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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 final phase of the digestive tract - also called the colon. The primary funcion of the large intestine is to reabsorb water and to store the feces.






2. 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






3. An **organic molecuel taht associates non - covalently with an enzyme - and that is required for the proper functioning of the enzyme.






4. 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






5. 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).






6. The volume of air remaining in the lungs after a maximal forced exhalation - typically about 1200 mL.






7. The plasma membrane of a muscle cell.






8. Connective tissue with large amounts of either collagen fibers (making them strong) or elastic fibers - or both. Dense tissues are typically strong (e.g. bone - cartilage - tendons - etc.)






9. An RNA polymerase that creates a primer (made of RNA) initiate DNa replication. DNA pol binds to the primer and elongates it.






10. The muscular femal organ - in which a baby develops during pregnancy.






11. A mechanism by which the stroke volume of the heart is increased by increasing the venous return of the heart (thus stretching the ventricular muscle).






12. The stoppage of bleeding; blood clotting.






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






14. Sensory receptors found in the inner ear. Cochlear hair cells respond to vibration in the cochlea caused by sound waves and vestibular hair cells respond to changes in position and acceleration (used for balance).






15. A hormone tha tcontrols the release of another hormone.






16. The portion of the hindbrain that controls respiratory and blood pressure - and specialized digestive and respiratory functions such as vomiting - sneezing - and coughing.






17. The reduced form of NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). This is the most common electron carrier in cellular respiration.






18. A hormone produced and secreted by teh adrenal medulla that prolongs and increases teh effects of the sympathetic nervous system.






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






20. The cerebral hemispheres.






21. The third stage of cellular respiration - in which acetyl - CoA is combined with oxaloacetate to form citric acid. The citric acid is then decarboxylated twice and isomerized to recreate oxaloacetate. In the process - 3 molecules of NADH - 1 molecule






22. The removal ( and usually the activation) of a viral genome from its host's genome.






23. A viral life cycle in which the viral genome is incorporated into the host genome where it can remain dormant for an unspecified period of time. Upon activation - the viral genome is excised from the host genome and typically enters the lytic cycle.






24. The flow of blood from the heart - through the lungs - and back to the heart.






25. A neuron that arries information (action potentials) to the central nervous system; a sensory neuron.






26. The principal glucocorticoid secreted from teh adrenal cortex. This steroid hormone is released ruing stress - causing increased blood glucose levels and reducing inflammation. The latter effect has led to a clinical use of cortisol as an anti - infl






27. A bacterium that cannon survive on minimal medium (glucose alone) because it lacks the ability to syntheisze a molecule it needs to live (typically an amino acid). Auxotrphs must ave the needed substance (the auxiliary trophic substance) added to the






28. The normal configuration of double - stranded DNA in which the 5' end of oen strand is paired with the 3' end of the other






29. An energy storage molecule used by muscle tissue. The phosphate from creatine phosphate can be removed and attached to an ADP to generate ATP quickly.






30. The inner epithelial lining of the uterus that thickens and develops during the menstrual cycle - into which a fertilized ovum can implant - and which sloughs off during menstration if a pregnancy does not occur.






31. A short sequence of amino aids - usually found at the N- terminus of a protein being translated - that directs the ribosome and its associated mRNa to the membranes of the rough ER where trasnlation will be completed. Signal sequences are found on me






32. A lipid bilayer that surrounds the capsid of an animal virus. the envelope is acquired as teh virus buds out through the plasma membrane of its host cell. Not all annimal viruses possess and envelope.






33. An enzyme inhibitor that binds at a site other than the active sit of an enzyme (binds at an allosteric site). THis changes the three - dimensional shape of the enzyme such that it can no longer catalyze the reaction






34. 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.






35. An **inorganic molecule that associates non - covalently with an enzyme and that is required for the proper functioning of the enzyme






36. The portion of the digestive tract that stores and grinds food. Limited digestion occurs in the somach - and it has the lowest pH in the body (1-2).






37. 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






38. 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.






39. The nerve extending from the back of teh eyeball to teh brain that carries visual information. The ptic nerve is made up of the axons of the ganglion cells of the retina.






40. A bacteria having a round shape (plural = cocci)






41. Bacteria that have a thick peptido glycan cell wall - and no outer membrane. They stain very darkly (purple) in Gram stain.






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






43. 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






44. A nucleotide sequence that intervenes between protein - coding sequences. In DNA - these intervening sequences typically contain **regulatory sequences - however - in RNA they are simply spliced out to form the mature (translated) transcript.






45. The neurotransmitter used by the sympathetic division of the ANS at the postganglionic (organ - level ) synapse.






46. The innermost layer of the eyeball. The retina is made up of a layer of photoreceptors - a layer of bipolar cells - and a layer of ganglion cells.






47. The outer layer of an organ - e.g. the renal cortex - the ovarian cortex - the adrenal cortex - etc.






48. A sequence of amino acids (usually basic) that directs a protein to the nuclear envelope - where it is imported by a specific transport mechanism.






49. The cytoskeleton filaments with the smallest diameter. Microfilaments are composed of the contractile protein actin. They are dynamic filaments - constantly beig made and broken down as needed - and are responsible for events such as pseudopod format






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