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






2. Also known as the Bundle of His - this is the first portion of the cardiac conduction system - after the AV node.






3. 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.






4. 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.






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






6. The liquid portion of blood; plasma contains water - ions - buffers - sugars - proteins - etc. Anything that dissolves in blood dissolves in the plasma portion.






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






8. The modifaction of enzyme activity through interactino of molecules with specific sites on the enzyme other than the active site (called allosteric sites)






9. A strong connective tissue with varying degrees of flexibility. (1) Elastic cartilage is the most flexible - forming structures that reuqire support but also need to bend - such as the epiglottis and outer ear. (2) Hyaline cartilage is more rigid tha






10. The monomer of a protein; amino acids hae an amio group on one end fo the molecule and a carboxylic acid group on the other - and of the of 2 different side chains.






11. 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






12. An immune reaction directed against normal (necessary ) cells.Fo example - diabets melitus (typeI) is an autoimmun reaction directed against teh beta cells of the pancrease (destorying them and preventing insulin secretion) and aginst insulin itself.






13. The second step in viral infection - the injection of the viral genome into the host cell.






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






15. The combination of alleles of an organism carries. In a homozygous genotype - both alleles are the same - whereas in a heterozygous gentorype the alleles are different.






16. 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






17. A subphase of male orgasm. Emission is the movement of sperm (via the vas deferens) and semen into the urtehra in prepartion for ejaculation.






18. A viral life cycle in which the host is turned into a 'virus factory' and ultimately lysed to release the new viral particles.






19. A blood protein produced by the liver. Albumin helps to mantain blood osmotic pressure (oncotic pressure)






20. The inner layer of smooth muscle in the wall of the digestive tract. When the circular muscle contracts - the tube diameter is reduced. Certain areas of the circular muscle are thickened to act as valves (sphincters).






21. A bacterium having a spiral shape (plural = spirochetes)






22. A form of genetic recombination in bacteria in which plasmid and/or genomic DNA is transferred from one bacterium to the toher through a conjugation bridge.






23. The burrowing of a blastocyst (a developing embryo) into the endometrium of the uterus - typically occuring about a week after fertilizaiton.






24. A vein connecting the capillary bed of the intestines with the capillary bed of the liver. This allows amino acids and gluocse absorbed from the intestines to be delivered first to the liver for processing before being transported throughout the circ






25. A protein hormone secreted by sustenacular cells of the testes that acts to inhibit the release of FSH and LH from the anterior pituitary.






26. The sequence of nucleotides on a chromosome that activates RNA polymerase so that transcription can take place. The promoter is found upstream of the start site - the location where transcription actually takes place.






27. The inner region of the adrenal gland. The adrenal medulla is part of the sympathetic nervous systme - and releases epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine into the blood when stimuated. These hormones augment and prolon the effects of sympatheti






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






29. The duplication of DNA






30. 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






31. A nonliving - intracellular parasite. Viruses are typically just pieces of nucleic aid surrounded by a protein coat.






32. A group of nucleotides that does not specify a particular amino acid - but instead serves to notify the ribosome that the protein being translated is complete. The stop codons are UAA - UGA - and UAG. They are also known as nonsense codons.






33. The portion of the diencephalon involved in maintaining body homeostasis. the hypothalamus also controls the release of hormones from the pituitary gland.






34. 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!






35. A group of sensory neuron cell bodies found just posterior to the spinal cord on either side. A pair of root ganglia exists for each spinal nerve that expands from the spinal cord. The ganglia are part of the peripheral nervous system (PNS).






36. The uptake of material into a cell - usually by invagination. See also 'phagocytosis' - pinocytosis - and receptor - mediated endocytosis..






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






38. 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).






39. The percentage of individuals with a particular genotype that actually displays the phenotype associated with the genotype.






40. (1) The integration of input (EPSPs and IPSPs) from many presynaptic neruons by a single postsynaptic neuron - either temporaly or spatially. Summation of al input can either stimulate the postsynaptic neuron and possibly lead to an action potential






41. 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.






42. Strong bands of connective tissue that connect skeletal muscle to bone.






43. 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.






44. A hormone secreted by the samll intestine (duodenum) in response to the presence of fats. It promotes release of bile from the gallbladder and pancreatic juice from the pancreas - and reduces stomach motility.






45. A mature - cartilage cell.






46. An enzyme that cuts one or both strands of DNa to relieve the excess tension caused by the unwinding of the helix by helicase during replication.






47. The valves in the heart that separate the ventricles from the arteries. The pulmonary semilunar valve separates the right ventricle from the pulmonary artery - and the aortic semilunar valve separates left ventricle from the aorta. These valves close






48. A kinase in smooth muscle cells activated by calmodulin the presence of Ca2+. As its name implies - this kinase phosphorylates myosin - activating it so that muscle contraction can occur.






49. The final section (approximately 55%) of the small intestine.






50. Cells that make up exocrine galnds - adn that secrete their products into ducts. For example - in the pancreas - acinar cells secrete digestive enzyme; in the salivary glands - acinar cells secrete saliva.