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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 muscuar layer of the uterus. The myometrium is made of smooth muscles that retains its ability to divide in order to accomodate the massive size increases that occur during pregnancy. The myometrium is stimulated to contract during labor by the h






2. The formation of haploid gametes (sperm or ova) via meiosis.






3. 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.






4. 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.






5. 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).






6. The majority of the cells surrouding an oocyte in a follicle. Granulosa cells secrete estrogen during the follicular phase of the ovarian cycle (before ovulation).






7. Complementary DNA. DNA produced synthetically by reverse trascribing mRNA. Because of eukaryotic mRNA splicing - cDNA contains no inrons.






8. A diploid cell that can undergo mitosis to form more spermatogonium - and can also be triggered to undergo meiosis to form sperm.






9. One of the four aromatic bases found in DNA and RNA. Cytosine is a pyrimidine; it pairs with guanine.






10. The return of membrane potential to normal resting values after a depolarization of hyperpolarization.






11. The mass of cells in the blastocyst that ultimately give rise to the embryo and other embryonic structues (the amion - the umbilical vessels - etc.)






12. A subset of a species consisting of members that mate and reproduce with one another.






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






14. 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.






15. The outer layer of smooth muscle in the wall of the digestive tract. When the longitudinal muscle contracts the tube shortens.






16. 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.






17. A bacterium having a spiral shape (plural = spirochetes)






18. A long projection off the cell body of a neruon down which an action potential can be propagated.






19. A molecule (usually a protein) capable of initiating an immune repsonse (antibody production).






20. An enzyme that transcribes RNa. Prokaryotes have a single RNA pol - while eukaryotes have three; in eukaryotes - RNA pol I transcribes rRNA - RNA pol II transcribes mRNA - and RNA pol III transcribes tRNA.






21. The process of reading a strand of mRNA to synthesize protein. Protein translation takes place on a ribosome.






22. A situation in which the expression of one gene prevents expression of all allelic forms of another gene - e.g. - the gene for male pattern baldness is epistatic to the hair color gene.






23. 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






24. A situation in which a heterozygote displays the phenotype associated with each of the alleles - e.g. - human blood type AB.






25. A hormone released by the anterior pituitary that targets all cells in the body. Growth hormone stimulates whole body growth in children and adolescents - adn increases cell turnover rate in adults.






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






27. A toxin that secreted by a bacterium into its surrounding medium that help the bacterium compete with other species. Some exotoxins cause serious disease in humans (botulism - tetanus - diptheria - toxic shock syndrome).






28. 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.






29. Molecules made by connecting amino acids via peptide bonds. Proteins are synthesized (translated) by ribosomes - and function as enzymes - carriers - structrual fibers - cell surface receptors - channels - porters - hormones - etc.






30. The nervous system of the gastrointestinal tract. It controls secretion and motility within teh Gi tract - and is linked to the central nervous system.






31. A mature - cartilage cell.






32. 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] -






33. Cells that make up exocrine galnds - adn that secrete their products into ducts. For example - in the pancreas - acinar cells secrete digestive enzyme; in the salivary glands - acinar cells secrete saliva.






34. The pressure measured in the arteries while the ventricles are relaxed (during diastole).






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 period of time following an action potential when it is possible - but difficult - for the neuron to fire a second action potential due to the fact that membrane is further from theshold potential (hyperpolarized).






37. Pain receptors. Nociceptors are found everywhere in the body except for the brain.






38. Muscle tissue found in the walls of hollow organs - e.g. - blood vessels - the digestive tract - the uterus - etc. Smooth muscle is non - striated - uninucleate - and under involuntary control (controlled by the autonomic nervous system).






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






40. A genotype in which two different alleles are possessed for a given gene.






41. A red blood cell; they are filled with hemoglobin - and teh function of the erythrocytes is to carry oxygen in the blood.






42. Strong bands of connective tissue that connect skeletal muscle to bone.






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






44. Lacking a blood supply; cartialge is an example of this






45. Something that works together with another thing to augment the the second thing's activity. For example - a uscle that assists another muslce is said to be a syngergist. An enzyme that helps another enzyme is a synergist.






46. Diploid cells resulting from the activation of anoogoium; primary oocytes are ready to enter meiosis I. remember: cyte means ready to undergo meiosi






47. 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






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






49. 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






50. The valves in the heart that separate the ventricles from the arteries. The pulmonary semilunar valve separates the right ventricle from the pulmonary artery - and the aortic semilunar valve separates left ventricle from the aorta. These valves close