NBME CBSSA Comprehensive Basic Science
Self-Assessment Guaranteed A+ Self-
Assessment Questions & Correct answers
Theory - correct answer✔✔a group of hypotheses to form an answer to something that are not
fully proven or we don't have the full knowledge of yet.
Hypothesis - correct answer✔✔an informed, logical, and plausible explanation that must be
testable and be from your observations.
Fact - correct answer✔✔a repeatable observation of anything in our world that is not proven, just
supported.
Scientific Method - correct answer✔✔the process of objectively establishing facts through
testing and experimentation.
Observation - correct answer✔✔description, measurement, or record of an object or
phenomenon.
Prediction - correct answer✔✔Make a guess on what the results will be based on research and
observations.
Experiment - correct answer✔✔a repeatable manipulation of one or more aspects of the natural
world.
Analyze - correct answer✔✔data from experiments and understanding them.
Modify - correct answer✔✔changing the experiment.
Communication - correct answer✔✔sharing your results with others (scientists).
,Independent Variable - correct answer✔✔What is manipulated in the experiment.
Dependent Variable - correct answer✔✔The measurements/results. What changes because of the
independent variable.
Proteins - correct answer✔✔the most versatile macromolecule, and are made up of polymers.
The monomer that make up these polymers, and ultimately proteins, are amino acids.
Carbohydrates - correct answer✔✔These range in size, from simple sugar monomers
(monosaccharides), two monomer sugars (disaccharides), and complex polymers
(polysaccharides).
Nucleic Acids - correct answer✔✔The monomers of nucleic acids are nucleotides, and the
polymers are the nucleic acids itself.
Lipids - correct answer✔✔Lipids are not polymers, because they do not contain and are not
made of strands of monomers. The monomers of lipids are fatty acids and/or glycerol molecules.
Water Molecule - correct answer✔✔A water molecule is made up of 2 hydrogen atoms and 1
oxygen atom, which are held together by covalent bonds.
Valence Shell - correct answer✔✔In a water molecule, the oxygen atom uses an electron from
each of the 2 hydrogen atoms, filling its valence shell from 6 electrons to 8 electrons.
, Polar molecule - correct answer✔✔A molecule that has electrons shared unevenly, resulting in
some regions being negatively charged while others are positively charged.
Hydrogen bonds - correct answer✔✔Molecules with partially positive and partially negative
atoms for hydrogen bonds with each other.
Carbon importance - correct answer✔✔A single carbon atom can make strong covalent bonds
with 4 other atoms, bond with other carbon atoms making long strands, and it makes up the 6
most important elements to make biomolecules.
Hypertonic - correct answer✔✔When the cell's environment has a higher solute concentration
than the cell's interior, causing the cell to lose water and shrivel up.
Hypotonic - correct answer✔✔When the cell's environment has a lower solute concentration
than the cell's interior, causing water to move into the cell.
Isotonic - correct answer✔✔When both the cell's environment and the interior of the cell have
the same solute concentration, resulting in no water movement.
Electron - correct answer✔✔Negatively charged particles that sit on electron shells/rings and
valence shells that surround the nucleus of the atom.
Proton - correct answer✔✔Positively charged particles that are inside the nucleus of an atom and
determine the element.
Self-Assessment Guaranteed A+ Self-
Assessment Questions & Correct answers
Theory - correct answer✔✔a group of hypotheses to form an answer to something that are not
fully proven or we don't have the full knowledge of yet.
Hypothesis - correct answer✔✔an informed, logical, and plausible explanation that must be
testable and be from your observations.
Fact - correct answer✔✔a repeatable observation of anything in our world that is not proven, just
supported.
Scientific Method - correct answer✔✔the process of objectively establishing facts through
testing and experimentation.
Observation - correct answer✔✔description, measurement, or record of an object or
phenomenon.
Prediction - correct answer✔✔Make a guess on what the results will be based on research and
observations.
Experiment - correct answer✔✔a repeatable manipulation of one or more aspects of the natural
world.
Analyze - correct answer✔✔data from experiments and understanding them.
Modify - correct answer✔✔changing the experiment.
Communication - correct answer✔✔sharing your results with others (scientists).
,Independent Variable - correct answer✔✔What is manipulated in the experiment.
Dependent Variable - correct answer✔✔The measurements/results. What changes because of the
independent variable.
Proteins - correct answer✔✔the most versatile macromolecule, and are made up of polymers.
The monomer that make up these polymers, and ultimately proteins, are amino acids.
Carbohydrates - correct answer✔✔These range in size, from simple sugar monomers
(monosaccharides), two monomer sugars (disaccharides), and complex polymers
(polysaccharides).
Nucleic Acids - correct answer✔✔The monomers of nucleic acids are nucleotides, and the
polymers are the nucleic acids itself.
Lipids - correct answer✔✔Lipids are not polymers, because they do not contain and are not
made of strands of monomers. The monomers of lipids are fatty acids and/or glycerol molecules.
Water Molecule - correct answer✔✔A water molecule is made up of 2 hydrogen atoms and 1
oxygen atom, which are held together by covalent bonds.
Valence Shell - correct answer✔✔In a water molecule, the oxygen atom uses an electron from
each of the 2 hydrogen atoms, filling its valence shell from 6 electrons to 8 electrons.
, Polar molecule - correct answer✔✔A molecule that has electrons shared unevenly, resulting in
some regions being negatively charged while others are positively charged.
Hydrogen bonds - correct answer✔✔Molecules with partially positive and partially negative
atoms for hydrogen bonds with each other.
Carbon importance - correct answer✔✔A single carbon atom can make strong covalent bonds
with 4 other atoms, bond with other carbon atoms making long strands, and it makes up the 6
most important elements to make biomolecules.
Hypertonic - correct answer✔✔When the cell's environment has a higher solute concentration
than the cell's interior, causing the cell to lose water and shrivel up.
Hypotonic - correct answer✔✔When the cell's environment has a lower solute concentration
than the cell's interior, causing water to move into the cell.
Isotonic - correct answer✔✔When both the cell's environment and the interior of the cell have
the same solute concentration, resulting in no water movement.
Electron - correct answer✔✔Negatively charged particles that sit on electron shells/rings and
valence shells that surround the nucleus of the atom.
Proton - correct answer✔✔Positively charged particles that are inside the nucleus of an atom and
determine the element.
