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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. A structure composed of a ribose molecule linked to one of the aromatic bases. In a deoxynucleoside - the ribose is replaced with deoxyribose.






2. The nerve extending from the back of teh eyeball to teh brain that carries visual information. The ptic nerve is made up of the axons of the ganglion cells of the retina.






3. Swelling of tissues - sometimes caused by inflammation letting into many white blood cells (decreasing oncotic pressure at the end of the capillaries & not letting as much water back into capillaries & staying in tissues).






4. The product of glycolysis; 2 pyruvic acid (pyruvate) molecules are produced from a single glucose molecule. In the absence of oxygen - pyruvic acid undergoes fermentation and is reduced to either lactic acid or ethanol; in the presence of oxygen - py






5. To attach oxygen - to remove hydrogen - or to remove electrons from a molecule.






6. The third phase of meiosis I. During anaphase I the rplicated homologous chromosomes are separated (the tetrad is split) and pulled to opposite sides of the cell.






7. The portion of theforebrain that includes the thalamus and hypothalamus.






8. An irritation of a tissue caused by infection or injury. Inflammation is characterized by four cardinal symptoms; redness (rubor) - swelling (tumor) - heat (calor) - and pain (dolor).






9. The structure in the cochlea of the inner ear made up of the basilar membrane - the auditory hair cells - and the tectorial membrane. The Organ of Corti is the site where auditory sensation is detected and transduced to action potentials.






10. The tube that carries urine from the bladder to the to outside of the body. In males it also carries semen and sperm during ejaculation.






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






12. 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






13. The resistance to blood flow in the systemic circulation. Peripheral resistance increases if arteries constrict (diameter decreases) - and an increase in peripheral resistance leads t o an increase in blood pressure.






14. The attachment of an amino acid to a tRNA (not that this a specific interaction). tRNa loading requires two high - energy phosphate bonds.






15. A normal component of the outer membrane of Gram - negative bacteria. Endotoxins produce extreme immune reactions (septic shock) - particularly when many of them enter the circulation at once.






16. The outer ring of cells of a blastocyst. The trophoblast takes part in the formation of the placenta.






17. The stage of human development during which the organs are formed. Organogenesis begins after gastrulation and is completed by the eight week of gestation.






18. A nucleotide sequence in RNA that contains protein - coding information. Exons are typically separated by introns (intervening sequences) that are spliced out prior to translation.






19. A genetic cross between an organism displaying a recessive phenotype (homozygous recessive) and an organism displaying a dominant phenotype (for whic the genotype is unknown) - done to determine the unknown genotype.






20. 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.






21. The band of the sarcomere that extends the full length of the thick filament. The A band includes regions of thick and thin filament overlap - as well as a region of thick filament only. A bands alternate with I bands to give skeletal and cardiac mus






22. A subphase of male orgasm - a reflex reaction triggered by the presence of semen in the urethra. Ejaculation is a series of rhythmic contractions of muscles near teh base of teh penis that increase pressure in the urethra - forcing the semen out.






23. Active transport that relies directly on the hydrolysis of ATP.






24. An organism that cannot make its own food - and thus must ingest other organisms.






25. An integral membrane proteint hat binds extracellular signaling molecules - suchas hormones and peptides.






26. A long projection off the cell body of a neruon down which an action potential can be propagated.






27. A mechanism for increasing tension (contractile length) in a muscle by activating more motor units.






28. A layer of cells surroudning the granulosa cells of the follicles in an ovary. Thecal cells help produce the estrogen secreted from the follicle during the first phase of the ovarian cycle.






29. Sensory receptors found in the inner ear. Cochlear hair cells respond to vibration in the cochlea caused by sound waves and vestibular hair cells respond to changes in position and acceleration (used for balance).






30. An enzyme secreted by the juxtaglomerular cells when blood pressure decreases. Renin onverts angiotensinogen to angiotensin I.






31. A bacterial extrachromosal elent that allows the bacterium to initati conjugation. Bacteria that possess teh F factor are known as F+ 'males'.






32. An integral membrane protein that undergoes a conformational change to move a molecule from one side of the membrane to another. See also 'uniporter' - 'antiporter' - and 'symporter'.






33. The white portion of teh tough outer layer of the eyeball






34. A hormone tha tcontrols the release of another hormone.






35. Movement of a hydrophilic molecuel across the plasma membrane of a cell - down its concentration gradient - through a channel - pore - or carrier molecule in the membrane. Because the hydrophilic nature of the molecule - it requires a special path th






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






37. The curled structure in the inner ear that contains the membranes and hair cells that transduce sound waves into action potentials.






38. MRNA that codes forsingle type of protein - such as is found in eukaryotic cells.






39. The final section (approximately 55%) of the small intestine.






40. Enzymes that degrade various macromolecules and that require an acidic pH to function properly. Acid hydrolases are found within the lysosomes of cells.






41. Cells found in gastric glands that secrete hydrochloric acid (for hydrolysis of ingested food) and gastric intrinsic factor (for absorption of vitamin B-12).






42. The smooth ER of a muscle cell - enlarged and specialized to act as a Ca2+ reservoir. The SR winds around each myofibril in the muscle cell.






43. A hormone produced and secreted by teh adrenal medulla that prolongs and increases teh effects of the sympathetic nervous system.






44. A drop in blood pH due to hypoventilation (too little breathing) and a resulting accumulation of Co2.






45. One of the four aromatic bases found in DNA and RNA. Guanine is a purine; it pairs with cytosine.






46. The final phase of the digestive tract - also called the colon. The primary funcion of the large intestine is to reabsorb water and to store the feces.






47. 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.






48. The sequence of nucleotides on a chromosome that activates RNA polymerase so that transcription can take place. The promoter is found upstream of the start site - the location where transcription actually takes place.






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






50. The portion of the ear consisting of the pinna and the external auditory canal. The outer ear is separated from the middle ear by the tympanic membrane (the eardrum).