Study Guide for Viruses and Bacteria Test

First, as always, you should review all old bell quizzes and make corrections. These
are probably the best tool you have to study with.

Also review all worksheets. Be able to answer similar questions on the worksheets you
had for homework.

Specific information you should know:

ABOUT VIRUSES:

- What is a virus? How is it passed from person to person?

- Structurally, how does a virus look? IE, does it have a cell membrane, etc?

- Is a virus considered to be something ‘living?’ Why or why not?

- What are the two main types of viruses?

- What is a host cell?

- What does a virus do once it is inside a host cell? Be able to give a detailed account of
this process.

- How does the human body fight a viral infection? What type of cells are responsible
for fighting the infection?

- What are vaccines? What are the two types of vaccines?

- What do vaccines do? How specifically do they cause immunity?

- What virus was the first vaccine for? Who invented it? How specifically did he come
to the idea of a vaccine?

- Be able to list some viruses.

- What was the Spanish Influenza? In what year did the largest outbreak occur? What
war was ongoing at the time?

- Why was the Spanish Influenza so deadly? (there is more than one reason)

- What are some of the similarities and differences (political, technological, etc) of the
time period of the Spanish Influenza compared to today?

- Explain, in detail, the structure of a typical flu virus.

- Describe the typical infection pathway of an avian flu (IE, starts in birds, then needs a
second mammal before infecting humans)

ABOUT BACTERIA:

- What are bacteria? Are they all harmful? What is the approximate percentage of
harmful bacteria in the environment?
 - Structurally, how does bacteria look? IE, what structures make it different, similar to
plant cells and animal cells? Flagella, pillus, etc

- Are bacteria considered to be something living? Why or why not?

- How does bacteria reproduce? Asexual? Sexual? What is the difference? Be able to
explain how these methods of reproduction occur and how they are different from one another.

- What are endospores? What is an example of an infectious bacteria that can produce
endospores? Why is an endospore advantageous?

- What are the three shapes of bacteria? Know the Latin/Greek names and be able to
identify them.

- What are some diseases that are caused by bacteria?

- Where in your body would you likely find the largest concentration of helpful bacteria?

- What does anaerobic and aerobic mean?

- What is a saprophyte?

- What is an antibiotic?

- There will likely be a few more things added to this list.

- What is agar?