Microorganisms Use Hydrogen Bonds to Attach Themselves to the Surfaces

question 55

Multiple Choice

Microorganisms use hydrogen bonds to attach themselves to the surfaces that they live upon. Many of them lose hold of the surface because of the weak nature of these bonds and end up dying or being washed away. Why don't microbes just use covalent bonds instead?

• A) Covalent bonds are always permanent bonds-the microbes could never get OFF their surface if they used them.
• B) Covalent bonds depend on completely giving up or completely accepting an electron to form the bond. This isn't possible for many microbes without dramatically altering their basic molecular composition.
• C) Covalent bonds typically require enzymes to form/break, whereas hydrogen bonds don't. If covalent bonds were used, it would require much more energy and molecules to be contributed from the cell. Hydrogen bonds don't have these requirements.
• D) Covalent bonds may have more specific and stringent requirements for what atoms can bond with what. This makes for stronger bonds, but also decreases the overall potential for bonds that could readily be created between the microbe and its desired surface.
• E) C and D

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Definitions:

Fixed Factory Overhead Volume Variance

A measure in management accounting that analyzes the difference between the budgeted and actual volume of production, affecting fixed overhead costs.

Standard Factory Overhead Rate

A predetermined rate used to allocate manufacturing overhead to individual units of production, based on a standard cost system.

Machine Hour

A unit of measure indicating the operating time of a machine, typically used in costing and operational efficiency calculations.

Normal Capacity

The production level expected to be achieved under normal conditions by a company, taking into account seasonal and cyclical demands.