Test your basic knowledge |

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 second phase of the uterine (endometrial) cycle - during which the endometrium (shed off during menstration is rebuilt). This phase of the cycle is under the control of estrogen - secreted from the follicle developing in the ovary during this tim






2. A neuron - to - neuron - neuron - to - organ - or muscle to cell - to - muscle cell junction.






3. One of the two ends of long bone (pl: eiphyses). The epiphyses have an outer shell made of compact bone and inner core of spongy bone. The spongy bone is filled with red bone marrow - the stie of blood cell formation.






4. The fraction of teh end - diastolic volume ejected from the ventricles in a single contraction of teh heart. THe ejection fraction is normally around 60% of the end diastolic volume.






5. The movement of water (the solvent) from its region of high concentration to its region of low concentration. NOte that the water concnetration gradient is opposite to the solute concentration gradient - since where solutes are concentrated - water i






6. Cells that possess MHC II (B cells and macrophages) and are able to display bits of ingested antigen on their surface in order to activate T cells. See also 'MHC'






7. Molecules made from monosaccharides that serve as the primary source of cellular energy -. Carbohydrates can also act as cell surface markers (good thing to remember).






8. Physical structures in two different organism that have funcitonal similarity due to their evoluntion in a common environment - but have different underlying structure. Analogous structures arise from convergent evolution.






9. The opening to the uterus The ervix is typically plugged with a sticky acidic mucus during non - fertile times (to form a barrier against the entry of pathogens) - however during ovulation the mucus becomes more watery and alkaline to facilitate sper






10. A nucleoside with one or more phosphate gropus attached. Nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs) are the building blocks of RNA and are also used as energy molecules - especially ATP. Deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) are the building blocks of DNA; in t






11. (Singular:villus). Folds of the intestinal mucosa that project into the lumen of the intestine; vili serve to increase the surface area of the intestine for absorption.






12. An enzyme inhibitor that binds at a site other than the active sit of an enzyme (binds at an allosteric site). THis changes the three - dimensional shape of the enzyme such that it can no longer catalyze the reaction






13. A network of membranes inside eukarytoic cells invovled in lipid synthesis (steroid in gonads) - detoxification (in liver cells) - and/or Ca2+ storage (muscle cells).






14. A cell that produces bone.






15. Very small tube or channel - such as is found between lacunae (connecting them together) in compact bone.






16. A nucleotide sequence on DNA that contians three elemtns: a coding sequence for one or more enzymes - *a coding sequence for a regulatory protein - and upstream regulatory sequences where the regulatory proteins can bind. An example is the lac operon






17. Receptors in the carotid arteries and the aorta that monitor blood pH to help regulate ventilation rate.






18. The cerebral hemispheres.






19. An X- linked recessive disorder in Which blood fails to clot properly - leading to excessive bleeding if injured.






20. Paired glands near the posterior side of the vaginal that secrete an alkaline mucus upon sexual arousal. The mucus helps to reduce the acidity of the vagina (which could be harmful to sperm) and lubricates the vagina to facilitate penetration.






21. The portion of the ear consisting of the pinna and the external auditory canal. The outer ear is separated from the middle ear by the tympanic membrane (the eardrum).






22. The membranes that line the surface of the lungs (visceral pleura) and the inside wall of the chest cavity (parietal pleura).






23. A bacterial structure formed in unfavorable growth conditions. Endospores have very rough outer shells made of peptidoglycan and can survive harsh conditions. The bacterium inside the endospore is essentially dormant and can become active (called ger






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






25. The formatino of the nervous system during weeks 5-8 of gestation. Neuralation begins when a section of the ectoderm invaginates and pinches off to form the neural groove - which ultimately forms the neural tube - From which the brain and spinal cord






26. A small - extrachromosomal (outside the genome) - circular DNA molecule found in prokaryotes.






27. A gland that secretes a waxy product - found in the external ear canal.






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






29. The folds of the inner membrane of a mitochondrion






30. 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.






31. The mechanism described by Charles Darwin that drives evolution. Through mutation - some organisms possess genes that make them better adapted to their environment. These organisms survive and reproduce more than those that do not possess the benefic






32. A carrier protein that transports two molecules across the plasma membrane in the same direction. For example - the Na+- glucose cotransporter in intestinal cells is a symporter.






33. The period of human development from implantation through 8 weeks of gestation. Gastrulation - neurulation - and organogenesis occur during this time period. The developing baby is known as embryo during this time period.






34. The portion of the hindbrain that controls respiratory and blood pressure - and specialized digestive and respiratory functions such as vomiting - sneezing - and coughing.






35. One of two large chambers in the heart. The ventricles receive blood from the atria and pump it out of the lungs of the heart. The right ventricle has thing walls and pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs through the pulmonary artery. The left ventri






36. All the genetic information in an organism; all of an organism's chromosomes.






37. A hole in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to enter the eyeball. The diameter of pupil is controlled by the iris in response to the brightness of the light.






38. The characteristics of amolecule that has both polar (hydrophilic) and non - polar hydrophobic) regions - e.g. phospholipids - bile - etc.






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






40. A type of substrate binding to a multi - active site enzyme - in which the bnidng of one substrate molecule facilitates teh binding of subsequent substrate molecules. A graph of reaction rate vs. substrate concentration appears sigmoidal. Noe that co






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






42. 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






43. An intracellular chemical signal (such as cAMP ) that relays instructions from the cell surface to enzymes in the cytosol.






44. The release of a secondary oocyte (along with some granulosa cells) from the ovary at the approximate midpoint of the menstrual cycle (typically around day 14). Ovulation is triggered by a surge in LH.






45. Sensory receptors found in the inner ear. Cochlear hair cells respond to vibration in the cochlea caused by sound waves and vestibular hair cells respond to changes in position and acceleration (used for balance).






46. Specif ic defense of the body by antibodies - secreted into the blood by B- cells.






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






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






49. A molecule formed by joining many monosaccharides together. POlysaccharides are typically energy- storage molecules (glycogen in animals - starch in plants) or structural molecules (cellulose in plants - chitin in exoskeletons).






50. A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart chambers. Arteries have muscular walls to regulate blood flow and are typically high - pressure vessles.