Content Outline for Biological Science Section of the MCAT
Content Outline for Biological Science Section of the MCAT
BIOLOGY
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY: ENZYMES AND METABOLISM
A. Enzyme Structure and Function
1. Function of enzymes in catalyzing biological reactions
2. Reduction of activation energy
3. Substrates and enzyme specificity
B. Control of Enzyme Activity
1. Feedback inhibition
2. Competitive inhibition
3. Noncompetitive inhibition
C. Basic Metabolism
1. Glycolysis (anaerobic and aerobic, substrates and products)
2. Krebs cycle (substrates and products, general features of the pathway)
3. Electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation (substrates and products, general features of the pathway)
4. Metabolism of fats and proteins
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY: DNA AND PROTEIN SYNTHESIS
DNA Structure and Function
A. DNA Structure and Function
1. Double-helix structure
2. DNA composition (purine and pyrimidine bases, deoxyribose, phosphate)
3. Base-pairing specificity, concept of complementarity
4. Function in transmission of genetic information
B. DNA Replication
1. Mechanism of replication (separation of strands, specific coupling of free nucleic acids, DNA polymerase, primer required)
2. Semiconservative nature of replication
C. Repair of DNA
1. Repair during replication
2. Repair of mutations
D. Recombinant DNA Techniques
1. Restriction enzymes
2. Hybridization
Content Outline for Biological Science Section of the MCAT
3. Gene cloning
4. PCR
Protein Synthesis
A. Genetic Code
1. Typical information flow (DNA → RNA → protein)
2. Codon–anticodon relationship, degenerate code
3. Missense and nonsense codons
4. Initiation and termination codons (function, codon sequences)
B. Transcription
1. mRNA composition and structure (RNA nucleotides, 5′ cap, poly-A tail)
2. tRNA and rRNA composition and structure (e.g., RNA nucleotides)
3. Mechanism of transcription (RNA polymerase, promoters, primer not required)
C. Translation
1. Roles of mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA; RNA base-pairing specificity
2. Role and structure of ribosomes
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY: EUKARYOTES
A. Eukaryotic Chromosome Organization
1. Chromosomal proteins
2. Telomeres, centromeres
B. Control of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes
1. Transcription regulation
2. DNA binding proteins, transcription factors
3. Cancer as a failure of normal cellular controls, oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes
4. Posttranscriptional control, basic concept of splicing (introns, exons)
MICROBIOLOGY
A. Fungi
1. General characteristics
2. General aspects of life cycle
B. Virus Structure
1. General structural characteristics (nucleic acid and protein, enveloped and nonenveloped)
2. Lack of organelles and nucleus
3. Structural aspects of typical bacteriophage
4. Genomic content (RNA or DNA)
5. Size relative to bacteria and eukaryotic cells
Content Outline for Biological Science Section of the MCAT
C. Viral Life Cycle
1. Self-replicating biological units that must reproduce within specific host cell
2. Generalized phage and animal virus life cycles
a. attachment to host cell, penetration of cell membrane or cell wall, entry of viral material
b. use of host synthetic mechanisms to replicate viral components
c. self-assembly and release of new viral particles
3. Retrovirus life cycle, integration into host DNA, reverse transcriptase
4. Transduction, transfer of genetic material by viruses
D. Prokaryotic Cell: Bacteria Structure
1. Lack of nuclear membrane and mitotic apparatus
2. Lack of typical eukaryotic organelles
3. Major classifications: bacilli (rod-shaped), spirilli (spiral-shaped), cocci (spherical); eubacteria, archaebacteria 4. Presence of cell wall
5. Flagellar propulsion
E. Prokaryotic Cell: Growth and Physiology
1. Reproduction by fission
2. High degree of genetic adaptability,
