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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 type of lipoprotein; the form in which absorbed fats from the intestines are transported to the circulatory system.






2. Steroid hormones secreted from the adrenal cortex. The two major classes are teh mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids. Aldosterone is the principal mineralocorticoid - and cortisol is the principal glucorcorticoid.






3. A type of synapse at which a chemical (a neurotransmitter) is released from teh axon of a neuron into the ysnaptic cleft where it binds to receptors on the next structure in sequence - either another neuron or an organ.






4. 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.






5. The prokaryotic ribosome - binding site on mRNA - found 10 nucleotides 5' to the start codon.






6. A gene that has effects on several different characteristics.






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. A bundle of skeletal muscle cells. Fascicles group together to form skeletal muscles.






9. A normal blood protein produced by the liver - angiotensin is converted to angiotensim I by renin (secreted by kidney when blood pressur falls). Angiotensin I si further onverted to angiotensim II by ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme). Angiotensin I






10. A statistical rule stating that the probability of two independent events occuring together is the product of their individual probabilities.






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






12. 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






13. Also called occluding junctions - tight junctions form a seal between cells that prevents the movement of substances across the cell layer - except by diffusion through the cell membranes themselves. Tight junctions are found between the epithelial c






14. A hair - like structure on teh cell surface composed of microtubules ina '9+2' arrangement (nine pairs of microtubles surrounding 2 single microtubules in the center). Teh microtubules are conneted with a contractile protien called dynein. Cilia beat






15. The portion of the nephron tubule after the loop of Henle - but before teh collecting duct. Selective reabsorption and secretion occur here - most notably regulated reabsorption of water and sodium.






16. The pressure measured in the arteries during contraction of the ventricles (during systole).






17. The first phase of mitosis. During prophase the replicated chromosomes condense - the spindle is formed - and the nuclear envelope breaks apart into vessicles.






18. A structure near the middle of eukaryotic chromosomes to which the fibers of the mitotic spindle attach during cell division.






19. The first portion of the nephron tubuel after the glomerulus. THe PCT is the site of most reabsorption; all filtered nutrients are reabsorbed here as well as most of the filtered water.






20. The division of the periperal nervsous system that innervates and cotnrols the visceral organs (everything but the skeletal muscles). It is also knowns as the involuntary nervous system and an be subdivided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic di






21. A methylated guanine nucleotide added to the 5' end of eukaryotic mRNA. The cap is necessary to initiate translation of mRNA

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22. The movement of a particle (the solute) in a solution from its region of high concentration to its region of low concentration ( or down it concentration gradient).






23. 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.






24. The attachment of an amino acid to a tRNA (not that this a specific interaction). tRNa loading requires two high - energy phosphate bonds.






25. An organ that develops during pregnacy - derived in part from the mother and in part from the zygote. The placenta is the site of exchange of nutrients and gases between the mother's blood and the fetus' blood. The placenta is formed during the first






26. The blood vessels taht carry blood to and from cardiac muscle. The coronary arteries branch off teh aorta and carry oxygenated blood to the cardiac tissue. The coronary veins collect deoxygenated blood from teh cardiac tissue - merge to form teh coro






27. 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.






28. The division between neighboring cardiac muscle cells. Intercalcated discs include gap junctions - which allow the cells to function as a unit.






29. 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






30. 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






31. Physical structures in two different organisms that have structural similarity due to a common ancestor - but may have different functions. Homologous structures arise from divergent evolution.






32. The 3' end of a tRNA molecule that binds an amino acid. The nucleotide sequence at this end is CCA






33. HCO3-. THis ion results from the dissociation of carbonic acid - together wiht carbonic acid forms the the major blood buffer system. Bicarbonate is also secreted by teh pancreas to neutralize stomach acid in the intestines.






34. The rapid mitotic division of a zygot that being within 24-36 hours after fertilization






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. 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.






37. The 28 days of the menstrual cycle as they apply to events in the ovary. The ovarian cycle has three subphases: the follicular phase - ovulation - and the luteal phase.






38. The largest of the cytoplasmic filaments. Microtubules are composed of two types of protein - alpha tubulin and beta tubulin. They are dynamic fibers - constantly being built up and broken down - according to cellular needs. Microtubules form the mit






39. Messenger RNA; the type of RNa that is read by a ribosome to synthesize protein.






40. The middle (approximtely 40%) of the small intestine.






41. The outer ring of cells of a blastocyst. The trophoblast takes part in the formation of the placenta.






42. The plasma membrane of a muscle cell.






43. The largest artery in teh body; the aorta carries oxygenated blood away from the left ventricle of the heart.






44. Muscle tissue that is attached to the bones. SKeletal muscle is striated multinucleate - and under voluntary control.






45. An integral membrane proteint hat binds extracellular signaling molecules - suchas hormones and peptides.






46. A stack of membranes found near the rough ER in eukaryotic cells that is involved in the secretory pathway. The Golgi is involved in protein glycosylation (and other protein modification) and sorting and packagin proteins.






47. The region at the center of an A band of a sarcomere that is made up of myosin only. The H zone gets shorter (and may disappear) during muscle contraction.






48. Mendel's seond law. States that genes found on different chromosomes - or genes found very far apart on the same chromosome (i.e. - unlinked genes) sort independently of one another during gamete formation (meiosis).






49. An organism that will use oxygen (aerobic metabolism) if it is available - and that can ferment (anaerobic metabolism) if it is not.






50. A form of evolution in which different organisms are placed into the same environment and exposed to teh same selection pressures. This causes the organisms to evolve along similar lines. As a result - they may share functional - but not structural s