Chemistry/Physics
Biology
Psychology
Classic MCAT facts!
100

Which compound has the highest melting point?


A. Glycerol

B. NaCl

C. Sucrose

D. H2O

B. NaCl


Because...

NaCl is held together by an ionic bond. All the other molecules are mainly held together by Hydrogen bonds. Ionic bonds are the strongest type of bond therefore will take the highest temperatures to break (melt)

100

Which could form the genome of a virus?

I. Single Strand RNA

II. Double strand DNA

III. Single strand DNA


A. I only

B. II only

C. I and II only

D. I, II, and III

D. I, II, and III


all types of nucleic acids can make up a viral genome!

single strand RNA: Poliovirus

double strand DNA: HPV, Herpes, Rotavirus 

single strand DNA: Parvovirus (B19)

bonus!! partially double stranded DNA: Hep B!

100

Which is an example of a semantic memory?


A. How to drive a car

B. The parts of the car engine

C. The first time you ever learned how to drive

D. the love you had for your first car

B. the parts of the car enginge


Types of memories...

1. Semantic: recall of facts (explicit)

2. Episodic: events/experiences (explicit)

3. Procedural: skills/tasks (implicit)

-all types of LONG TERM MEMORY-

100

Name the amino acid

A. Alanine

B. Lysine

C. Leucine

D. Isoleucine

C. What is Leucine

200

A sound level is increased by 20 dB. By what factor does its intensity increase?


A. 2

B. 20

C. 100

D. log 2 


C. 100


Because...

Bf=Bi + 10log (If/Ii)

Bf-Bi= 20 dB (change in sound level)

20= 10log (If/Ii)

20/10= log (If/Ii)

10^2= If/Ii

100=If/Ii

200

Which INCORRECTLY pairs a type of muscle fiber with its appropriate characteristic?

A. Red fibers- rich in mitochondria

B. Red fibers- high in myogblobin

C. White fibers- fast twitch

D. White fibers- only aerobic respiration

D. White fibers- only aerobic respiration


Because...

Red fibers: slow twitch with a lot of mitochondria and myoglobin (O2 storage) it uses for aerobic respiration USED MAINLY FOR SUSTAINED ACTIVITY


White fibers: fast twitch with few myoglobin and mitochondria, meaning they use mostly anaerobic respiration FATIGUE EASILY

200
Which is NOT a part of a person's "self concept"?


A. past self

B. ought self

C. future self

D. self-schemata

B. the ought self


The ought self is part of our self-esteem (actual, ideal, and ought self) 

Self concept: made up of how we see ourselves, made up of...

1. past self: how we see what we were in the past

2. future self: how we view ourselves in the future

3. self-schemata: the "category" or "scheme" under which we see ourself (ex: athlete)


200

Area of the brain that controls the production of spoken language


A. Limbic System

B. Wernicke's Area

C. Broca's Area

D. Hippocampus

C. Broca's Area


300

If the speed of a wave is 3 m/s and its wavelength is 10 cm, what is its period?


A. 0.01 s

B. 0.03 s

C. 0.1 s

D. 0.3 s

B. 0.03s


v= frequency x wavelength 

frequency and period are inverses of each other so.....

v= (1/period) x wavelength

3= (1/period) x 10

30= (1/period)

period= 1/30 or 0.03!

300

What layer does the notochord form from?


A. Ectoderm

B. Mesoderm

C. Endoderm

D. Pseudo-mesoderm

B. Mesoderm


Ectoderm: forms the EXOSKELETON (skin, neural tube, but not notochord!)

Mesoderm: forms ORGANS (cardiac, skeletal muscle, red blood cells, etc.)

Endoderm: forms INNER LINING (GI tract, alveolar cells)

Pseudo-mesoderm does not exist (to my knowledge) I made it up

300

A 22 year old male is trying to find his identity in holding relationships with one another, which of Erikson's stage is he in?


A. Industry v. Inferiority

B. Autonomy v. Shame and Doubt

C. Identity v. Role Confusion

D. Intimacy v. Isolation

D. Intimacy v Isolation

MEMORIZE THESE!!

Trust v. Mistrust: 0-1 y/o

Autonomy v Shame: 1-3 y/o

Initiative v Guilt: 3-6

Industry v Inferiority: 6-12

Identity v Role confusion: 12-20

Intimacy v Isolation: 20-40

Generativity v Stagnation: 40-65

Integrity v Despair: 65+

300

Where the majority of self-reactive T cells are eliminated


A. Spleen

B. Lymph nodes

C. Bone Marrow

D. Thymus


D. Thymus



400

You have 58 g of salt (NaCl) that melts at 1060K and requires 30,000J of heat input, what is the change in entropy?


A. 28 J/K

B. 1, 580 J/K

C. 61,000 J/K

D. Need more information

A. 28 J/K


Use the entropy equation:

S=q/T

S= 30,000J/1060K

This is an example of when you can use the units!!! If you did not know the equation...all of the answers are in J/K and the question gives you two values in J and K! So just divide!

400

During development, which shunt carries blood from the  pulmonary artery to the aorta, bypassing the developing lungs. 


A. Ductus venosus

B. Ductus arteriosus

C. Foramen Ovale

D. the Umbilical vein

B. Ductus Arteriosus


Foramen Ovale: R atrium--> L atrium (bypass the lungs)

Ductus Arteriosus: pulmonary artery--> aorta (bypass the lungs)

Ductus Venosus: Umbilical cord--> IVC (bypass the liver)

400

What stage of demographic transition is characterized by both low birth and mortality rates?


A. 1

B. 2

C. 4

D. 3

C. 4



400

Which of these is equal to the SI unit that power is measured in 


A. Js

B. J/s

C. Js/m

D. Js/m^2

B. J/s


Because Power= Work/time

Work is in J and time is in s

500

A defibrillator passes 15 A through a patient's body for 0.1 second. how much charge goes through the patient's skin?


A. .15 C

B. 1.5 C

C. 15 C

D. 150 C

B. 1.5 C


Current= Q/t (total charge over the time it flows)

15=Q/0.1 s

15 x 0.1= 1.5 C

500

Where are ribosomes primarily located in a neuron?


A. Axon

B. Axon Hillock

C. Soma

D. Dendrites

C. Soma


Parts of a neuron:

Dendrites: where signals are INPUT

Soma: aka the cell body, is where all of the "normal cell organelles" are located

Axon Hillock: where the action potential begins (top of the axon)

Axon: where the signal propagation takes place

500

Hypertension can be diagnosed by having two or more blood pressure readings higher than 140/90 on two different occasions, separated by a week. Suppose this criteria were changed to now include anyone with a reading higher than 130/80 on only one occasion. How would this change the PREVALENCE of the diagnosis of hypertension?


A. Increase

B. decrease

C. not change

D. Need more information

A. Increase


Prevalence: number of cases/population

Incidence: number of new cases/population at risk

500
Structure that responds to deep pressure and vibration


A. Meissner corpuscles

B. Ruffini corpuscles

C. Merkel cells

D. Pacinian corpuscles

D. Pacinian corpuscles


Pacinian corpuscles: deep pressure/vibration

Meissner corpuscles: light touch

Merkel cells: texture

Ruffini endings: stretch

Free nerve endings: pain, temperature

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