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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 movement of a substance across a membane via pressure. In the kidney - filtration refers specifically to the movement of plasma across the capillary walls fo the glomerulus - into the capsule and tubule of the neprhon. Filtration at teh glomerulu






2. An organism that requires the aid of a host organism to survive - and that harms the host in the process.






3. An energy storage molecule used by muscle tissue. The phosphate from creatine phosphate can be removed and attached to an ADP to generate ATP quickly.






4. Hardy crystals consisting of calcium and phosphate that form the bone matrix.






5. The principal mineralocorticoid secreted by teh adrenal cortex. This steroid hormone targets the kidney tubules and increases renal reabsorption of sodium [and excretion of potassium]. (this causes ADH to be secreted & increased water comes out - inc






6. The hollow center of an osteon - also known as a Haversian canal. The central canal contains blood vessels - lymphatic vessels - lymphatic vessels - and nerves. Bone is laid down around the central canal in concentric rings called lamellae.






7. 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






8. The duplication of DNA






9. A mature - dormant osteoblast.






10. The muscuar layer of the uterus. The myometrium is made of smooth muscles that retains its ability to divide in order to accomodate the massive size increases that occur during pregnancy. The myometrium is stimulated to contract during labor by the h






11. A point mutation in which a codon that specifies an amino acid is mutated into a codon that specifies a different amino acid.






12. A fibrous protein found on the intracellular side of the plasma membrane (also associated with the Golgi complex) that helps invaginate the membrane. Typically cel surface receptors are associated with clathrin - coated pits at the plasma membrane bi






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






14. A clump of gray matter (unmyelinated neuron cell bodies) found in the peripheral nervous system.






15. 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






16. Oil - forming glands found all over the body - especially on the face and neck. The product (sebum) is released to the skin surface through hair follicles.






17. The period of human development beginning at 8 weeks of gestation and lasting until birth (38-42 weeks of gestation). During this stage the organs formed in the embryonic stage grow and mature. The developing baby is known as a fetus during this time






18. A statistical rule stating that the probability of two independent events occuring together is the product of their individual probabilities.






19. An activated B cell that is secreting antibody.






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






21. A genotype in which two different alleles are possessed for a given gene.






22. 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






23. Mal sex hormones. Testosteron is the primary androgen.






24. A hormone secreted by the samll intestine (duodenum) in response to the presence of fats. It promotes release of bile from the gallbladder and pancreatic juice from the pancreas - and reduces stomach motility.






25. The elimination of wastes from the body.






26. The portion of the nephron after the glomerulus and apsule; the region of the nephron where the filtrate is modified along its path to becoming urine.






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






28. An enzyme that digests starch into disaccharides. Amylase is secreted by salivary glands and by the pancreas.






29. Summation by a postsynaptic cell of input (EPSPs or IPSPs) from a single source over time.






30. The portion of the placenta derived from the zygote.






31. 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






32. 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.






33. Photoreceptors in the retina of the eye that respond to dim light and provide us with black and white vision.






34. 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






35. A hormone produced and released by the kidney that stimulates the production of red blood cells by the bone marrow.






36. A sequence of amino acids (usually basic) that directs a protein to the nuclear envelope - where it is imported by a specific transport mechanism.






37. 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.






38. The most common class of bone in the body - long bones have a well - defined shaft (the diaphysis) and two well - defined ends (the epiphyses).






39. 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.






40. A virus that infects a bacterium.






41. A vein connecting the capillary bed of the intestines with the capillary bed of the liver. This allows amino acids and gluocse absorbed from the intestines to be delivered first to the liver for processing before being transported throughout the circ






42. Diploid cells resulting from the activation of anoogoium; primary oocytes are ready to enter meiosis I. remember: cyte means ready to undergo meiosi






43. MRna that codes for several different proteins by utliizing different reading frames - nested genets - etc. Polycistronic mRNa is a characteristic of prokaryotes.






44. The fourth of meiosis I. Telophase I is identical to mitotic telophase - except that the number of chromosoms is now reduced by half. After this phase the cell is considered to be haploid. Note however - that the chromosomes are still replicated - an






45. 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.






46. An enzyme that polymerizes a strand of DNA by reading an RNA template (an RNA dependent DNa polymerase); used by retrovirus in order to integrate their genome with the host cell genome.






47. 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.






48. One of the three primary (embryonic) germ layers formed during gastrulation. Ectoderm ultimately forms external structures such as the skin - hair - nails - and inner linings of the mouth and anus - as well as the entire nervous system.






49. 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






50. One of the four basic tissue types in the body (epithelial - connective - muscle - and nervous). Connective tissue is a supportive tissue consisting of a relatively few cells scattered among a great deal of extracellular material (matrix) - and inclu