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






2. A haploid cell resulting from the first meiotic division of oogenesi (not that the cytoplasmic division in this case is unequal - producing one large cell with almost all of they cytoplasm - the secondary oocyte - and one smaller cell with virtually






3. A set of veins that connect a capillary bed in the hypothalamus (the primary capillary plexus) with a capillary bed in the anterior pituitary gland (the secondary capillary bed). Releasing and inhibiting factors from the hypothalamus travel along the






4. The contribution of an individual gas to the total ppressure of a mixture of gases. Partial pressures are used to describe the amounts of the various gases carried in the bloodstream.






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






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






7. Globular protein that assist in DNA packaging in eukaryotes. Histones form octamers around which DNA is wound to form a nucleosome.






8. One of the four aromatic bases found in DNA and RNA; also a component of ATP - NADH - and FADH2. Adenine is apurine; it pairs with thymine (in DNA) and with uracil (in RNA)






9. The portion of the nephron where water reabsorption is regulated via antidiuretic hormone (ADH). Several nephrons empty into each collecting duct - and this is the final region through which urine must passon its way to the ureter.






10. Lacking a blood supply; cartialge is an example of this






11. The amount of blood returned to heart by the vena cavae.






12. The three small bones found in the middle ear (the malleus - the incus - and the stapes) that help to amplify the vibrations from sound waves. The malleus is atached to the tympanic membrane and the stapes is attached to the oval window of the cochle






13. An **organic molecuel taht associates non - covalently with an enzyme - and that is required for the proper functioning of the enzyme.






14. An RNA polymerase that creates a primer (made of RNA) initiate DNa replication. DNA pol binds to the primer and elongates it.






15. Small paired gland found inferior to the prostate in males and at the posterior end of the penile urethra. They secrete an alkaline mucus on sexual arousal that helps toneutralize any traces of acidic urine the urethra that might be harmful to sperm.






16. All parts of the nervous system except for the brain and spinal cord.






17. 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.






18. The cellular elements of blood; erythrocytes - leukocytes - and platelets.






19. The unit of combact bone - also called a Haversian system. Osteons are essentially long cylinders of bone; the hollow center is called the central canal - and is where blood vessels - nervs - and lymphatic vessels are found. Compact bone is laid down






20. The first step in viral infection. Attachemen of a virus to its host is very specific and is also known as adsorption.






21. A type of substrate binding to a multi - active site enzyme - in which the bnidng of one substrate molecule facilitates teh binding of subsequent substrate molecules. A graph of reaction rate vs. substrate concentration appears sigmoidal. Noe that co






22. The portion of the cell membrane at the neuromusclar junction; essentially the postsynaptic membrane at the synapse.






23. Aso called a subcutaneous layer - this is a layer of *fat located under the dermis of the skin. The hypodermis helps to insulate the body and protects underlying muscles and other structures.






24. 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.






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






26. A mass of lymphatic tissue at the befenning of the large intestine that helps trap ingested pathogens.






27. A bacterial structure formed in unfavorable growth conditions. Endospores have very rough outer shells made of peptidoglycan and can survive harsh conditions. The bacterium inside the endospore is essentially dormant and can become active (called ger






28. A methylated guanine nucleotide added to the 5' end of eukaryotic mRNA. The cap is necessary to initiate translation of mRNA

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29. 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






30. A hormone released by teh G cells of the stomach in the presence of food. Gastrin promotes muscular activity of the stomach as well as secretion of hydrochloric acid - pepsinogen - and mucus.






31. The ends of a saromere.






32. A toxin that secreted by a bacterium into its surrounding medium that help the bacterium compete with other species. Some exotoxins cause serious disease in humans (botulism - tetanus - diptheria - toxic shock syndrome).






33. A structure composed of a ring of nine microtube triplets - found in pairs in the MTOC (microtubule organizing center) of a cell. The centrioles duplicate during the cell division - and serve as the organizing center for the mitotic spindle.






34. A type of synapse at which a chemical (a neurotransmitter) is released from teh axon of a neuron into the ysnaptic cleft where it binds to receptors on the next structure in sequence - either another neuron or an organ.






35. A region within the nucleus where rRNA is transribed and ribosomes are partially assembled.






36. The middle (approximtely 40%) of the small intestine.






37. An organism that can only survive in the absence of oxygen (anaerobic metabolism); oxygen is toxic to obligate anaerobes.






38. Cells that form the walls of the seminiferous tubules and help in spermatogenesis Sertoli cells are also called susenacular cells.






39. A substance secreted by embryonic testes that causes the regression of the Mullerian ducts.






40. A long projection on a bacterial surface involved in an attachment - e.g. - the sex pilus attaches F+ and F- bacteria during conjugation.






41. A membrane lipid consisting of a glycerol molecule esteried to two fatty acid chains and a sugar molecule.






42. 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






43. 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






44. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin - a hormone secreted by the trophoblast cells of a blasocyst (i.e. developing embryo) that prolongs the life of the corpus luteum - and thus increases the duration and amount of secreted progesterone. This helps to mainta






45. An enzyme inhibitor that binds at a site other than the active sit of an enzyme (binds at an allosteric site). THis changes the three - dimensional shape of the enzyme such that it can no longer catalyze the reaction






46. A type of syanpse in which the cells are connected by gap junctions - allowing ions (and therefore an action potential) to spread easily from cell to cell - usually in smooth and cardiac muscle. - compared to chemical synapse.






47. The largest bundle of white matter (axons) connecting th two cerebral hemispheres.






48. The intracellular process triggered by the binding of a ligand to its receptor on the cell surface. Typically this activates seond messenger pathways.






49. A contact point between the afferent arteriole of the glomerulus and the distal convoluted tubule of the nephron. It is involved in regulating blood pressure.






50. A strong band of connective tissue that connets bones to one another.