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PP
OKAY Victoria, this PART 1 of PrePacket 1 – it includes a nice set of notes interlaced
with problems to get the brain juices (a.k.a CSF) flowing. Do not be surprised as you
work through this packet as some of it will appear to be just WAY TOO EASY and other
parts will appear to be QUITE IMPOSSIBLE. The purpose is to get you thinking about
these concepts and the questions that test you on their mastery AT MANY DIFFERENT
1.1
LEVELS!
You will find a bit of physics along with some chemistry and biology
questions. While the focus is on the fundamentals of physics units,
dimensional analysis, and basic conversions, we need to start addressing the
core chemistry and biology topics and now is not too soon to do just that.
Read through the following pages carefully and best of luck answering the
questions.
NB is Latin shorthand NOTA BENE (NB): Several BLANKS are left for you to fill – the correct words for
for “take notice, pay MOST OF THESE BLANKS are all provided in a WORD BANK at the top of each page.
special attention.”
Bring the completed packet along with you on Thursday. Best of luck, Vic!
# of Questions: 10
Topics: PHYSICS, BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY
Time: Will vary: Anywhere from 60-180 minutes
TBCB: NEXT SESSION
Notes/Instructions: MCAT BIOLOGY – WARM UP (WU) QUESTSIONS!
Check these off as we
complete them. PHYSICS: Units
PrePacket 1.1
(A) Phosphorus
(D) Iron. DNA is made up of a nitrogenous base (contains N, O, H, and C), a
pentose sugar (contains C, O, and H), and the monophosphate group which
(B) Nitrogen
contributes to the sugar-phosphate backbone (via phosphodiester bonds).
So, iron (Fe) is the only element NOT required for DNA synthesis.
(C) Hydrogen
(D) Iron
(E) Carbon
(C) It can have dark (brown, black, etc.) or light (blue, green, etc.) eyes.
(C) It can have dark (brown, black, etc.) or light (blue, green, etc.) eyes.
Dark eye colors are dominant over light. Therefore, an offspring of a BRx individual can have either
dark or light eyes – the final phenotypic color will depend on the “other” allele. If the other allele is
b, the offspring could end up with BRb (dark - brown eye color) or bb (light – blue eye color). If the
other allele is BR or BL (for black eye color), the offspring could end up with B RBL (dark – black eye
color) or BLb (dark – black eye color).
(A) Two organisms may vary in genotype as a result of differences in DNA sequences but have
the same genome because they have the same genes.
(B) One organism may have one genome but two genotypes if they genotypes are diploid.
(D) A genotype represents the sequence of gene loci while a genome represents the sequence of
DNA bases.
(A) Two organisms may vary in genotype as a result of differences in DNA sequences but have the same
genome because they have the same genes.All organisms (eukarya, prokarya) have genomes and genotypes.
The genome specifically represents the entire nucleic acid content (DNA mostly) of eukaryotic nuclei or prokaryotic
nucleosomes. The genotype is the specific genetic content that has been expressed – the focus would be on individual
genes and then a comparison of the individuals’ phenotypes would shed light on which genes each has expressed.
WU5 Metabolism 1
a A botanist researcher conducted a set of experiments to determine the effects of various gases
on growth processes of different plants. Each plant was seeded and cultured until fully grown in a
soil containing a nutritious balance of both macro- and micronutrients. Additionally, the soil was
loaded with adequate mycorrhizae culture. After a maturation growth cycle, all plants were
sealed in separate gas chambers which were then filled with single gas samples to replace the
normal atmospheric composition. The plants were then provided with adequate water provisions
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and their growth was observed and compared to controls grown under normal atmospheric
conditions.
If the experimental plants were grown in an atmosphere of pure 14CO2 for 48 hours, then
harvested, and plant material was carbon dated and compared to plant material from control
plants, what would the carbon date reveal?
(A) The plants would be carbon dated as being the same age as control plants.
(C) The experimental plants would date as older than the control plants.
(D) The experimental plants would not survive two days in their radioactive atmosphere.
(E) The experimental plants would be carbon dated as being younger than control plants.
(B) The experimental plants would be impossible to date. If there were any significant difference in the rate of
incorporation of carbon-14, it would be measured as an increase above the baseline. Carbon dating is based on the
assumption that the level of carbon-14 in the atmosphere (and subsequently in any organism) remains
PROPORTIONALLY constant, and that its incorporation into organic material ceases with the death of the organism, at
which point there must be an irreversible decline in the percentage of total carbon. An increase to start with would
thus be nonsensical, and option B is correct.
WU6 Metabolism 2
a Consider the experiment in WU5 above. The researcher now observes two plants that were
“seeded” at the same time five years ago and have been growing under normal atmospheric
conditions. He took one plant (plant A), placed it in a sealed chamber in an atmosphere of pure
14
CO2, and grew it for one full year with the requisite water and soil while the other plant (plant
B) continued to grow under normal atmospheric conditions. After that year, he poisoned and
killed both plants, preserved them, and waited one more year at which point he utilized carbon
dating to determine the “ages” of the plants. What would the carbon dates reveal about the two
plants? (Assume C-dating functions).
