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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 outermost layer of teh skin. The epidermis is made of epithelial tissue that is constantly dividing at the bottom; teh cells migrate to teh surface (dying along the way) to be sloughed off at the suface.






2. The exchange of DNA between paired homologus chromosomes (tetrads) during prophase I of meiosis.






3. A non - protein - but organic - molecule (such as vitamin) that is covalently bound to an enzyme as part of the active site.






4. The set of adult characteristics that develop during puberty under the control of the sex steroids. In males the secondary sex characteristics include enlargement and maturation of the genitalia - growth of facial - body - and pubic hair - increased






5. Small fragments of DNa produced on the lagging strand during DNa replication - joined later by DNA ligase to form a complete strand.






6. 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






7. The duct that carries bile from the gallbladder and liver to the small intestine (duodenum).






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






9. A phagocytic - like bone cell that breaks down bone matrix to release calcium and phosphate into the bloodstream.






10. 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.






11. Mendels' first law. The Law of Segregation states that the two alleles of a given gene will be separate from one another during gamete formation (meiosis).






12. A hydrophobic molecule - usually fomred from long hydrocarbon chains. The most common forms in which lipids are found in the body are as triglycerides (energy storage) - phospholipids (cell membranes) - and cholestero (cell membranes and steroid synt






13. A form of evolution in which the same organism is placed into different environments with different selection pressures. This causes organisms to evolve differently - to diverge from their common ancestor. The resulting (new) species may share struct






14. Muscle tissue that is attached to the bones. SKeletal muscle is striated multinucleate - and under voluntary control.






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






16. 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






17. 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






18. The duplication of DNA






19. The specific site on an antigenic molecule that binds to a T cell receptor or to an antibody.






20. A hormone produced and secreted by the parathyroid glands that increases serum calcium levels. It targets the bones (stimulates osteoclasts) - the kidneys (increases calcium reabsorption) - and the small intestine (increases calcium absorption).






21. Bacteria that have a thin peptidoglycan cell wall covered by an outer plasma membrane. They stain very lightly (pink) in Gram stain. Gram - negative bacteria are typically more resistant to antibiotics than Gram - positive bacteria.






22. The membrane that separates the middle ear from the inner ear.






23. A band of carilage (hyaline) found between the diaphysis and epiphyses of long bones during childhood and adolescence. Cell proliferation in the middle of the eiphyseal plate essentially forces teh diaphysis and epiphyses further apart - while the ol






24. A specific DNA nucleotide sequence where transcriptional regulatory proteins can bind.






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






26. The muscle tissue of the heart Cardiac muscle is striated - uninucleate - and under involuntary control (controlled by teh autonomic nervous system). Note also that cardiac muscle is self - stimulatory - and autonomic control serves only to modify th






27. Toward the 5' end of an Rna transcript (the 5' end of the DNA coding strand). The promoter and start sites are upstream.






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






29. 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.






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






31. A thin - watery fluid found in teh anterior segment of the eye (between the lens and the cornea). THe aqueous humor is constantly produced and drained - adn helps to bring nutrients to the lesn and corena - as well as to remove metabolic wastes






32. The allele in a heterozygous genotype that is expressed; the phenotype resulting from either a heterozygous genotype or a homozygous dominant genotype.






33. The ends of a saromere.






34. A bundle of skeletal muscle cells. Fascicles group together to form skeletal muscles.






35. The environment in which or upon Which bacteria grow. It typically contains a sugar source and any other nutrients that bacteria may require. 'Minimal medium' contain nothing but glucose.






36. 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






37. The region of the nephron that surrounds the glomerulus. The capsule ollects the plasma that is filtered from teh capillaries in the glomerulus.

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38. A duodenal enzyme that activates trypsinogen (from the pancreas) to trypsin.






39. Messenger RNA; the type of RNa that is read by a ribosome to synthesize protein.






40. A structure near the middle of eukaryotic chromosomes to which the fibers of the mitotic spindle attach during cell division.






41. A cell characterized by the presence of a nucleus and other membrane - bound organelles. Eukaryotes can be unicellular (protists) or multicellular (fungi - plants and animals).






42. 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






43. Fingerlike projection of the uterin (fallopian) tubes that drape over the ovary.






44. The space between the inner and outer cell membranes in Gram - negative bactera. The peptidoglycan cell wall is found in the periplasmic space - and this space sometimes contains enzymes to degrade antibiotics.






45. Myelinated axons






46. Paired masses of lymphatic tissue near the back of the throat that help trap inhaled or swallowed pathogens.






47. Also called thryoid hormone - thyroxine is produced and secreted by follicle cells in the thyroid gland. it targets all cells in the body and increases overall body metabolism.






48. 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






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






50. 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