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MCAT Prep Biology

Subjects : mcat, science
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. The second major node of the cardiac conduction system (after the SA node). The cardiac impulse is delayed slightly at teh AV node - allowing the ventricles to contract just after the atria contract.






2. A mature - dormant osteoblast.






3. The outermost layer of teh skin. The epidermis is made of epithelial tissue that is constantly dividing at the bottom; teh cells migrate to teh surface (dying along the way) to be sloughed off at the suface.






4. A trop hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gand that targets the adrenal cortex - stimulating it to relase corisol and aldosterone.






5. The fusion of a sperm with an ovum during sexual reproduction. Fertilization typically occurs in the uterine tubes and requires capacitation of the sperm and relase of the acrosomal enzymes. Fertilization is a species - specific process - requiring b






6. A virus that infects a bacterium.






7. A method of DNA protection utilized by prokaryotes in which their large circular chromosome is coiled upon itself.






8. A receptor that responds to changes in temperature.






9. A point mutation in which a codon that specifies an amino acid is mutated into a new codon that specifies the same amion acid.






10. A mechanism by which the stroke volume of the heart is increased by increasing the venous return of the heart (thus stretching the ventricular muscle).






11. All the genetic information in an organism; all of an organism's chromosomes.






12. The fourth and final phase of meiosis II. Telophase II is identical to mitotic telophase - except that the number of chromosomes was reduced by half during meiosis. I.






13. A large system of folded membranes within a eukaryotic cell that has ribosomes bound to it - giving a rough appearnce. These ribosomes synthesize proteins that will ultimately be secreted from the cell - incorporated into the plasma membrane - or tra






14. A subsequent immune response to previously encountered antigen that results in antibody production and T cell activation. The secondary immune response is mediated by memory cells (produced during the primary immune respone) and is much faster and st






15. A form of symbiosis in Which both organisms involved benefit from the association.






16. A general cell junction - used primarily for adhesion.






17. The first substrate in teh Krebs cycle - produced primarily from the oxidation of pyruvate by the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex - however acetyl - CoA is also produced during fatty acid oxidation and protein catabolism.






18. A chromosome that does not determine gender (is not a sex chromosome). Humans have two sex chromsomes and 22 autosomes.






19. A relatively direct connection between a sensory neuron and a motor neuron that allows an extremely rapid response to a stimulus - often without conscious brain involvement.






20. One of the two peripheral nervous system supporting (glial) cells. Schwann cells from he myelin sheath on axons of peripheral neurons.






21. The sphincter that separates the final part of the small intestine (the ileum) from the fron part of the large intestine (the cecum). It is typically kept contracted (closed) so that chyme can remain in the small intestine as long as possible. The il






22. In skeleta and cardiac muscle tissue - a filament composed of actin - tropomyosin - and troponin. Thin filaments are attached to teh Z lines of the sarcomers and slide over thick filaments during muscle contraction.






23. A peptide hormone produced and secreted by the Beta cells of the pancreas. Insulin targets cells in the body - especially the liver and muscle - and allows them to take glucose out of gthe blood (thus lowering blood glucose levels).






24. A steroid hormone produced by the corpus luteum in the ovary during the second half of the menstrual cycle Progesterone maintains and enhances the uterine lining for the possible implantation of a fertilized ovum. It is the primary hormone secreted d






25. Arise in blood pH due to hyperventilation (excessive breathing) and a resulting decrease in CO2.






26. The release of a secondary oocyte (along with some granulosa cells) from the ovary at the approximate midpoint of the menstrual cycle (typically around day 14). Ovulation is triggered by a surge in LH.






27. A phagocytic - like bone cell that breaks down bone matrix to release calcium and phosphate into the bloodstream.






28. Molecules made from monosaccharides that serve as the primary source of cellular energy -. Carbohydrates can also act as cell surface markers (good thing to remember).






29. A protein - digesting enzyme secreted by the chief cells of the gastric glands. Pepsin is secreted in its inactive form (pepsinogen) and is activated by gastric acid. It is unusual in that its pH optimum is around 1-2; most of these enzymes in the bo






30. The rapid mitotic division of a zygot that being within 24-36 hours after fertilization






31. Anterior pituitary topic hormones FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing homeon) that stimulates the gonads (testes and ovaries) to produce gametes and to secrete sex steroids.






32. The ball of capillaries at the beginning of the nephron where blood filtration takes place.






33. The prokaryotic ribosome - binding site on mRNA - found 10 nucleotides 5' to the start codon.






34. The principal glucocorticoid secreted from teh adrenal cortex. This steroid hormone is released ruing stress - causing increased blood glucose levels and reducing inflammation. The latter effect has led to a clinical use of cortisol as an anti - infl






35. Plasma with the clotting factors removed. Serum is often used in diagnostic tests because it does not clot.






36. The specific molecule that binds to a receptor.






37. Movement across the membrane of a cell that does not require energy input from the cell. Passive transport relies on concentration gradients to provie the driving force for movement - and includes both simple and facilitated diffusion.






38. A ductless gland that secretes a hormone into the blood






39. The ability of tissues to regulate their own blood flow in the absence of neural stiulation. THis is generally accomplished via metabolic wastes (such as CO2) that act as vasodilators.






40. The law of conservation of energy; the energy of the universe is constant - thus if the energy of a system increases - the energy of its surroundings must decrease - and vice versa.






41. The transfre by a lysogenic virus of a portion of a host cell genome to a new host.






42. The first phase of meiosis I. During prophase I the replicated chromosomes condense - homologous chromsomes pair up - crossing over occurs between homologous chromosomes - the spindle is formed - and the nuclear envelope breaks apart into vesicles. P






43. The region of the nephron that surrounds the glomerulus. The capsule ollects the plasma that is filtered from teh capillaries in the glomerulus.

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44. The portion of the hindbrain that controls respiratory and blood pressure - and specialized digestive and respiratory functions such as vomiting - sneezing - and coughing.






45. A genotype in which two identical alleles are possessed for a given gene. The allelles can both be dominant (homozygous dominant) or both be recessive (homozygous recessive)






46. A set of vessels in the body that runs alongside the vessels of the circulatory system. It is a one - way system - with lymphatic capillaries beginning at the tissues and ultimately emptying into the large veins near the heart. It serves to return ex






47. The pressure in the (theoretical) space between the lung surface and the inner wall of the chest cavity.






48. Cytoskeletal filaments with a diameter in between that of the microtubule and the microfilament. Intermediate filaments are composed of many different proteins and tend to play structural roles in cells.






49. A sac filled with fluid (aminotic fluid) that surroudns and protects a developing embryo.






50. Large conglomerations of proteins - fats - and cholesterol that transport lipids in the bloodstream. (chylomicrons are a type of lipoprotein).