Comprehensive DAT Exam Prep
Guide Latest Updated 2026/2027:
Complete Flashcard Collection with
over 500 Essential Questions with
Verified Answers.
What is the basic unit of life? - ansCell
What are the three domains of life? - ansBacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya
What is the function of mitochondria? - ansProduce ATP through cellular respiration
What is the function of ribosomes? - ansProtein synthesis
What is the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells? - ansProkaryotes lack a
nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; eukaryotes have both
What is the cell membrane composed of? - ansPhospholipid bilayer with embedded proteins
What is the function of the Golgi apparatus? - ansModify, package, and transport proteins
What is the endoplasmic reticulum? - ansNetwork of membranes involved in protein and
lipid synthesis
What is the difference between smooth and rough ER? - ansRough ER has ribosomes and
makes proteins; smooth ER synthesizes lipids
What is the function of lysosomes? - ansDigest and recycle cellular waste
What is osmosis? - ansDiffusion of water across a semi-permeable membrane
What is diffusion? - ansMovement of molecules from high to low concentration
What is active transport? - ansMovement of molecules against concentration gradient using
ATP
What is facilitated diffusion? - ansPassive transport using protein channels
What is endocytosis? - ansProcess of engulfing materials into the cell
What is exocytosis? - ansProcess of expelling materials from the cell
What is the function of the nucleus? - ansStore and protect DNA; control cell activities
What are chromosomes? - ansCondensed structures of DNA and proteins
How many chromosomes do humans have? - ans46 (23 pairs)
What is DNA made of? - ansDeoxyribonucleotides (sugar, phosphate, nitrogenous base)
What are the four nitrogenous bases in DNA? - ansAdenine, Thymine, Guanine, Cytosine
What is the complementary base pairing rule? - ansA pairs with T; G pairs with C
What is RNA? - ansRibonucleic acid; single-stranded nucleic acid
What are the three types of RNA? - ansmRNA, tRNA, and rRNA
What is transcription? - ansSynthesis of RNA from DNA template
What is translation? - ansSynthesis of protein from mRNA template
What is a codon? - ansThree-nucleotide sequence that codes for an amino acid
What is a mutation? - ansChange in DNA sequence
What is a point mutation? - ansSingle nucleotide change in DNA
What is mitosis? - ansCell division producing two identical diploid cells
What are the phases of mitosis? - ansProphase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase
What is meiosis? - ansCell division producing four haploid gametes
What is crossing over? - ansExchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes
during meiosis
What is independent assortment? - ansRandom distribution of chromosomes during meiosis
What is the difference between diploid and haploid? - ansDiploid has two sets of
chromosomes (2n); haploid has one set (n)
, Comprehensive DAT Exam Prep
Guide Latest Updated 2026/2027:
Complete Flashcard Collection with
over 500 Essential Questions with
Verified Answers.
What is a gene? - ansSegment of DNA that codes for a protein or trait
What is an allele? - ansAlternative form of a gene
What is a genotype? - ansGenetic makeup of an organism
What is a phenotype? - ansObservable characteristics of an organism
What is dominant inheritance? - ansTrait expressed when at least one dominant allele is
present
What is recessive inheritance? - ansTrait expressed only when two recessive alleles are
present
What is codominance? - ansBoth alleles are expressed equally in heterozygotes
What is incomplete dominance? - ansHeterozygote shows intermediate phenotype
What is Mendel's Law of Segregation? - ansAllele pairs separate during gamete formation
What is Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment? - ansGenes for different traits segregate
independently
What is a Punnett square used for? - ansPredict offspring genotypes and phenotypes
What is photosynthesis? - ansProcess converting light energy into chemical energy (glucose)
What is the photosynthesis equation? - ans6CO2 + 6H2O + light → C6H12O6 + 6O2
Where does photosynthesis occur? - ansChloroplasts
What are the two stages of photosynthesis? - ansLight reactions and Calvin cycle
What occurs in light reactions? - ansLight energy converts to ATP and NADPH
What occurs in the Calvin cycle? - ansCO2 is fixed into glucose using ATP and NADPH
What is cellular respiration? - ansProcess breaking down glucose to produce ATP
What is the cellular respiration equation? - ansC6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP
What are the stages of cellular respiration? - ansGlycolysis, Krebs cycle, and electron
transport chain
Where does glycolysis occur? - ansCytoplasm
Where does the Krebs cycle occur? - ansMitochondrial matrix
Where does the electron transport chain occur? - ansInner mitochondrial membrane
How much ATP is produced from one glucose in aerobic respiration? - ansApproximately
36-38 ATP
What is fermentation? - ansAnaerobic process producing ATP without oxygen
What are the two types of fermentation? - ansLactic acid fermentation and alcoholic
fermentation
What is an enzyme? - ansBiological catalyst that speeds up chemical reactions
What is the active site? - ansRegion on enzyme where substrate binds
What is a substrate? - ansMolecule that enzyme acts upon
What factors affect enzyme activity? - ansTemperature, pH, substrate concentration,
inhibitors
What is denaturation? - ansLoss of protein structure and function due to extreme conditions
What is competitive inhibition? - ansInhibitor competes with substrate for active site
What is non-competitive inhibition? - ansInhibitor binds elsewhere and changes enzyme
shape
Guide Latest Updated 2026/2027:
Complete Flashcard Collection with
over 500 Essential Questions with
Verified Answers.
