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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 portion of the brain responsible for visual and auditory startle reflexes.






2. The division of the autonomic nervous system known as the 'resting and digesting' system. It causes a general decrease in body activities such as heart rate - respiratory rate - and blood pressure - and an increase in blood flow to the GI tract and d






3. The primary male sex organ. The testes are suspended outside the body cavity in the scrotum and have two functions (1) produce sperm - and (2) secrete testosterone.






4. A version of a gene. For example - the gene may be for eye color - and the allels include those for brown eyes - those for blu e eyes - those green eyes - etc. At most - dploid organsims can posses only two alleles for a given gene - one on each of t






5. The membrane that separates the middle ear from the inner ear.






6. The pituitary gland.






7. A blood protein essential to blood clotting. The conversion of fibrinogen to its active form (fibrin) is among the final steps in clot formation - and is triggered by thrombin.






8. The RF value - the percentage of recombinant offspring resulting from a given genetic cross. The recombination frequency is proportional to the physical distance between genes on a chromosome. If a recombination frequency is low - the genes under con






9. The small artery that carries blood away from the capillaries of the glomerulus.






10. A hormone produced and secreted by the parathyroid glands that increases serum calcium levels. It targets the bones (stimulates osteoclasts) - the kidneys (increases calcium reabsorption) - and the small intestine (increases calcium absorption).






11. An incrase in the fragility of the membranes of sperm cells when exposed to the female reproductive tract. Capacitation is required sot aht the acrosomal enzymes can be relased to faciliate fertilization.






12. The loop of the nephron that dips downward into the renal medulla. The loop of Henle sets up a concentration gradient in the kidney such that from the cortex to the renal pelvis osmolarity increases. The descending limb of the loop of Henle is permea






13. The subdivision of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.






14. An enzyme that phosphorylates something else. Kinases are frequently used in regulatory pathways - phosphorylating other enzymes.






15. DNA replication in prokaryotes - so named because as replication proceeds around the single - circular chromosome - it takes on the appearnce of the Greek letter theta.






16. Salivary amylase






17. The first phase of the ovarian cycle - during which a follicle (an oocyte and its surroudning cells) enlarges and matures. This phase is under the control of FSH from the anterior pituitary - and typically lasts from day 1 to day 14 of the menstrual






18. The third phase of meiosis II. During anaphase II the sister chromatids are finally spearated at their centromeres and puled to opposite sides of teh cell. Note that anaphase II is identical to mitotic anaphase - excep the number of chromosmes was re






19. A hormone released from the hypothalamus that triggers the anterior pituitary to secrete FSH and LH.






20. Transfer RNA; the type of RNA that carries an amino acid from the cytoplasm to the ribosome for incorporation into a growing protein.






21. The darkly pigmented middle layer of the eyeball - found between teh sclera (outer layer) and the retina (inner layer).






22. A type of mutation in DNa where a single base is substituted for another.






23. The division of the peripheral nervous system that innervates and controls the skeletal muscles; also known as the voluntary nervous system.






24. An organism that requires oxygen to survive (aerobic metabolism only).






25. The specialized cells of the heart that spontaneously initiate action potentials and transmit them to the cardiac muscle cells. The cells of the conduction system are essentially cardiac muscle cells - but lack the contractile fibers of the muscle ce






26. One of the contractie proteins in muscle tissue. In skeletal and cardiac muscles - myosin forms the thick filaments. Myosin has intrinsic ATPase activity and can exist in two conformation - either high energy or low energy.






27. The synthesis of blood cells (occurs in the red bone marrow)






28. The 28 days of the menstrual cycle as they apply to events in the ovary. The ovarian cycle has three subphases: the follicular phase - ovulation - and the luteal phase.






29. A pair of replicated homologous chromosomes. Tetrads form during prophase I of meiosis so that homologous chromosomes can exchange DNA in a process known as 'crossing over.'






30. A long - whip - like filament that helps in cell motility. Many bacteria are flagellated - and sperm are flagellated.






31. An organelle bounded by a double membrane (double lipid bilayer) called the nuclear envelope. The nucleus contains the genome and is the site of replication and transcription.






32. The synapse between a motor neuron and a muscle cell. At the NMJ - the muscle cel lmembrane is invaginated and the axon terminus is elongated so that a greater area of membrane can be depolarized at one time.






33. A peptide hormone produced and secreted by the alpha cells - of the pancreas. It tartes primarily the liver - stimulating the breakdown of glycogen - thus increasing blood gluocse level.s






34. The largest artery in teh body; the aorta carries oxygenated blood away from the left ventricle of the heart.






35. The opening to the uterus The ervix is typically plugged with a sticky acidic mucus during non - fertile times (to form a barrier against the entry of pathogens) - however during ovulation the mucus becomes more watery and alkaline to facilitate sper






36. The failure of two separate genes to boey the Law of Independent Assortment - as might occur if the genes were found close together on the same chromosome.






37. Enzymes secreted by the mucosal cells lining the intestine. The brush border enzymes are disaccharides adn dipeptidases taht digest the smallest peptides and carbohydrates into their respective monomers.






38. Physical structures in two different organism that have funcitonal similarity due to their evoluntion in a common environment - but have different underlying structure. Analogous structures arise from convergent evolution.






39. The unit of muscle contraction. Sarcomeres are bounded by Z lins - to which thin filaments attach. Thick filaments are found in the center of the sarcomere - overlapped by thin filaments over one another during contraction reduces the distance betwee






40. Major Histocompatability complex - a set of proteins found on the plasma membranes of cells that help display antigen to T cells. MHC I is found on all cells and displays bits of proteins from within the cell; this allows T cells to monitor cell cont






41. A eukaryotic organelle filled with digestive enzymes (acid hydrolases) that is involved in digestion of macromolecules such as worng organelles or material ingested by phagocytosis.






42. The flow of blood through a tissue; ischeia is when there is no blood flow - anoxia when there is no O2 available (ischemia is more dangerous b/c of waste build - up)






43. An electrical potential established across the plasma membrane of all cells by the Na+/K+ ATPase and the K+ leak channels. In most cells - the resting membrane potential is approximately -70 mV with respect to the outside of the cell.






44. The movement of air into the respiratory tract. Inspiration is an active process - requiring contraction of the diaphragm.






45. A situation in which the expression of one gene prevents expression of all allelic forms of another gene - e.g. - the gene for male pattern baldness is epistatic to the hair color gene.






46. A person with blood type O-. Because this person's red blood cells possess none of the typical blood suface proteins - they cannot initiate an immune reaction in a recipient.






47. A layer of collagen fibers that separates epithelial tissue from connective tisse (example of epithelial cells in digestive tract) - they are actual connective tissue.






48. A motor neuron and all the all the skeletal muscle cells it innervates. Large motor units are typically found in large muscles (e.g. - the thighs and buttocks) and produce fross movements. Small motor untis are found in smaller muscles (e.g. the rect






49. A dense - hard type of bone constructed from osteons (at the microscopic level). Compact bone forms the diaphysis of the the long bones - and the outer shell of the epiphyses and all other bones.






50. Muscle tissue that is attached to the bones. SKeletal muscle is striated multinucleate - and under voluntary control.