What is an agar plate?

  2. Why are agar plates inverted during preparation?

  3. What is the purpose of buffers in culture media?

  4. How is nitrogen provided in culture media?

  5. What is the main carbon source in culture media?

  6. Name one difference between synthetic and complex media.

  7. What type of culture media inhibits the growth of unwanted micro-organisms?

  8. What is a pure culture?

  9. How can you differentiate a pure culture from a mixed culture?

Microbial Growth and Counting Techniques

  1. What is a viable count?

  2. What is a haemocytometer used for?

  3. Define bacterial lawn.

  4. How are viable micro-organisms counted using agar plates?

  5. Why are samples diluted for microbial counting?

  6. What is the difference between a viable count and a total count?

  7. What instrument is used for turbidity-based counting?

Antibiotic Sensitivity and Bacteriophage Growth

  1. What does a clear area around an antibiotic disc indicate?

  2. What is the function of plaques on a bacterial lawn?

Plant Micropropagation

  1. Why does nutrient medium contain a source of carbon for callus growth?

  2. Name two plant growth substances critical for callus development.

  3. What role do vitamins play in nutrient media?

Bacterial Identification

  1. How does Gram staining differentiate bacteria?

  2. What colour does Gram-positive bacteria appear under a microscope?

  3. What is the shape of cocci bacteria?

  4. What are rod-shaped bacteria called?

  5. Name a characteristic used to identify bacterial colonies on media.

  6. What biochemical process can help identify bacteria based on their metabolic properties?

Flowcharts and Advanced Diagnostic Techniques

  1. How are flowcharts used in bacterial identification?

  2. What are monoclonal antibodies, and how are they produced?

  3. Name one application of monoclonal antibodies in diagnostics.

Laboratory Protocol and Best Practices

  1. Why should media containers not be filled to capacity during autoclaving?

  2. Why is the neck of a container flamed during aseptic transfers?

  3. What precautions should be taken to prevent contamination when working with cultures?