Tryptic Soy Agar MCQs Mock Test

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Test your microbiology expertise with our Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) Mock Test! This 30-question quiz evaluates your knowledge of this fundamental general-purpose medium used in clinical, industrial, and research labs.

🔬 What You’ll Be Tested On:

✔ Medium Composition & Principles

Tryptone & soy peptone (protein sources)
Dextrose (carbohydrate source)
Agar concentration (1.5%)

✔ Clinical & Industrial Applications

Routine bacterial isolation (Staphylococcus, E. coli)
Blood agar base preparation
Environmental monitoring (air, surfaces)
Pharmaceutical sterility testing

✔ Quality Control Protocols

Acceptable pH range (7.3±0.2)
QC strains (E. coli ATCC 25922, S. aureus ATCC 25923)
Incubation conditions (temperature/duration)

✔ Troubleshooting

Poor colony morphology causes
Contamination identification
Media dehydration prevention

🎯 Perfect For:

Medical lab technicians (MLT/MLS certification)
Microbiology students (ASCP, USMLE prep)
Pharmaceutical QC analysts

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Microbiology Department

Tryptic Soy Agar MCQs Mock Test

Read Full Article: Tryptic Soy Agar FAQs and MCQs

1 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

At what temperature should TSA be autoclaved?

132°C

121°C

100°C

160°C

2 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

What is a positive CAMP test result?

Greenish discoloration

No hemolysis

Arrowhead-shaped hemolysis

Swarming motility

3 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

What is the main use of TSA with yeast extract?

Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes

Fungal sporulation

Viral plaque assays

Culturing Salmonella

4 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

What does alpha-hemolysis look like?

No change

Greenish discoloration

Clear zones

Black colonies

5 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

Why is dextrose added to TSA?

As a carbohydrate source

As a buffer

For selective inhibition

To enhance pigment production

6 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

What is the primary source of nitrogen in TSA?

Sodium chloride

Dipotassium phosphate

Glucose

Pancreatic digest of casein & soybean meal

7 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

What is TSA (SXT) used for?

Selective isolation of Group A & B streptococci

Viral cultures

Fungal growth

Culturing E. coli

8 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

Which blood type is preferred for isolating Haemophilus species?

Human blood

Rabbit blood

Sheep blood

Horse blood

9 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

What does beta-hemolysis indicate on blood agar?

No hemolysis

Greenish discoloration

Complete RBC lysis (clear zones)

Partial hemolysis

10 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

Why should TSA plates be inverted during incubation?

To prevent condensation

To enhance pigment production

To increase oxygen supply

To slow bacterial growth

11 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

Which organism shows golden-yellow colonies on TSA?

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

E. coli

Staphylococcus aureus

Bacillus subtilis

12 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

What is the shelf life of standard TSA plates?

12 weeks

6 months

4 weeks

1 year

13 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

How should TSA plates be stored before use?

In direct sunlight

Frozen at -20°C

At room temperature

At 4-8°C, agar side up

14 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

Why is biochemical testing needed after TSA culture?

For complete bacterial identification

To enhance hemolysis

To confirm Gram stain

To increase colony size

15 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

Which agency recommends TSA for pharmaceutical testing?

USP (United States Pharmacopeia)

FDA (only for food)

CDC

WHO

16 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

What is the recommended incubation temperature for TSA?

50-55°C

35-37°C

42-45°C

25-30°C

17 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

Which factor is NOT present in TSA alone but needed for Haemophilus?

Dextrose

X and V factors

Sodium chloride

Casein digest

18 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

Which component in TSA acts as a solidifying agent?

Dextrose

Casein digest

Sodium chloride

Agar

19 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

Why should TSA plates be dried before inoculation?

To kill contaminants

To enhance bacterial growth

To prevent excess moisture

To increase shelf life

20 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

How much TSA powder is needed to prepare 1 liter of medium?

60 g

45 g

30 g

15 g

21 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

What type of medium is Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA)?

Differential

Enriched

Selective

General-purpose

22 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

Which organism is used as a control in the CAMP test?

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Staphylococcus aureus

E. coli

Candida albicans

23 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

Which organism grows as flat, irregular colonies on TSA?

E. coli

Candida albicans

Staphylococcus aureus

Bacillus subtilis

24 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

What is a major limitation of TSA?

Requires anaerobic conditions

Only supports fungal growth

Cannot isolate all fastidious bacteria without supplements

Too expensive

25 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

What is the main use of TSA in environmental testing?

Mycoplasma culture

Antibiotic resistance testing

Viral detection

Microbial enumeration in air/water

26 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

Which organism is used for QC of TSA with sheep blood?

Aspergillus brasiliensis

Streptococcus pyogenes (β-hemolysis)

E. coli

Salmonella Typhimurium

27 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

What is the pH of standard TSA?

8.0 ± 0.2

5.4 ± 0.2

7.3 ± 0.2

6.5 ± 0.2

28 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

What is the purpose of stabbing blood agar during inoculation?

To detect oxygen-labile hemolysins

To increase colony size

To prevent contamination

To enhance pigment production

29 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

Which organism is inhibited on TSA (SXT)?

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Staphylococcus aureus

Streptococcus agalactiae

Escherichia coli

30 / 30

Category: Clinical Laboratory

What is the purpose of adding blood to TSA?

To increase agar strength

To support fastidious bacteria

To reduce contamination

To inhibit Gram-negative bacteria

Your score is

The average score is 80%

“How to prepare TSA plates”
“TSA vs. nutrient agar differences”
“Best medium for environmental monitoring”
“Pharmaceutical sterility testing MCQs”

Read Full Article: Tryptic Soy Agar FAQs and MCQs

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