(A) Plant A would appear to have died less than one year before he dated it whereas
plant B would appear to have died exactly one year before he dated it.
(B) Plant A would appear to have died more than one year before he dated it whereas
plant B would appear to have died exactly one year before he dated it.
(C) Both plants would appear to have died one year before he dated them.
(D) Both plants would appear to have died more than one year before he dated them.
(E) Both plants would appear to have died less than one year before he dated them.
(A) Plant A would appear to have died less than one year before he dated it whereas plant B would
appear to have died exactly one year before he dated it. After one full year, plant A’s baseline C-14 level would
be higher than usual. Upon dating one year later, the drop in C-14 would “appear” to be LESS than usual C-14 dating
would indicate, leading to a date suggesting the plant died less than one year before.
WORD BANK a “multiplier” indicates the word is used THAT MANY TIMES throughout the page.
WORD BANK a “multiplier” indicates the word is used THAT MANY TIMES throughout the page.
erythrocyte(s)
differentiated PLASMA oxygen (x2) cell
(x2)
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filtrate intercellular leaked semipermeable lungs
A. Freely circulating hemoglobin can cause damage to the glomerular membrane of the kidneys and
eventual renal failure.
B. Freely circulating hemoglobin is able to deliver oxygen to tissues and organs but less efficiently
than hemoglobin found inside RBCs.
C. Freely circulating hemoglobin will break down outside of the RBC and become toxic in the plasma
effectively poisoning the host.
D. Freely circulating hemoglobin can be lost via leakage into extracellular tissues as well as into
the glomerular filtrate where it be unavailable for oxygen transport
E. Freely circulating hemoglobin can be lost via breakdown by kidney-based enzymes; once broken
down, they are no longer able to transport oxygen inside RBCs.
7 RBC Hemoglobin
a Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells (RBCs) that carries oxygen. While the RBC has many
components, just about 3/10 of its components are hemoglobin. This allows RBCs to carry much more
oxygen than could otherwise be dissolve in the blood. The primary importance of the hemoglobin
protein is to BIND O2 and then RELEASE O2.
A. HbF has a greater affinity for diatomic oxygen which allows fetal blood to absorb oxygen from
maternal blood.
B. Fetuses do not breathe so they have no need for HbA.
C. In order to grow, fetuses need more oxygen than adults.
D. Fetuses lack iron which is needed for HbA.
E. HbF has less affinity for diatomic oxygen which is fine because fetuses do not need as much of it as
a fully grown adult.
WORD BANK a “multiplier” indicates the word is used THAT MANY TIMES throughout the page.
CELLS: The Living Units of the Body (cont..) Vic, READ CAREFULLY, please (NB):
The carbonic anhydrase increases the
The RBCs have other ESSENTIAL functions
rate of these reactions about one 1000-fold
besides transport of hemoglobin. For
(that means that whatever would happen ON
instance:
ITS OWN happens 1000 times faster in the
RBCs contain a large quantity of carbonic presence of the enzyme).
anhydrase, an enzyme that catalyzes the
reversible reaction between carbon dioxide As an example of this catalytic acceleration:
(CO2) and water (H2O) to form carbonic A uncatalyzed breakdown that
acid (H2CO3). This acid would DROP the pH normally takes 10 seconds would
inside the RBC. This reaction between the only take 0.01 seconds when catalyzed.
CO2 and H2O would actually HAPPEN ON ITS
OWN … but VERY, VERY SLOWLY. It follows The incredible rapidity of this reaction makes
that the enzyme carbonic anhydrase is it possible for the following sequence of
key to breaking it down MUCH FASTER! events to occur:
Now, the carbonic acid immediately The bicarbonate anion ACCUMULATES inside
breaks down into a bit of hydrogen cation the RBC and becomes so concentrated that it
and the bicarbonate anion. Check out the will diffuse through the semipermeable RBC
catalyzed reaction as well as the break membrane down its concentration
down of H2CO3 that quickly follows: gradient and out into the watery, polar
plasma milieu. Plasma water can transport
carbonic anhydrase
ENORMOUS quantities of carbon dioxide gas,
CO 2 + H 2O �������� H 2CO 3
speeds this up 1000�
( this could happen CO2, in the form of this POLAR (and therefore
on its own ...but slowly )
WATER-SOLUBLE) bicarbonate anion
(HCO3-) that is initially formed inside the RBC.
on its own
+
( dissociation )
H 2CO3 ����� � H
{ + HCO3 - The HCO3- anion basically moves from the
hydrogen cation
123 tissues to the lungs via the circulatory
= proton bicarbonate
anion system and upon reaching the lungs, it is
reconverted to CO2 gas; that CO2 gas is
subsequently passed into an alveolus of
the lung; finally, from there it is expelled
(when we exhale) into the atmosphere as
a
metabolic waste gas.
8 Carbonic Anhydrase
a Which of the following is NOT accurate
about carbonic anhydrase?