BISC 372 Long Answer Take Home Exam Questions

This portion of the exam consists of five long answer questions. Questions 1-3 must be answered in no more than two pages. Responses to question 4 can be a maximum of ¾ page, and question 5, a half page. There is no need to include the question as part of your answers, but indicate the question number. Answers should be typed in single spaced, at least 11 point in calibri, times new roman or arial with 2.54 cm margins on all sides. This portion of the exam will make up 40% of the grade for the final exam.
Submit your responses on canvas by Wednesday August 19th at noon

1. You have discovered a virus that causes a new type of SARS in pigs. Describe the steps you would take to design an ELISA to determine if pigs have been exposed to the virus. (5 points)

2. We have covered several viruses in this course including the SARS Coronavirus 2 which causes Covid-19. Using this virus as an example describe how this virus fulfills all the requirements of the infectious disease cycle using molecular details that you learned about in this course. (10 points)

3. You learned many things about the bacteria in this course. Describe how specific properties of some bacteria engage innate host defenses. In your answer you should mention the cell types involved and any relevant molecular events in host defenses that you learned about in this course. (10 points)

4. Fermentation is a method that has been used as a means to preserve food for thousands of years.
i) Describe what is meant by the term fermentation and how can it be distinguished from other similar forms of metabolism. What is a fermentation product, and what is its significance in metabolism?
ii) Describe two common types of fermentation that are used industrially, highlighting some of the organisms involved and the associated products, and their relevance in food microbiology.
iii) What particular aspects of fermented foods increases their longevity compared to fresh food? (10 points)

5. Phototaxis is an evolutionarily beneficial behaviour used by some microorganisms to move towards or away from light. Based on what you learned in class, describe the fundamental components of the sensory and motility apparatuses that are used by microbes to sense and alter their location in response to stimuli, including their location in the cell and the identity and location of key proteins in these structures. Describe the differences that might exist in the mechanisms and structures used for flagella-containing purple bacteria and non-flagellated Cyanobacteria in order to situate themselves optimally in a light gradient. (7 points)