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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 peptide hormone produced and secreted by the alpha cells - of the pancreas. It tartes primarily the liver - stimulating the breakdown of glycogen - thus increasing blood gluocse level.s






2. The region of teh brain that coordinates and smooth skeletal muscle activity.






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






4. 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






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






6. 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






7. An organism that requires the aid of a host organism to survive - and that harms the host in the process.






8. Also called transverse tubules - these are deep invaginations of the plasma membrane found in skeletal and cardiac muscle cells. These invaginations allow depolarization of the membrane to quickly penetrate to the interior of the cell.






9. The hollow center of an osteon - also known as a Haversian canal. The central canal contains blood vessels - lymphatic vessels - lymphatic vessels - and nerves. Bone is laid down around the central canal in concentric rings called lamellae.






10. Receptors in the central nervous system that monitor the pH of cerebrospinal luid to help regulate ventilation rate.






11. A nucleotide sequence that intervenes between protein - coding sequences. In DNA - these intervening sequences typically contain **regulatory sequences - however - in RNA they are simply spliced out to form the mature (translated) transcript.






12. An immune organ located near the heart. THe thymus is the site of T cell maturation and is larger in children and adolescents.






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






14. The period of human development beginning at 8 weeks of gestation and lasting until birth (38-42 weeks of gestation). During this stage the organs formed in the embryonic stage grow and mature. The developing baby is known as a fetus during this time






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






16. The second most common of the five classes of leukocytes. Lymphocytes are involved in specific immunity and include two cell types - B- cells and T cells. B- cells produce and secrete antibodies and T- cells are invovled in cellular immunity.






17. Unmyelinated neuron cell bodies and short unmyelinated axons.






18. The stoppage of bleeding; blood clotting.






19. 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.






20. Extremely small pseudo - cells in the blood - important for clotting. They are not true cells - but are broken - off bits of a larger cell (a megakaryocyte).






21. A wave of contraction that sweeps along a muscular tube - pushing substances along the tube (e.g. - food through the digestive tract - urine through the ureters - etc.)






22. 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.






23. In the autonomic division of the PNS - a neuron that has its cell body located in the autonomic ganglion (where a preganglionic neuron synapses with it) and whose axon synapses with the target axon.






24. 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






25. A mature - cartilage cell.






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






27. 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






28. A region within the nucleus where rRNA is transribed and ribosomes are partially assembled.






29. A string of sarcomeres with a skeletal muscle cell (hence smaller than myofiber). Each muscle cell contains hundreds of myofibirils.






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






31. The subdivision of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.






32. An ion channel that is opened or closed based on the binding of a specific ligand to teh channel. Once opened - the channel allows the ion to cross the plasma membrane according to its concentration gradient. An examples is the acetylcholine receptor






33. 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






34. Globular protein that assist in DNA packaging in eukaryotes. Histones form octamers around which DNA is wound to form a nucleosome.






35. An organism that has two copies of its genome it each cell. The paired genomes are said to be homologous.






36. A relatively direct connection between a sensory neuron and a motor neuron that allows an extremely rapid response to a stimulus - often without conscious brain involvement.






37. The amount of energy required to produce the transition state of a chemical reaction. If the activation energy for a reaction is very high - the reaction occurs very slowly. Enzymes (and other catalysts) increase reaction rates by reducing activation






38. One of the four basic tissue types in the body (epithelial - connective - muscle - and nervous). Epithelial tissue is a lining and covering tissue (e.g. skin - the lining of the stomach and intestines - the lining of the urinary tract - etc. ) or a g






39. A looser - more porous type of bone tissue found at the inner core of the epiphyses in long bones and all other bone types. Spongy gone is filed with red bone marrow - important in blood cell formation.






40. Photoreceptors in the retina of the eye that responds to bright light and provide color vision.






41. 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






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






43. 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.






44. (1) The secretion of useful substances from a cell - either into the blood (endocrine secretin) or into a cavity or onto the body surface (exocrine secretion). (2) in the nephron - the movement of substances from the blood to the filtrate along the t






45. One of the three primary (embryonic) germ layers formed during gastrulation. Endoderm ultimately forms internal structures - such as the inner lining of the GI tract and glandular organs.






46. A contact point between the afferent arteriole of the glomerulus and the distal convoluted tubule of the nephron. It is involved in regulating blood pressure.






47. 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.






48. The innermost layer of the eyeball. The retina is made up of a layer of photoreceptors - a layer of bipolar cells - and a layer of ganglion cells.






49. A region at the head of a sperm cell that contains digestive enzyems which - when released during the acrosome reaction - can facilitate penetration of the corona radiata of the egg - and subsequently - fertilization






50. The ends of a saromere.







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