Originally posted on my teaching blog, this is too funny to not post here.
As the big midterm for microbiology is nearing, I am currently developing exam questions, and stumbled upon a sample multiple choice exam that had answers like this (question not included as it is a potential exam question):
A. The mixed culture has grown in a manner that is consistent with your estimates based on growth rates for the isolated strains
B. The mixed culture, while clearly showing growth, did not increase as rapidly as you estimated based on growth rates for the isolated strains, suggesting that one or both of the strains, when grown together, have a decreased generation time
C. The mixed culture increased in number more rapidly than you would have predicted based on the individual growth rates, suggesting that the two strains interacted in a manner that increased the generation time of one or both of the strains.
D. This question is entirely too complicated for me to answer
E. I have decided not to become a microbiologist
I wonder how many students answered D & E?
Sita's musings 