Skip to ContentGo to accessibility pageKeyboard shortcuts menu
OpenStax Logo
Microbiology

Critical Thinking

MicrobiologyCritical Thinking
Search for key terms or text.

Critical Thinking

36.

Explain how the discovery of fermented foods likely benefited our ancestors.

37.

What evidence would you use to support this statement: Ancient people thought that disease was transmitted by things they could not see.

38.

Why is using binomial nomenclature more useful than using common names?

39.

Label the three Domains found on modern phylogenetic trees.

The phylogenetic Tree of Life. A drawing of branching lines. The central line at the bottom branches into two main branches. On the left branch is a purple branch that contains the following sub-branches: Green filamentous bacteria, Gram positives, Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Spirocheres. The branch to the right subdivides into a red and a brown branch. The brown branch contains the following sub-branches: Smile molds, Plants, Fungi and Animals. The red branch contains the following sub-branches: Thermoproteus, Methanococcus, Methanobacterium, and Halophiles.
40.

Contrast the behavior of a virus outside versus inside a cell.

41.

Where would a virus, bacterium, animal cell, and a prion belong on this chart?

A bar along the bottom indicates size of various objects. At the far right is a from egg at approximately 1 mm. To the left are a human egg and a pollen grain at approximately 0.1 mm. Next is a red blood cell at just under 10 µm. Next is a mitochondrion at approximately 1 µm. Next are proteins which range from 5-10 nm. Next are lipids which range from 2-5 nm. Next is C60 (fullerene molecule) which is approximately 1 nm. Finally, atoms are approximately 0.1 nm.
PreviousNext
Order a print copy
Citation/Attribution

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/microbiology/pages/1-introduction

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a digital format, then you must include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/microbiology/pages/1-introduction

Citation information

© Apr 28, 2025 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.