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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. Specialized lymphatic capillaries in the intestines that take up lipids as well as lymph.






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 pigment produced by melanocytes in teh bottom cell layer of the epidermis. Melanin production is increased on sun exposure and helps prevent cllular damage due to UV radiation.






4. DNA that is loosely packed around histones. This DNA is more accessible to enzymes and the genes in euchromatin can be activated if needed.






5. The outer layer of smooth muscle in the wall of the digestive tract. When the longitudinal muscle contracts the tube shortens.






6. 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!






7. 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






8. The second major node of the cardiac conduction system (after the SA node). The cardiac impulse is delayed slightly at teh AV node - allowing the ventricles to contract just after the atria contract.






9. Fat cell






10. The specific location on a DNa strand where replication begins.. Prokaryotes typically have a single origin of replication - while eukaryotes have several per chromosome.






11. The first portion of the nephron tubuel after the glomerulus. THe PCT is the site of most reabsorption; all filtered nutrients are reabsorbed here as well as most of the filtered water.






12. A point mutation in which a pyrimidine is substitued for a purine - or vice versa.






13. Molecules made by connecting amino acids via peptide bonds. Proteins are synthesized (translated) by ribosomes - and function as enzymes - carriers - structrual fibers - cell surface receptors - channels - porters - hormones - etc.






14. 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.






15. The volume of blood pumped out of the heart in one minute (vol/min); the product of the stroke volume (vol/beat) and the heart rate (beat/min). Cardiac output is directly proportional to blood pressure**.






16. Arise in blood pH due to hyperventilation (excessive breathing) and a resulting decrease in CO2.






17. An integral membrane proteint hat binds extracellular signaling molecules - suchas hormones and peptides.






18. Peptidyl - tRNA site; the stie on a ribosome where the growing peptide (attached to a tRNA) is found during translation.






19. The valves in the heart that separte the atria from teh ventricles. The tricuspid valve separates teh right atrium from the right ventricel - and the bicuspid (mitral) valves separates the left atrium from the left ventricle. These valves close at th






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






21. A globular protein found in muscle tissue that has the ability to bind oxygen. Myoglobin helps to store oxygen in the muscle for use in aerobic respiration (it does not move - just stays there). Muscles that participate in endurance activities (inclu






22. To attach oxygen - to remove hydrogen - or to remove electrons from a molecule.






23. 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.






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






25. A neuron that carries information (action potentials) away from the central nervous system; a motor neuron.






26. 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






27. A protein that is associated with the plasma membrane of a cell - but that is not embedded in the lipid bilayer. Peripheral proteins typically associate with embedded proteins through hydrogen bonding or electrostatic interactions.






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. A layer of cells surroudning the granulosa cells of the follicles in an ovary. Thecal cells help produce the estrogen secreted from the follicle during the first phase of the ovarian cycle.






30. 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






31. The fourth (and final) phase of mitosis. During telophase the nuclear envelope reforms - chromosomes decondense - and the mitotic spindle is disassembled.






32. One of the four aromatic bases found in DNA. Thymine is a pyrimidine; it pairs with adenine.






33. A hormone made of amino acids (in some cases just a single - modified amino acid). Peptide hormones are generally hydrophilic and cannot cross the plasma membranes of cells - thus receptor for peptide hormones must be found on the cell surface. An ex






34. Large conglomerations of proteins - fats - and cholesterol that transport lipids in the bloodstream. (chylomicrons are a type of lipoprotein).






35. The muscular femal organ - in which a baby develops during pregnancy.






36. A sweat gland located in the dermis of the skin. Sweat consists of water and ions (including Na+ and urea) and is secreted with temperatures rise.






37. A digestive accessory organ near the liver. The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile produced by the liver - and is stimulated to contrat by cholecystokin (CCK).






38. 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.






39. A virus with an RNA genome (e.g. HIV) that undergoes a lysogenic life cycle in a host with a double stranded DNA genome. In order to integrate its genome with the host cell genome - the virus must first reverse trasncribe its RNA genome to DNA.






40. The layer of ciliated - mucus - covered cells in the respiratory tract.The cilia continually beat - sweeping contaminated mucus upward toward the pharynx.






41. The percentage of wholeblood made up of erythrocytes The typical hematocrit value is between 40-45%.






42. The outer layer of an organ - e.g. the renal cortex - the ovarian cortex - the adrenal cortex - etc.






43. 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.






44. 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






45. A gland that secretes its product into a duct - which ultimately carries the product to the surface of the body or into a body cavity. Some examples of exocrine gland and their products are sweat glands (sweat) - gastric glands (acid - mucus - protea






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






47. A region of specialized cardiac muscle cells in the right atrium of the heart that initiate the impules of heart contraction; for this reason the SA node is knownas the 'pacemaker' of the heart.






48. Salivary amylase






49. Also called immunoblobins - the antibodies are protiens secreted by B- cells upon activation that bind in a highly specific manner to foreign proteins (such as those found of the surface of pathogens or transplanted tissues). The foreign proteins are






50. A physiological catalyst. Enzymes are usually proteins - although some RNAs have catalytic activity.