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






2. 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.






3. The protective - connective tissue wrapping of the central nervous system (the dura mater - arachnoid mater - and pia mater).






4. The maximum amount of air that can be forcibly exhaled from the lungs after filling them to their maximum level - typically about 4500 mL






5. An immune reaction directed against normal (necessary ) cells.Fo example - diabets melitus (typeI) is an autoimmun reaction directed against teh beta cells of the pancrease (destorying them and preventing insulin secretion) and aginst insulin itself.






6. A gene appearing in a single copy in diploid organisms - e.g. X- linked genes in human males.






7. The percentage of individuals with a particular genotype that actually displays the phenotype associated with the genotype.






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






9. A projection of the cell body of a neuron that recieves a nerve impulse form a different neuron and send the impulse to the cell body. Neurons can have one or several dendrites!






10. A point mutation in which a condon that specifies an amino acid is mutated into a stop (nonsense) codon.






11. Strong bands of connective tissue that connect skeletal muscle to bone.






12. The process of breaking down large molecules into smaller precursors - e.g. digesion of starch into glucose.






13. The formation of haploid gametes (sperm or ova) via meiosis.






14. A sensory receptor that responds to hcanges in pressure; for example - there are baroreceptors in the carotid arteries and the aortic ach that monitor blood pressure.






15. An organelle surrounded by a double=membrane (two lipid bilayers) where ATP production takes place. The interior (matrix) is where PDC and the Krebs cycle occur - and the inner membrane contains the enzymes of the electron trasport chain and ATP synt






16. The phase of mitosis during which the cell physically splits into two daugter cells. Cytokinesis begins near the end of anaphase - and is completed during telophase.






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






18. Plasma with the clotting factors removed. Serum is often used in diagnostic tests because it does not clot.






19. The organ that carries out teh command sent along a particular motor neuron






20. The principal glucocorticoid secreted from teh adrenal cortex. This steroid hormone is released ruing stress - causing increased blood glucose levels and reducing inflammation. The latter effect has led to a clinical use of cortisol as an anti - infl






21. A clear fluid the circulates around through the brain and spinal cord that helps to physially support teh brain and act as a shock absorber - and taht also exchanges nutrients and wastes with teh brain and spinal cord.






22. The enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft.






23. An organism that utilizes light as its primary energy source.






24. A globular protein that ssociated with tropomyosin as part of the thin filament of the sarcomere. Troponin binds Ca2+ - which causes the conformaiton change in tropomyosin required to expose the myosin - binding sites on actin and initiate muscle con






25. A person with blood type AB+. Because this person's red blood cells possess all of the typical blood surface proteins - they will not display an immune reaction if transfused with any of the other blood types.






26. 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.






27. Specialized tissue with a lot of space that can fill with blood upon proper stimulation - causing teh tissue to become firm. Erectile tissue is found in the penis - the clitoris - the labia - and the nipples.






28. 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.






29. 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.






30. An inactive precursor of an enzyme - activated by various methods (acid hydrolysis - cleavage by another enzyme - etc.)






31. 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).






32. Something that works together with another thing to augment the the second thing's activity. For example - a uscle that assists another muslce is said to be a syngergist. An enzyme that helps another enzyme is a synergist.






33. Movement that is directed by chemical gradients - such as nutrients or toxins. (seen in some bacteria)






34. The entropy (disorder) of the universe (or system) tends to increase.






35. A localized change in a neruon's or musce cell's membrane potential that can propogate itself away from its point of origin. Action potentials are an all - or - none process mediated by the opening of voltage - gated Na+ and K+ channels when the memb






36. 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






37. 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






38. 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






39. The final portion of the large intestine.






40. 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.






41. The female primary sex organ. The ovary produces female gametes (ova) and secretes estrogen and progesterone.






42. A four - subunit protein found in red blood cells that binds oxygen. Each subunit contains a heme group - a large multi - ring molecule with an iron atom at its center. One hemoglobin molecule can bind four oxygen molecules in a cooperative manner.






43. 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.






44. The primary membrane lipid. Phospholipids consist of a glycerol molecule esterified to two fatty acid chains and a phosphate molecule. Additional - highly hyrohpilic groups are attached to the phosphate - making this molecule extremely amphipathic.






45. The outer protein coat of a virus (the whole coat)






46. The energy in a system that can be used to drive chemical reactions. If the change in free energy of a reaction (Delta G - the free energy of the products minus the free energy of the energy of the reactants) is negative - the reaction will occur spo






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






48. One of the two small chambers in the heart that receive blood and pass it on to the ventricles. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from teh body through the superior and inferiro vena cavae - adn the left atrium receives oxygenated blood fr






49. The three glands in the male reproductive system that reproduce semen: the seminal vesicles - the prostate - and the






50. An organism that makes its own - typically using CO2 as a carbon source.