Microbiology Practice Exam

What characteristic do Rickettsias and Chlamydias share with viruses?

1. They can survive independently in the environment

2. They are obligate intracellular organisms

3. They replicate through binary fission

4. They have a cell wall

The correct answer is: They are obligate intracellular organisms

Rickettsias and Chlamydias share the characteristic of being obligate intracellular organisms, which means they require a host cell for replication and survival. Unlike free-living bacteria that can grow in a variety of environments, these organisms cannot thrive outside a host because they depend on the host cell's machinery for energy and metabolism. This is similar to viruses, which also cannot replicate independently and require a host cell to produce new virus particles. The relationship between Rickettsias and Chlamydias with their host cells highlights the complexities of microbial life. While they exhibit characteristics of both living organisms and dependency on host cells, their inability to grow outside of a host aligns them more closely with the behavior of viruses. In contrast, organisms that can survive independently in the environment do not require host cells and can reproduce through mechanisms like binary fission, which Rickettsias and Chlamydias cannot do outside of a host. Furthermore, the presence of a cell wall is a feature more characteristic of bacteria in general and is not a shared trait with viruses, which lack a cell wall.