MCAT Bio Domain 2: Biology Welcome to your MCAT Bio Domain 2: Biology 1. MCAT Bio: Biology During which phase of mitosis do the chromatids become maximally condensed and easiest to distinguish under a microscope? Prophase Metaphase Anaphase Telophase None 2. MCAT Bio: Biology In a bacterial cell, where does the electron transport chain occur? Mitochondrial matrix Cytoplasm Plasma membrane Nucleoid None 3. MCAT Bio: Biology Which of the following best describes the function of the nucleolus? DNA replication Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) synthesis Protein synthesis Lipid synthesis None 4. MCAT Bio: Biology What is the role of ubiquitin in a cell? DNA repair Cell signaling Protein tagging for degradation Membrane transport None 5. MCAT Bio: Biology Which of the following statements accurately describes a property of water that is crucial for life? High specific heat Low thermal conductivity High ionic bonding capacity Low heat of vaporization None 6. MCAT Bio: Biology Which process is directly driven by light energy in photosynthesis? ATP synthesis Carbon fixation Oxygen evolution Electron transport None 7. MCAT Bio: Biology What is the primary structure of a protein determined by? Hydrogen bonding Peptide bonding sequence of amino acids Alpha-helix and beta-sheet formations Disulfide bridges None 8. MCAT Bio: Biology In eukaryotic cells, what is the primary role of the Golgi apparatus? Protein synthesis ATP production Modification and sorting of proteins Lipid synthesis None 9. MCAT Bio: Biology Which type of bond is primarily responsible for the secondary structure of proteins? Ionic bonds Disulfide bridges Hydrogen bonds Peptide bonds None 10. MCAT Bio: Biology During the Calvin cycle, what molecule is used to capture carbon dioxide? ATP NADPH Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate 3-phosphoglycerate None 11. MCAT Bio: Biology Which organelle is most directly involved in the synthesis of oils, phospholipids, and steroids? Rough endoplasmic reticulum Smooth endoplasmic reticulum Golgi apparatus Lysosome None 12. MCAT Bio: Biology What is the primary function of the lysosome in a eukaryotic cell? Protein synthesis Nucleic acid replication Digestion and recycling of cellular debris Cell signaling None 13. MCAT Bio: Biology Which molecule acts as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain of aerobic respiration? Oxygen Carbon dioxide ATP NAD+ None 14. MCAT Bio: Biology In which phase of mitosis do the sister chromatids separate and move to opposite poles of the cell? Prophase Metaphase Anaphase Telophase None 15. MCAT Bio: Biology What is the primary purpose of cellular respiration? To synthesize large biological molecules To generate ATP To reduce oxygen levels in the cell To produce cellular waste products None 16. MCAT Bio: Biology In the context of genetic inheritance, what does the term 'incomplete dominance' refer to? The phenotype of the offspring is a blend of the parents' phenotypes. A single gene has multiple phenotypic effects. Both alleles are fully expressed in the phenotype. The presence of one allele masks the expression of another. None 17. MCAT Bio: Biology Which process is an example of a post-translational modification of a protein? Splicing of introns Addition of a poly-A tail Phosphorylation Removal of a signal peptide None 18. MCAT Bio: Biology In a population adhering to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, what is assumed? Large population size Frequent mutations High migration rates Natural selection None 19. MCAT Bio: Biology What is the primary role of mRNA in the process of protein synthesis? To carry amino acids to the ribosome To catalyze the formation of peptide bonds To provide the template for protein synthesis To modify proteins after synthesis None 20. MCAT Bio: Biology Which type of cell junction in animal cells is primarily responsible for preventing the passage of materials between cells? Gap junctions Desmosomes Tight junctions Plasmodesmata None 21. MCAT Bio: Biology Which enzyme is responsible for unwinding the DNA double helix during DNA replication? DNA polymerase Helicase Ligase Topoisomerase None 22. MCAT Bio: Biology What is the primary function of the microtubules in cell division? DNA replication Chromosome separation Cell membrane synthesis Protein synthesis None 23. MCAT Bio: Biology In which cellular location does the Krebs cycle occur? Mitochondrial matrix Cytoplasm Mitochondrial intermembrane space Nucleus None 24. MCAT Bio: Biology What is the primary role of tRNA in protein synthesis? To provide the template for assembling amino acids To bring amino acids to the ribosome To form the peptide bonds between amino acids To modify the mRNA transcript None 25. MCAT Bio: Biology Which of the following is a characteristic of apoptosis? Uncontrolled cell division Cell swelling and lysis Programmed cell death Inflammation None 26. MCAT Bio: Biology What is the primary outcome of meiosis compared to mitosis? Production of two genetically identical diploid cells Production of four genetically diverse haploid cells Duplication of chromosomes Cell growth None 27. MCAT Bio: Biology Which part of the cell is primarily responsible for the synthesis of proteins destined for secretion? Smooth endoplasmic reticulum Golgi apparatus Rough endoplasmic reticulum Nucleus None 28. MCAT Bio: Biology Which type of RNA molecule has an anticodon? mRNA rRNA tRNA snRNA None 29. MCAT Bio: Biology In the lac operon, what does the presence of lactose induce? Binding of the repressor to the operator Detachment of the repressor from the operator Increased transcription of the lacZ gene Both B and C None 30. MCAT Bio: Biology What is the significance of the 'wobble' position in tRNA? It allows for the precise pairing of the anticodon with the codon. It permits a single tRNA to recognize multiple codons. It enhances the stability of the mRNA-tRNA interaction. It prevents mutations in the genetic code. None 31. MCAT Bio: Biology During which phase of the cell cycle does DNA replication occur? G1 phase S phase G2 phase M phase None 32. MCAT Bio: Biology Which type of bond is formed between the amino group of one amino acid and the carboxyl group of another in a protein? Hydrogen bond Ionic bond Peptide bond Van der Waals bond None 33. MCAT Bio: Biology What is a key difference between facilitated diffusion and active transport? Facilitated diffusion requires energy, while active transport does not. Active transport requires energy, while facilitated diffusion does not. Facilitated diffusion can move molecules against their concentration gradient. Active transport relies solely on channel proteins. None 34. MCAT Bio: Biology In which pathway is carbon dioxide NOT released as a byproduct? Glycolysis Krebs cycle Fermentation Electron transport chain None 35. MCAT Bio: Biology Which process ensures genetic diversity through the exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes? Mitosis Meiosis I Meiosis II Binary fission None 36. MCAT Bio: Biology How do prions cause disease? By integrating their DNA into the host's genome By triggering immune responses that harm the host By disrupting cellular processes through abnormal protein folding By lysing cells directly None 37. MCAT Bio: Biology Which structure is responsible for the maturation and sorting of endocytosed material? Lysosome Endosome Golgi apparatus Peroxisome None 38. MCAT Bio: Biology What is the primary function of the sodium-potassium pump? To generate ATP To maintain cell volume To establish a concentration gradient across the cell membrane To facilitate glucose uptake None 39. MCAT Bio: Biology In signal transduction, what role does a second messenger play? Transmits signals from the extracellular environment directly to the nucleus Amplifies the signal received by a receptor to elicit a cellular response Acts as a ligand binding to extracellular receptors Directly alters gene expression without further signaling None 40. MCAT Bio: Biology What is the primary role of cholesterol in cellular membranes? Facilitates membrane fusion during exocytosis Acts as a primary energy source for the cell Maintains membrane fluidity and stability Serves as a substrate for protein synthesis None 1 out of 40 Time is Up! Time's up
