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Test your basic knowledge |
MCAT Prep Biology
Start Test
Study First
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. An enzyme whose transcription can be stimulated by an abundance of its substrate (as opposed to repressible enzyme). Usually in catabolism.
Syncytium
Hematocrit
T cell
Inducible enzymes
2. 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
Androgens
Cristae
Hypothalamic - pituitary portal system
Cones
3. The clear portion of the tough outer layer of teh eye ball - found over the iris and pupil
Cochlea
Cornea
Law of Independent Assortment
Cortisol
4. A hormone released by the posterior pituitary that stimulates uterine contractions during childbirth and milk ejection during breastfeeding.
Enteric nervous system
Lacteals
Oxytocin
Vasa recta
5. A dense grwoth of bacteria that covers the surface of a petri dish.
Bohr effect
Natural selection
Artery
Lawn
6. A layer of connective tissue underneath the epidermis of the skin. The dermis contains blood vessels - lymphatic vessels - nerves - sensory receptors - and glands.
Diencephalon
Telophase II
Dermis
Erythropoietin
7. Fingerlike projection of the uterin (fallopian) tubes that drape over the ovary.
Implantation
Oval window
Myosin
Fimbriae
8. 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.
Endoderm
Urinary sphincter
First law of Thermodynamics
Mitosis
9. The third phase of the uterin (endometrial) cycle - during which the rebuilt endometrium is enhanced with glycogen and lipid stores. The secretory phase is primarily under the controll of progestone and estrogen (secreted from the copus luteum during
Electron transport chain
Microvilli
Vas deferens
Secretory phase
10. The basic functional and structural unit of the nervous system. The neuron is a highly specialized cell - designed to transmit action potentials.
Neuron
Cardiac output
Sarcolemma
Desmosome
11. An organism that makes its own - typically using CO2 as a carbon source.
Autotroph
Chyme
Noncompetitive inhibitor
Lagging strand
12. Multiple sites of replication found on large - linear eukaryotic linear eukaryotie chromosomes.
Polar body
Replication bubbles
Neuron
Transcription
13. 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.
Peripheral resistance
Telophase II
Skeletal muscle
Spatial summation
14. The return of membrane potential to normal resting values after a depolarization of hyperpolarization.
Substrate(s)
Guanine
Gibbs free energy
Repolarization
15. A highly specific cellular uptake mechanism. The molecule to be taken up must bind to cell surface receptor found in a clathrin - coated pit.
Creatine Phosphate
Endosymbitoic theory
Expiration
Receptor - mediated endocytosis
16. The pressure measured in the arteries while the ventricles are relaxed (during diastole).
Matrix
Diastolic pressure
Cortex
Hydroxyapatite
17. A pair of replicated homologous chromosomes. Tetrads form during prophase I of meiosis so that homologous chromosomes can exchange DNA in a process known as 'crossing over.'
Stroke volume
Tetrad
Blastocyst
Perfusion
18. The environment in which or upon Which bacteria grow. It typically contains a sugar source and any other nutrients that bacteria may require. 'Minimal medium' contain nothing but glucose.
Medium
Enteric nervous system
Eukaryotic
tRNA loading
19. A tropic hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland that targets the thyroid gland - stimulating it to produce and release thyroid hormone.
Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
tRNA loading
Hematocrit
Excretion
20. The second phase of meiosis II. Metaphase II is identical to mitotic metaphase - except that the number of chromosomes was reduced by half during meiosis I.
Kinase
Vas deferens
Universal acceptor
Metaphase II
21. 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.
Plasma cell
Embryonic stage
Multipolar neuron
Keratin
22. A chemical secreted by a T cell (usually the helper Ts) that stimulates activation and proliferation of other immune system cells.
Testes
Pyruvic acid
Lymphokine
Synapsis
23. The liquid portion of blood; plasma contains water - ions - buffers - sugars - proteins - etc. Anything that dissolves in blood dissolves in the plasma portion.
Cones
Endospore
Plasma
Serum
24. DNA that is loosely packed around histones. This DNA is more accessible to enzymes and the genes in euchromatin can be activated if needed.
Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH
Thymus
Euchromatin
Preganglionic neuron
25. An intracellular chemical signal (such as cAMP ) that relays instructions from the cell surface to enzymes in the cytosol.
Second messenger
Osteocyte
Diastole
Telencephalon
26. The ability of tissues to regulate their own blood flow in the absence of neural stiulation. THis is generally accomplished via metabolic wastes (such as CO2) that act as vasodilators.
