AAMC MCAT Practice Exam 1 Questions
and Answers | Latest Version | 2024/2025
| 100% Verified
What is the primary function of the mitochondria in a cell?
- A) Protein synthesis
- B) DNA replication
✔✔ C) ATP production
- D) Lipid metabolism
Rationale: Mitochondria are known as the "powerhouses" of the cell because they produce ATP
through oxidative phosphorylation, which provides energy for various cellular processes.
Which of the following best describes the function of enzymes in biochemical reactions?
- A) They increase the activation energy required for the reaction.
✔✔ B) They lower the activation energy required for the reaction.
- C) They are consumed in the reaction.
1
,- D) They change the equilibrium constant of the reaction.
Rationale: Enzymes act as biological catalysts by lowering the activation energy needed for a
reaction to proceed, thereby increasing the reaction rate without being consumed in the process.
Which of the following types of bonds are formed between nitrogen and hydrogen in ammonia
(NH3)?
- A) Ionic bonds
✔✔ B) Covalent bonds
- C) Hydrogen bonds
- D) Metallic bonds
Rationale: Ammonia (NH3) features covalent bonds between nitrogen and hydrogen atoms,
where electrons are shared between the atoms.
What is the primary role of the ribosome in a cell?
- A) Lipid synthesis
2
,- B) DNA replication
✔✔ C) Protein synthesis
- D) Carbohydrate metabolism
Rationale: Ribosomes are essential for translating mRNA into proteins through the process of
protein synthesis.
In which part of the cell does glycolysis occur?
- A) Mitochondria
- B) Nucleus
✔✔ C) Cytoplasm
- D) Endoplasmic reticulum
Rationale: Glycolysis takes place in the cytoplasm of the cell, where glucose is broken down into
pyruvate.
Which principle explains the phenomenon where an increase in the concentration of a reactant
speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction?
3
, - A) Le Chatelier's Principle
- B) Avogadro's Principle
- C) Raoult's Law
✔✔ D) The Rate Law
Rationale: The Rate Law describes how the rate of a chemical reaction depends on the
concentration of the reactants; increasing reactant concentration generally increases the reaction
rate.
What effect does increasing temperature typically have on the rate of a chemical reaction?
- A) It slows down the reaction rate.
✔✔ B) It speeds up the reaction rate.
- C) It has no effect on the reaction rate.
- D) It decreases the equilibrium constant.
Rationale: Increasing temperature generally speeds up chemical reactions by providing more
energy to overcome the activation energy barrier.
4
and Answers | Latest Version | 2024/2025
| 100% Verified
What is the primary function of the mitochondria in a cell?
- A) Protein synthesis
- B) DNA replication
✔✔ C) ATP production
- D) Lipid metabolism
Rationale: Mitochondria are known as the "powerhouses" of the cell because they produce ATP
through oxidative phosphorylation, which provides energy for various cellular processes.
Which of the following best describes the function of enzymes in biochemical reactions?
- A) They increase the activation energy required for the reaction.
✔✔ B) They lower the activation energy required for the reaction.
- C) They are consumed in the reaction.
1
,- D) They change the equilibrium constant of the reaction.
Rationale: Enzymes act as biological catalysts by lowering the activation energy needed for a
reaction to proceed, thereby increasing the reaction rate without being consumed in the process.
Which of the following types of bonds are formed between nitrogen and hydrogen in ammonia
(NH3)?
- A) Ionic bonds
✔✔ B) Covalent bonds
- C) Hydrogen bonds
- D) Metallic bonds
Rationale: Ammonia (NH3) features covalent bonds between nitrogen and hydrogen atoms,
where electrons are shared between the atoms.
What is the primary role of the ribosome in a cell?
- A) Lipid synthesis
2
,- B) DNA replication
✔✔ C) Protein synthesis
- D) Carbohydrate metabolism
Rationale: Ribosomes are essential for translating mRNA into proteins through the process of
protein synthesis.
In which part of the cell does glycolysis occur?
- A) Mitochondria
- B) Nucleus
✔✔ C) Cytoplasm
- D) Endoplasmic reticulum
Rationale: Glycolysis takes place in the cytoplasm of the cell, where glucose is broken down into
pyruvate.
Which principle explains the phenomenon where an increase in the concentration of a reactant
speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction?
3
, - A) Le Chatelier's Principle
- B) Avogadro's Principle
- C) Raoult's Law
✔✔ D) The Rate Law
Rationale: The Rate Law describes how the rate of a chemical reaction depends on the
concentration of the reactants; increasing reactant concentration generally increases the reaction
rate.
What effect does increasing temperature typically have on the rate of a chemical reaction?
- A) It slows down the reaction rate.
✔✔ B) It speeds up the reaction rate.
- C) It has no effect on the reaction rate.
- D) It decreases the equilibrium constant.
Rationale: Increasing temperature generally speeds up chemical reactions by providing more
energy to overcome the activation energy barrier.
4
