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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 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.)






2. The tube that connects the middle ear acity with the pharynx; also known as the Eustachian tube. Its fucntion is to equalize midle ear pressure with atmospheric pressure so that pressure on boths sides of the tympanic membrane is the same.






3. The function unit of the kidney. Each kidney has about a million nehprons; this is where blood filtration and subsequent modification of the filtrate occurs. The nephron empties into collecting ducts - which empty into the ureter.






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. In the autonomic divison of the PNS - a neuron that has its cell body located in the CNS - and whose axon extends into the PNS to synapse with a second neuron at an autonoic ganglion. (The second neuron's axon synapses with the target axon)






6. 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






7. The fourth and final phase of meiosis II. Telophase II is identical to mitotic telophase - except that the number of chromosomes was reduced by half during meiosis. I.






8. The movement of water (the solvent) from its region of high concentration to its region of low concentration. NOte that the water concnetration gradient is opposite to the solute concentration gradient - since where solutes are concentrated - water i






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






10. Anterior pituitary gland






11. The 28 days of the menstrual cycle as they apply to the events in the uterus. The endometrial cycle is also known as the uterine cycle - and has the three subphases: menstruation - the proliferative phase - and the secretory phase.






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






13. The ball of capillaries at the beginning of the nephron where blood filtration takes place.






14. A molecule composed of two monosaccharides. Common disaccharides include maltose - sucrose - and lactose.






15. A protein that is associated with the plasma membrane of a cell - but that is not embedded in the lipid bilayer. Peripheral proteins typically associate with embedded proteins through hydrogen bonding or electrostatic interactions.






16. The failure of homologous chromosomes or sister chromatids to separate properly during cell division. This could ocur during anaphase I of meiosis (homologous chromosomes) [--> leaving 2 gametes w/ 2 copies and 2 gametes w/ no copies of chromosome] -






17. The specialization of cell types - especially during the embryonic and fetal development.






18. 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






19. A phagocytic - like bone cell that breaks down bone matrix to release calcium and phosphate into the bloodstream.






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. An abdominal organ that is considered part of the immune system. THe spleen has four functions: (1) it filters antigen from the blood (2) it is the site of B cell maturation - (3) it stors blood - and (4) it destroys old red blood cells.






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






23. Muscles that help focus light on teh retin by controlling the curvature of the lens of the eye.






24. (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






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






26. A carrier protein that transports a single molecule across the plasma membrane.






27. A localized change in a neruon's or musce cell's membrane potential that can propogate itself away from its point of origin. Action potentials are an all - or - none process mediated by the opening of voltage - gated Na+ and K+ channels when the memb






28. An alkaline - fructose - rich fluid produced by three different glands in the male reproductive tract and released during ejaculation. Semen is very nourishing for sperm.






29. The amount of blood returned to heart by the vena cavae.






30. To attach oxygen - to remove hydrogen - or to remove electrons from a molecule.






31. 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.






32. A structure composed of a ring of nine microtube triplets - found in pairs in the MTOC (microtubule organizing center) of a cell. The centrioles duplicate during the cell division - and serve as the organizing center for the mitotic spindle.






33. The first phase of meiosis I. During prophase I the replicated chromosomes condense - homologous chromsomes pair up - crossing over occurs between homologous chromosomes - the spindle is formed - and the nuclear envelope breaks apart into vesicles. P






34. The non - specific uptake of liquid particles into a cell by invagination of the plasma membrane and subsequent 'pinching off' a small bit of the extracellular fluid.






35. The process by which neighboring cells can influence the determination (and subsequent differentiation) of a cell.






36. The maximal volume of air that the lungs can contain. Total lung capacity is the sum of the vital capacity and the residual volume - and is typically about 6000 mL (6L).






37. The newly forming daughter strand of DNA that is replicated in a continuous fasion; the daughter strand that is replicated in thes aem direction that parental DNA is unwinding.






38. A large - mature - ovarian follicel with a well - developed antrum and a secondary oocyte. Ovulation of the oocyte occurs from this type of follicle.






39. An organism that lacks a nucleus or any other memrane - bound organelles. All prokaytes belong to the Kingdom Monera (not protista!)






40. An X- linked recessive disorder in Which blood fails to clot properly - leading to excessive bleeding if injured.






41. 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.






42. The small artery that carries blood away from the capillaries of the glomerulus.






43. 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.






44. 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.






45. The female primary sex organ. The ovary produces female gametes (ova) and secretes estrogen and progesterone.






46. Active transport that relies directly on the hydrolysis of ATP.






47. A large system of folded membranes within a eukaryotic cell that has ribosomes bound to it - giving a rough appearnce. These ribosomes synthesize proteins that will ultimately be secreted from the cell - incorporated into the plasma membrane - or tra






48. 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.






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 bacterial extrachromosal elent that allows the bacterium to initati conjugation. Bacteria that possess teh F factor are known as F+ 'males'.