MCAT

Practice Questions

 

Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems

 
1) Considering the variation in vessel diameter, when blood is flowing through the blood vessels below, within which section is the pressure exerted by the blood on the vessel walls the greatest?
                                                       
2) The bending of light waves when they enter a new medium is referred to as:
3) Plastics are produced by successive polymerization reactions of various organic compounds like ethylene, styrene, and vinyl chloride. Degradation of plastics in landfills occurs more readily than formation of plastics, however occurs over extremely long periods of time. Which of the following would be accurate about degradation of plastics in landfills?
4) Given the specific heat values for each of the four metals of unit mass below, which one will heat up the fastest?
Titanium: 0.52 J/g˚C
Aluminum: 0.89 J/g˚C
Lead: 0.13 J/g˚C
Graphite: 0.71 J/g˚C
5) How many stereoisomers exist for Thalidomide shown below?
                              
6) Normal urine osmolarity is between 100 and 900 mOsmoles/L. Ingestion of excessive amounts of salt can cause an increase urine osmolarity toward the higher end of the normal range. After performing a urinalysis on a patient with a balanced diet, it was found that the patient’s osmolarity was at 956 mOsmoles/L. The higher than normal osmolarity of urine is most likely due to:
7) If the intensity of sound at a pop rock concert increased from 100 W/m2 to 1x1010 W/m2 when the music started, what was the decibel (dß) level of the music?

CARS coming soon… promise!

Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems

 
1) Cortisol would most likely be converted to Cortisone by which of the following enzymes?
2) Bacteria catabolize lactose in milk and release lactic acid. This is the beginning of the spoilage process of milk. What is the best explanation for why milk curdles when it spoils?
3) Determine the configuration of the asymmetric carbons (1,2), respectively, of the pain relieving drugTramadol.
               
4) Degeneration of alpha cells in the Islets of Langerhans was detected in a patient's pancreas. Which hormone is most likely deficient in the patient?
5) Which of the following is the production of glucose from non-carbohydrate substances like amino acids, glycerol, and lactate?
6) The sodium-potassium pump is integral in the plasma membrane of almost every human cell. It helps maintain cell potential and regulate cell volume. The pump is a quaternary protein with at least two subunits (α and β). Not all functional domains of the pump have been identified, including the domains most critical to the function of the pump. If a hybrid mouse were created such that one of the membrane spanning domains was genetically altered, what would be the outcome?
7) What type of cell provides an impervious barrier in the skin?
8) Glycogen Storage Disease Type V (GSD-V or McArdle disease) results in the deficiency of myophosphorylase, an isoform of glycogen phosphorylase found in muscle cells, which causes severe muscle cramps after exercise. Periodic Acid-Schiff stains of biopsy samples of GSD-V individuals showed glycogen accumulation in muscle cells but not in the liver. What is the most likely reason for this observation?

Biological Foundations of Behavior

1) An individual began having abnormal physiological reactions, similar to those expressed with phobias, when driving a car. The individual decided to have a Zoom meeting with a psychologist to diagnose the problem, because they felt if they could not drive a car, they would never again be able to work, or go shopping, or drive their kids to and from school, or complete other daily errands or tasks. Which criterion of abnormality might the psychologist rely on to be thorough with diagnosis and prognosis?
2) A correlational study reported that when a family member has depression, affective communication may be impaired among all family members. What conclusion can be made?
3) Neuroimaging techniques show hyperactivity in the anterior cingulate cortex during meditation. Practitioners of meditation are seemingly capable of reducing their heart and respiration rates during stressful tasks and problem-solving. What functions are likely associated with the anterior cingulate cortex?