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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 tissue in which the cytoplasms of the cells are connected by gap junctions - allowing the cells to function as a unit. Cardiac and smooth muscle tissues are examples of functional synctiums.






2. The collection of fluid in the alveoli - particularly dangerous because it impedes gas exchange. Common causes of pulmonary edema are increased pulmonary blood pressure or infection of the respiratory system.






3. The third phase of the ovarian cycle - during which a corpus luteum is formed from the remnants of the follicle that has ovulated its oocyte. The corpus luteum secretes progestrone and estrogen during this time period - which typically lasts from day






4. Heterogeneous nuclear RNA; the primary transcript made in eukaryotes before splicing.






5. The second phase of meiosis I. During metaphase I the paired homologous chromsomes (tetrads) align at the center of the cell (the metaphase plate).






6. Connective tissue that lacks great amount of collagen or elastic fibers (hence - loose) - e.g. - adipose tissue and areolar (general connective) tissue.






7. Unicellular exocrine glands found along the respiratory and digestive tracts taht secrete mucus.






8. 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.






9. An activated B cell that is secreting antibody.






10. Cranial nerve pair X. The vagus nerves are very large mixed nerves (They carry both sensory input and motor input) that innervate virtually every visceral organ. They are especially important in transmitting parasympathetic input to the heart and dig






11. A pigmented membrane found just in from the lens of the eye. In the center of iris is the pupil - a hole through which light enters the eyeball. The iris regulates the diameter of the pupil in response to the brightness of light.






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






13. A nucleoside with one or more phosphate gropus attached. Nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs) are the building blocks of RNA and are also used as energy molecules - especially ATP. Deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) are the building blocks of DNA; in t






14. 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.






15. One of two large chambers in the heart. The ventricles receive blood from the atria and pump it out of the lungs of the heart. The right ventricle has thing walls and pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs through the pulmonary artery. The left ventri






16. A chemical secreted by a T cell (usually the helper Ts) that stimulates activation and proliferation of other immune system cells.






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






18. The period of time during which the ventricles of the heart are contracted.






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






20. 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






21. The deliberate exposure of a person to an antigen in order to provoke the primary immune response and memory cell production. Typically the antigens are those normally associated with pathogens - thus if the live pathogen is encountered in the future






22. 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.






23. A strong connective tissue with varying degrees of flexibility. (1) Elastic cartilage is the most flexible - forming structures that reuqire support but also need to bend - such as the epiglottis and outer ear. (2) Hyaline cartilage is more rigid tha






24. An organ that develops during pregnacy - derived in part from the mother and in part from the zygote. The placenta is the site of exchange of nutrients and gases between the mother's blood and the fetus' blood. The placenta is formed during the first






25. A cyoplasmic Ca2+- binding protein. Calmodulin is particularly important in smooth muscle cells - where binding of Ca2+ allows calmodulin to activate myosin light - chian kinase - the first step in smooth muscle cell contraction.






26. The valve that controls the release of urine from the bladder. It has an internal part made of smooth muscle (thus involuntary) and an external part made of skeletal muscle (thus voluntary).






27. An ion channel that is oepend or closed based on the electrical potential across the plasma membrane. Once opened - the channel allows ions to cross the membrane according to their concentration gradients. Examples are the Na+ and K+ voltage - gated






28. The point during development at which a cell becomes committed to a particular fate (sensory - other - etc.). Note that the cell is not differentiated at this point; determination comes before differentiation. Determination can be due to cytoplasmic






29. A bacteria having a round shape (plural = cocci)






30. One of several different nutrietns that must be consumed in the diet - and generally not synthesized in the body. Vitamins can be hdyrophobic (fat - solube) or hydrophilic (water - soluble).






31. The flexible membrane in teh chochlea that supports the organ of Corti (structure which contains the hearing receptors). The fibers of the basilar membrane are short and stiff near the oval windown and long and fleaxible near the apex of the cochlea.






32. A function the reproductive system (conrolled by the sympathetic nervous system) that returns the body to its normal resting state after sexual arousal and orgasm.






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






34. A chemical secreted by a T cell (usually the helper Ts) that stimulates activation and proliferation of other immune system cells.






35. The clear portion of the tough outer layer of teh eye ball - found over the iris and pupil






36. An enzyme that transcribes RNa. Prokaryotes have a single RNA pol - while eukaryotes have three; in eukaryotes - RNA pol I transcribes rRNA - RNA pol II transcribes mRNA - and RNA pol III transcribes tRNA.






37. A cytoplasmic protein that recognizes the signal sequences of proteins destined to be translated at the rough ER. It binds first to the ribosome translating the protein with the signal sequence then to an SRP receptor on the rough ER>






38. A helical protein that winds around actin helices in skeletal and cardiac muscle cells to form the thin filament of the sarcomere. In the absence of Ca2+ - tropomyosin covers the myosin - binding sites on actin and prevents muscle contraction. When c






39. An enzyme whose transcription can be stimulated by an abundance of its substrate (as opposed to repressible enzyme). Usually in catabolism.






40. 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.






41. A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart chambers. Arteries have muscular walls to regulate blood flow and are typically high - pressure vessles.






42. A hormone secreted by the small intestine (duodenum) in response to the presence of food. It decreases the rate at which chyme leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine.






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






44. The smalles of all blodo vessles - typically having a diamtere just large neough for blood cells to pass through in single file. Capillaries have extremelyu thin walls to faciliate the exchange of material between the blood and the tissues.






45. The 'language' of a molecular biology that specifies which amino acid corresponds to which three - nucleotide group (codon).






46. 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.






47. The portion of the nephron tubule after the loop of Henle - but before teh collecting duct. Selective reabsorption and secretion occur here - most notably regulated reabsorption of water and sodium.






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






49. The volume of air inhaled and exhaled in a normla - resting breath - typically about 500 mL.






50. A rigid structure at the top of the trachea (so it is part of trachea - I assume) made completely out of cartilage. The larynx has three main functions: (1) its rigidness ensures that the trachea is held open (provides an open airway). (2) the epiglo