Urea
Local autoregulation
Optic disk
Myosin light - chain kinase (MLCK)
27. The energy in a system that can be used to drive chemical reactions. If the change in free energy of a reaction (Delta G - the free energy of the products minus the free energy of the energy of the reactants) is negative - the reaction will occur spo
Endometrial cycle
Epinephrine
Gibbs free energy
Euchromatin
28. 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
Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH
yngergist
Alimentary canal
Cervix
29. A four - carbon molecule that binds with the two - carbon acetyl unit of acetyl - CoA to form citric acid in the first step of the Krebs cycle.
Ileocecal valve
Oxaloacetate
Spatial summation
Spleen
30. Formerly called the cardiac sphincter - this sphincter marks the entrance to the stomach. Its function is to prevent reflux of acid stomach contents into the esophagus; note that it does **not regulate entry into the stomach.
Hemizygous gene
Endoderm
Lower esophageal sphincter
Pacemaker potential
31. An organism that will use oxygen (aerobic metabolism) if it is available - and that can ferment (anaerobic metabolism) if it is not.
Facultative anaerobe
P site
Retinal
Chemical synapse
32. The division of the inner cell mass of a blastocyst (developing embryo) into the three primary germ layers. Gastrulation occurs during weeks 2-4 of gestation.
Gastrulation
Gallbladder
Steroid hormone
Mullerian inhibiting factor (MIF)
33. An enzyme whose transcription can be stopped by an abundance of its product (as opposed to inducible enzymes). Usually part of anabolism of product.
Capilary
Repressible enzyme
Peripheral membrane protein
tRNA
34. A protein channel in the nuclear envelope that llows the free passage of molecules smaller than 60 kD.
Periperal nervous system
Cofactor
Nuclear pore
Gene pool
35. A function in the reproductive system - controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system - that includes erection (via dilation of erectile arteries) and lubrication.
Arousal
Motor unit recruitment
Collecting duct
Meninges
36. The regino of the digestive tract where virtually al digestion and absorption occur. It is subdivided into three regions: the duodenum - the jejunum - and the ileum.
Ectoderm
Bicarbonate
Small intestine
Bacilus
37. DNA replication in which each of the parental strands is read to make a complementary daughter strand - ethus each new DNa molecule is composed of half the parental molecule paired with a newly synthesized strand.
Ileum
Cytosine
Rough endoplasmic reticulum
Semiconservative replication
38. An enzyme that digests starch into disaccharides. Amylase is secreted by salivary glands and by the pancreas.
Relication fork(s)
Amylase
Kinase
Efferent neuron
39. 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.
Operon
Myosin light - chain kinase (MLCK)
Obligate anaerobe
Inspiration
40. A structure composed of two coils of DNA wrapped around an octet of histone proteins. The nucleosome is the primary form of packagin of eukaryotic DNA.
Nucleosome
Aminoacyl tRNA
Primary active transport
Secretin
41. 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.
Accessory organs
Retrovirus
Alimentary canal
Soma
42. The reduction of pyruvate to either ethanol or lactate in order to regenerate NAD+ from NADH. Fermentation occurs in the absence of oxygen - and allow glycolysis to continue under those conditions.
Pleura
Fermentation
Telophase II
Vitamin
43. The specialization of cell types - especially during the embryonic and fetal development.
Urethra
Helicase
Differentiation
hick filament
44. An RNA polymerase that creates a primer (made of RNA) initiate DNa replication. DNA pol binds to the primer and elongates it.
Vestibular glands
Primase
Steroid hormone
Ventricle
45. A structure made of two protein subunits and rRNA; this is the site of protein synthessis (translation) in a cell. Prokaryotic ribosomes (also known as 70S ribosomes) are smaller than eukaryotic ribosome (80S ribosomes). The S value refers to the sed
Accessory organs
Keratin
Parietal cells
Ribosome
46. Heterogeneous nuclear RNA; the primary transcript made in eukaryotes before splicing.
Endocrine gland
hnRNA
Optic disk
Calmodulin
47. The membrane that separates the middle ear from the inner ear.
Fetal stage
Lag phase
Myelin
Oval window
48. The process of breaking down large molecules into smaller precursors - e.g. digesion of starch into glucose.
Intron
Larynx
Catabolism
Anticodon
49. A long - whip - like filament that helps in cell motility. Many bacteria are flagellated - and sperm are flagellated.
Flagella
Retinal
Lymphokine
Sarcolemma
50. A blood vessel that carries blood toward the heart chambers. Veins do not have muscular walls - have valves to ensure that blood flows in one direction only - and are typically low - pressure vessels.
MHC
Antagonist
Vein
Interleukin