MCAT Important Concepts

capacitance equation

Q/V

ionization energy

The amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom

bottom left easily lose electrons, bigger atoms

top right do not easily lose electrons, bugger

metals gain or lose electrons

to lose

electron affinity

the energy needed to remove an electron from a negative ion to form a neutral atom or molecule

electronegativity

A measure of the ability of an atom in a chemical compound to attract electrons

larger atoms have what charge?

negative

is first or second ionization energy bigger?

second

pauli exclusion principle

no two electrons in the same atom can have the same set of four quantum numbers

periodic trends

metals lose or gain electrons?

lose electrons

universal emotions

anger

sadness

happiness

fear

disgust

contempt

surprise

hormones before ovulation?

after?

FSH and LH before

after high estrogen and prog

function of cerebellum

fine motor control/voluntary movement

propioreception

balance and coordination***

hindbrain is composed of

cerebellum, pons, medulla

long term memory composed of

explicit and implicit

function of medulla

heartbeat and breathing

function of pons

sleep and arousal

gas chromatography

- separate via BPs

- compound that travels further = 1st peak = lower boiling point = lower MW

Power equation

P=W/t = mgh/t

What is empirical verification?

Something that can be examined and quantified

Lysine one letter abbreviation

K

Asparagine one letter abbreviation

N

validity

Whether a study is based on an already established measure, how accurate

Erikson's theory of psychosocial development

Counterbalancing in a study

The order of intervention, giving a treatment in a certain order

Behaviorism

The role of the environment on one's behavior (people you are surrounded by for ex)

Ego defense mechanism

Excuses

Taste aversion

A learned avoidance of a particular food, illness

Reliability

Produce similar results, consistency

Belief perserverance

Tendency to stick to our initial beliefs even when evidence contradicts them

Self-fulfilling prophecy

a belief that leads to its own fulfillment

What is an example of primary reinforcement?

food/verbal praise

What is an example of secondary reinforcement?

money, grades

Economic capital

economic resources

Social capital

social connections

Cultural capital

education system

Dependency ratio

unproductive/productive

OR

unemployed/employed

Self-serving bias

the tendency for people to take personal credit for success but blame failure on external factors

Gabriel synthesis

produces a mixture of enantiomers

Steroids have how many rings?

4

IR

Ohm's Law

I = V/R

Work equation involving force

Fdcostheta

Autosomal dominant

both parents are affected

Self verification

tendency to seek out and agree with information that is consistent with one's self concept

Five Factor model of personality

openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism

OCEAN

GABA is associated with

anxiety disorders

Serotonin regulates

mood aggression

appetite

Drive

homeostasis, want to maintain optimal levels

role strain

stress from different expectations associated from a single role

role conflict

conflict among two or more roles

example of role strain

College basketball coaches have to recruit for next year's season while trying to win games in the current season

symbolic interactionism

micro-level interactions among people

sensory interaction

one sense may influence another

(ex: sight and balance)

Pipe wavelength and frequency when open on both ends

Wavelength 2L/nV

Pipe wavelength when open on one end

Wavelength 4L/nV

Speed of light equation

c=λv

Molecules ability to be oxidized involves what?

number of substituents

more subs, less likely to be oxidized

Convergent evolution

genetically different but adapt similar structures when in same environment (ex: dolphin and shark)

Ligase

binds DNA fragments with phosphodiester bonds

cells undergoing apoptosis will undergo what?

growth arrest (will stop growing)

cells that are not apoptotic are considered...

cancerous

if genes are encoded by the same operon...

share same single promoter and same single mRNA

osmotic pressure is directly proportional to

solute concentration

hypoxia

low oxygen

parent specific transmission of traits

gene imprinting

RNA viruses replicate by using....

reverse transcriptase

lungs have what kind of tissue?

epithelial

osmotic pressure prevents

water absorption

reconstructive nature of memory

new info (semantic) can be combined with episodic memory

in sleep studies, after someone is deprived of REM, what occurs?

there is a REM rebound

SES doesn't measure what factor?

social capital = social networks

fundamental attribution error

someone else failed because they are internally stupid

extinction

behavior decreases without continued reinforcement

PET

measures localized neural activity

primary group

intimate social ties (peers, friends)

secondary group

schools, churches, corporations

social facilitation

improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others

group think

members emphasize agreement over accuracy of decision

group polarization

all agree, end choice is extreme

generational cohorts

distinct life experiences

exposure to urine activates which neurons

chemosensory

Concave mirrors

positive focal length

Convex mirrors

negative focal length

For mirrors, distance of image is located where?

distance of image is positive if on same side

Concave lens

- diverging

- negative focal length

Convex lens

- converging lens

- positive focal length

for lenses, distance of image is located?

on the opposite side if positive

magnification

- D image / D object = height image / H object

if M>1 = magnified

For solving lens and mirrors problems

- Di → virtual → right side up

+ Di → real → inverted

+ focal length (converging):

D object > f then + D image

D object < f then - D image

- focal length:

D object always has a - D image

Piaget's stages of cognitive development

Freud sexual development

Kohlberg moral development

Wernicke's area

language comprehension, processing auditory information

Broca's area

speech production, motor control of mouth

Neuroleptics

aid scattered thoughts

elaboration likelihood model

central route = when a person is persuaded by the content of the message, you understand the logic and are motivated by it

peripheral route = when a person is persuaded by something other than the messages content, you are persuaded by general impressions and requires less processing

Actor observer bias

someone elses' failure is due to their internal, yours is do to external (2 people)

Fundamental attribution

blame others failed behavior on internal factors (1 person)

self serving bias

success is from your own internal factors, failure from external factors

universalism

cognition controls language