MCAT — Practice Questions, Part 2: Biology & Psych/Soc flashcards
6 of 60 questions free to study here · 21 topics · the whole deck is built into Willys
Multiple-choice practice questions, one best answer each, on gene expression, mutations, cell division, membranes, signaling, lab techniques, learning, memory, emotion and social behavior.
Practice deck · part of MCAT · written against: AAMC MCAT content outline (2015 exam, current through 2026). Updated 2026-10-10.
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Two synthetic DNA duplexes are the same length, but one is 65% G–C and the other is 35% G–C. Both are heated slowly while strand separation is monitored. Which result is expected?
A) The 65% G–C duplex separates at a higher temperature
B) The 65% G–C duplex separates first, since G–C pairs are bulkier
C) The 35% G–C duplex separates at a higher temperature
D) Both separate at the same temperature, since length sets stabilityA) The 65% G–C duplex separates at a higher temperatureDNA Structure & Replication
G–C pairs have three hydrogen bonds versus two for A–T and also stack more strongly with neighboring bases, so G–C-rich DNA needs more heat to melt. Equal length does not make melting temperatures equal when base composition differs. -
In a patient's gene, a single base change turns a UGG codon (tryptophan) into UGA. How is this mutation classified?
A) A frameshift mutation
B) A nonsense mutation
C) A missense mutation
D) A silent mutationB) A nonsense mutationMutations & DNA Repair
UGA is a stop codon, so the change truncates the protein at that point. A missense change would swap in a different amino acid, and a single substitution does not shift the reading frame. -
A bacterial toxin chemically modifies the Gs alpha subunit so that it can no longer hydrolyze its bound GTP. What happens in the affected cells?
A) The receptor's tyrosines become phosphorylated
B) IP₃ rises because phospholipase C is activated
C) cAMP falls because Gs can no longer bind GTP
D) cAMP stays high because adenylyl cyclase stays onD) cAMP stays high because adenylyl cyclase stays onCell Signaling
The alpha subunit's own GTPase activity is the off switch; locked in the GTP-bound state, Gs keeps stimulating adenylyl cyclase. Phospholipase C and IP₃ belong to the Gq pathway, not Gs. -
A patient receiving chemotherapy in a clinic with a distinctive antiseptic smell starts to feel nauseated as soon as she smells the clinic, before any drug is given. In this example, the smell is the:
A) Conditioned stimulus
B) Unconditioned response
C) Unconditioned stimulus
D) Conditioned responseA) Conditioned stimulusLearning
The smell was originally neutral and now triggers nausea only because it was paired with the drug, which is the unconditioned stimulus. The nausea to the smell alone is the conditioned response. -
A student who secretly cheats on exams denies it when asked, yet insists that most of her classmates are cheaters. Which defense mechanism is she using?
A) Sublimation
B) Rationalization
C) Projection
D) DisplacementC) ProjectionPersonality
Projection attributes one's own unacceptable impulses or behavior to other people. Displacement redirects an impulse onto a safer target rather than assigning it to someone else. Rationalization would instead excuse cheating she admits to, as in 'everyone does it'. -
Colleges exist to educate students, but they also turn out to be places where many people meet their future spouses. In functionalist terms, the matchmaking role is:
A) A form of role strain
B) A latent function
C) A dysfunction
D) A manifest functionB) A latent functionSociology
A latent function is an unintended, often unrecognized consequence of an institution. The manifest function of college is the intended one, education.
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About these cards
Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.
Checked against:
- Biology facts cross-checked against Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 7th ed. (reference only; no text copied).
- OpenStax Biology 2e and OpenStax Microbiology, consulted as references; no text copied.
- OpenStax Introduction to Sociology 3e, consulted as a reference; no text copied.
- APA Dictionary of Psychology (dictionary.apa.org), NIH and MedlinePlus pages and the original studies, consulted as references; no text copied.
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