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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 bacterium having a spiral shape (plural = spirochetes)






2. A bacteria having a round shape (plural = cocci)






3. A normal component of the outer membrane of Gram - negative bacteria. Endotoxins produce extreme immune reactions (septic shock) - particularly when many of them enter the circulation at once.






4. The volume of air remaining in the lungs after a maximal forced exhalation - typically about 1200 mL.






5. A long projection off the cell body of a neruon down which an action potential can be propagated.






6. The white portion of teh tough outer layer of the eyeball






7. A hormone secreted by the small intestine (duodenum) in response to the presence of food. It decreases the rate at which chyme leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine.






8. 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






9. An enzyme that connects two fragments of DNA to make a single fragment; also called DNA ligase. This enzyme is usedd during DNA replication and is also used in recombinant DNA research.






10. A statistical rule stating that the probability of either of two indpendent (and mutually exclusive) events ocuring is the sum of their individual probabilities minus the probability of them both occuring together.






11. An amphipathic molecule secreted by cells in the alveoli (type 2 alveolar cells) tha reducs surface tension on the inside of the alveolar walls. This prevents the alveoli from collapsing upon exhale and sticking together - thus reducing the effort re






12. Active transport that releies on an established concentration gradient - typically set up by a primary active transporter. Secondary active transport relies on ATP indirectly.






13. The first branches of the trachea. There are two primary bronchi - one for each lung.






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






15. The pressure measured in the arteries while the ventricles are relaxed (during diastole).






16. The physical characterisitcs resulting from the genotype. Phenotypes are usually described as dominant or recessive.






17. The clear portion of the tough outer layer of teh eye ball - found over the iris and pupil






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






19. A thick muscular tube that connects the epididymis of the testes to the urethra. Muscular contractions of the vas deferns during ejaculation ehp propel the sperm outward. Severing of the vas deferens (vasectomy) results in sterility of the male.






20. Bacteria that have a thick peptido glycan cell wall - and no outer membrane. They stain very darkly (purple) in Gram stain.






21. A diploid cell formed by the fusion of two gametes during sexual reproduction.






22. A system of blood vessels where the blood passes from arteries to capillaries to veins - then through a second set of capillaries - and then through a final set of veins. THere are two portal systems in the body - the hepatic portal system and the hy






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






24. 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.






25. The majority of the cells surrouding an oocyte in a follicle. Granulosa cells secrete estrogen during the follicular phase of the ovarian cycle (before ovulation).






26. A hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary that tarets the mammary glands stimulating them to produce breastmilk.






27. The inner region of an organ - e.g. - the renal medulla - the ovarian medulla - and the adrenal medulla - etc.






28. 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.






29. A clear area in a lawn of bacteria. Plaques represent an area where bacteria are lysing (dying) and usually caused by a lytic virus.






30. The movement of a substance from the filtrate (in the renal tuble) bak into the bloodstream. Reabsorption reduces the amount of a substance in the urine.






31. A large - mature - ovarian follicel with a well - developed antrum and a secondary oocyte. Ovulation of the oocyte occurs from this type of follicle.






32. A carrier protein that transports two molecules acrss the plasma membrane in opposite directions.






33. The relationship of muscle length to its ability to generate strong contractions. Maximum tension (contraction strength) is achieved at sarcomere lengths between 2.0 and 2.2 microns. Tension decreases outside of this range <-- remember.






34. 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






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






36. High frequency of recombination bacterium An F+ bacterium that has the fertility factor integrated into its chromosome. When conjugation takes place - it is able to transfer not only the F factor - but also its genomic DNA.






37. The movement of the membrane potential of a cell away from rest potential in a more negative direction.






38. An enzyme that phosphorylates something else. Kinases are frequently used in regulatory pathways - phosphorylating other enzymes.






39. A flexible piece of cartilage in the larynx that flips downward to seal teh trachea during swallowing.






40. The curled structure in the inner ear that contains the membranes and hair cells that transduce sound waves into action potentials.






41. General - non - specific protection to the body - including the skin (barrier) - gastric acid - phagocytes - lysozyme - and complement.






42. A chemical released by the axon of a neuron in response to an action potential that binds to receptors on a postsynaptic cell and causes that cell to either depolarize slightlly (EPSP) or hyperpolarize slightly (IPSP). Examples are acetylcholine - no






43. The membrane that separate the outer ear from the middle ear. The tympanic membrane is also known as the eardrum.






44. The primary female sex hormone. Estrogen stimulates the development of female secondary sex characteristics during puberty - maintains those characteristics during adulthood - stimulates the development of a new uterine lining after menstruation - an






45. One type of eukaryotic mRNA processing in which introns are removed from the primary transcript and exons are ligated together. SPlicing of transcripts can be different in different tissues.






46. A string of several hundred adenine nucletodies added to the 3' end of the eukaryotic mRNA.






47. Enzymes that degrade various macromolecules and that require an acidic pH to function properly. Acid hydrolases are found within the lysosomes of cells.






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






49. A thick - transpartent coating rich in glycoproteins that surrounds an oocyte.






50. Chemoreceptors on the tongue that respond to chemicals in a food.