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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. Fingerlike projection of the uterin (fallopian) tubes that drape over the ovary.






2. Bacteria that have a thin peptidoglycan cell wall covered by an outer plasma membrane. They stain very lightly (pink) in Gram stain. Gram - negative bacteria are typically more resistant to antibiotics than Gram - positive bacteria.






3. A sensory receptor that responds to mechanical disturbances - such as shape changes (being squashed - bent - pulled - etc.). Mechanoreceptors include touch receptors in the skin - hair cells - in the ear - muscle spindles - and others.






4. The osmotic pressure in the blood vessels due only to plasma proteins (primarily albumin) --> causes water to rush back into capillaries at end.






5. The constant inhibition provided to the heart by the vagus nerve. Vagal tone reduces the intrinsic firing rate of teh SA node from 120 beats/minute to around 80 beats/minute.






6. The phase of the cell cycle during which the replicated genome is divided. Mitosis has four phases (prophase - metaphase - anaphase - telophase) and includes cytokinesis (the physical splitting of the cell into two new cells).






7. A form of symbiosis in Which both organisms involved benefit from the association.






8. The phase of mitosis during which the cell physically splits into two daugter cells. Cytokinesis begins near the end of anaphase - and is completed during telophase.






9. 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).






10. An enzyme that unwinds the double helix of DNA and separates the DNA strands in preparation for DNA replication.






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






12. A passageway leading from behind the nasal cavity to the trachea. The pharynx is divided into three regions - named for their location. The nasopharynx is behind the nasal cavity - the oropharynx is behind the oral cavity - and the laryngopharynx is






13. A fibrous - connective - tissue protein taht has the ability to recoil to its original shape after being stretche.d Elastin is found in great amounts in lung tissue - arterial tissue - skin - and the epiglottis.






14. Also known as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of the digestive tract - the alimentary canal is the long muscular 'tube' that includes the mouth esophagus - somatch - small intesitne - and large intestine.






15. A band of carilage (hyaline) found between the diaphysis and epiphyses of long bones during childhood and adolescence. Cell proliferation in the middle of the eiphyseal plate essentially forces teh diaphysis and epiphyses further apart - while the ol






16. Aromatic bases found in DNa and RNA that have a single - ring structure. They include cytosine - thymine - and uracil.






17. The outermost layer of teh skin. The epidermis is made of epithelial tissue that is constantly dividing at the bottom; teh cells migrate to teh surface (dying along the way) to be sloughed off at the suface.






18. The exchange of DNA between paired homologus chromosomes (tetrads) during prophase I of meiosis.






19. A function the reproductive system (conrolled by the sympathetic nervous system) that returns the body to its normal resting state after sexual arousal and orgasm.






20. 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






21. An organism that cannot make its own food - and thus must ingest other organisms.






22. A systme of ductless glands taht secrete chemical messengers (into) the blood - has to be into the blood.






23. 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






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






25. Genes that are inherited only from the mother - such as mitochondrial genes (all organelles come only from the ovum).






26. An enzyme that lyses bacterial cell walls. Lysozyme is produced in the end stages of the lytic cycle so that new viral particles can escape their hosst; it is also found in human tears and human saliva.






27. The transfre by a lysogenic virus of a portion of a host cell genome to a new host.






28. A junction between cells - consisting of a protein channel called a connexon on each of the two cells that connect to form a single channel between teh cytoplasms of both cells. Gap junctions allow small molecules to flow between teh cells - and are






29. The enzymes that catalyzes the phosphorylation of glucose to form glucose -6- phosphate in the first step of glycolysis. This is one of the ain regulatory steps of this pathway. Hexokinase is feedback - inhibited by glucose -6- P.






30. An ion channel that is oepend or closed based on the electrical potential across the plasma membrane. Once opened - the channel allows ions to cross the membrane according to their concentration gradients. Examples are the Na+ and K+ voltage - gated






31. A hormone derived from cholesterol. Steroids are generally hydrophobic and can easily cross the plasma membrane of cells - thus receptors for steroids are found intracellularly. Once this steroid binds to its receptor - the receptor - steroid complex






32. Pepsinogen - secreting cells foudn at teh bottom of the gastric glands






33. A subphase of male orgasm - a reflex reaction triggered by the presence of semen in the urethra. Ejaculation is a series of rhythmic contractions of muscles near teh base of teh penis that increase pressure in the urethra - forcing the semen out.






34. Small paired gland found inferior to the prostate in males and at the posterior end of the penile urethra. They secrete an alkaline mucus on sexual arousal that helps toneutralize any traces of acidic urine the urethra that might be harmful to sperm.






35. 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






36. 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.






37. The monomer of a carbohydrate. Monosaccharides have the general chemical formula CnH2nOn - and common monosaccharides include glucose - fructose - galactose - and ribose.






38. The first part of the large intestine.






39. A point mutation in which a condon that specifies an amino acid is mutated into a stop (nonsense) codon.






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






41. The movement of a hydrophobic molecule across the plasma membrane of cell - down its concentration gradient. Since the molecule can esialy interact with the lipid bilayer - no additional help (such as a channel or pore) is required.






42. A tropic hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland that targets the gonads. In females - FSH stimulates the ovaries to develop follicles (oogenesis) and secrete estrogen; in males - FSH stimulates spermatogenesis.






43. A precursor cell that undergoes mitosis during fetal development to produce more oogonium. These cells are then activated to produce primary oocytes - which remain dormant until stimulated to undergo meiosis I during some future menstrual cycle.






44. The clear portion of the tough outer layer of teh eye ball - found over the iris and pupil






45. A mechanism for increasing tension (contractile length) in a muscle by activating more motor units.






46. The specialized cells of the heart that spontaneously initiate action potentials and transmit them to the cardiac muscle cells. The cells of the conduction system are essentially cardiac muscle cells - but lack the contractile fibers of the muscle ce






47. The contribution of an individual gas to the total ppressure of a mixture of gases. Partial pressures are used to describe the amounts of the various gases carried in the bloodstream.






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






49. Also called vasopressin - this hormone is produced in the hypothalamus and secreted by teh posterior pituitary gland. It tartes teh kidney tubules - increasing their permeability to water - adn thus increasing water retention by the body. Also raises






50. A lubricating - nourishing fluid found in joint capsules.