What is the basic unit of life? - ansCell
What are the three domains of life? - ansBacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya
What is the function of mitochondria? - ansProduce ATP through cellular respiration
What is the function of ribosomes? - ansProtein synthesis
What is the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells? - ansProkaryotes lack a
nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; eukaryotes have both
What is the cell membrane composed of? - ansPhospholipid bilayer with embedded proteins
What is the function of the Golgi apparatus? - ansModify, package, and transport proteins
What is the endoplasmic reticulum? - ansNetwork of membranes involved in protein and
lipid synthesis
What is the difference between smooth and rough ER? - ansRough ER has ribosomes and
makes proteins; smooth ER synthesizes lipids
What is the function of lysosomes? - ansDigest and recycle cellular waste
What is osmosis? - ansDiffusion of water across a semi-permeable membrane
What is diffusion? - ansMovement of molecules from high to low concentration
What is active transport? - ansMovement of molecules against concentration gradient using
ATP
What is facilitated diffusion? - ansPassive transport using protein channels
What is endocytosis? - ansProcess of engulfing materials into the cell
What is exocytosis? - ansProcess of expelling materials from the cell
What is the function of the nucleus? - ansStore and protect DNA; control cell activities
What are chromosomes? - ansCondensed structures of DNA and proteins
How many chromosomes do humans have? - ans46 (23 pairs)
What is DNA made of? - ansDeoxyribonucleotides (sugar, phosphate, nitrogenous base)
What are the four nitrogenous bases in DNA? - ansAdenine, Thymine, Guanine, Cytosine
What is the complementary base pairing rule? - ansA pairs with T; G pairs with C
What is RNA? - ansRibonucleic acid; single-stranded nucleic acid
What are the three types of RNA? - ansmRNA, tRNA, and rRNA
What is transcription? - ansSynthesis of RNA from DNA template
What is translation? - ansSynthesis of protein from mRNA template
What is a codon? - ansThree-nucleotide sequence that codes for an amino acid
What is a mutation? - ansChange in DNA sequence
What is a point mutation? - ansSingle nucleotide change in DNA
What is mitosis? - ansCell division producing two identical diploid cells
What are the phases of mitosis? - ansProphase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase
What is meiosis? - ansCell division producing four haploid gametes
What is crossing over? - ansExchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes
during meiosis
What is independent assortment? - ansRandom distribution of chromosomes during meiosis
What is the difference between diploid and haploid? - ansDiploid has two sets of
chromosomes (2n); haploid has one set (n)
, Comprehensive DAT Exam Prep
Guide Latest Updated 2026/2027:
Complete Flashcard Collection with
over 500 Essential Questions with
Verified Answers.
What is a gene? - ansSegment of DNA that codes for a protein or trait
What is an allele? - ansAlternative form of a gene
What is a genotype? - ansGenetic makeup of an organism
What is a phenotype? - ansObservable characteristics of an organism
What is dominant inheritance? - ansTrait expressed when at least one dominant allele is
present
What is recessive inheritance? - ansTrait expressed only when two recessive alleles are
present
What is codominance? - ansBoth alleles are expressed equally in heterozygotes
What is incomplete dominance? - ansHeterozygote shows intermediate phenotype
What is Mendel's Law of Segregation? - ansAllele pairs separate during gamete formation
What is Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment? - ansGenes for different traits segregate
independently
What is a Punnett square used for? - ansPredict offspring genotypes and phenotypes
What is photosynthesis? - ansProcess converting light energy into chemical energy (glucose)
What is the photosynthesis equation? - ans6CO2 + 6H2O + light → C6H12O6 + 6O2
Where does photosynthesis occur? - ansChloroplasts
What are the two stages of photosynthesis? - ansLight reactions and Calvin cycle
What occurs in light reactions? - ansLight energy converts to ATP and NADPH
What occurs in the Calvin cycle? - ansCO2 is fixed into glucose using ATP and NADPH
What is cellular respiration? - ansProcess breaking down glucose to produce ATP
What is the cellular respiration equation? - ansC6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP
What are the stages of cellular respiration? - ansGlycolysis, Krebs cycle, and electron
transport chain
Where does glycolysis occur? - ansCytoplasm
Where does the Krebs cycle occur? - ansMitochondrial matrix
Where does the electron transport chain occur? - ansInner mitochondrial membrane
How much ATP is produced from one glucose in aerobic respiration? - ansApproximately
36-38 ATP
What is fermentation? - ansAnaerobic process producing ATP without oxygen
What are the two types of fermentation? - ansLactic acid fermentation and alcoholic
fermentation
What is an enzyme? - ansBiological catalyst that speeds up chemical reactions
What is the active site? - ansRegion on enzyme where substrate binds
What is a substrate? - ansMolecule that enzyme acts upon
What factors affect enzyme activity? - ansTemperature, pH, substrate concentration,
inhibitors
What is denaturation? - ansLoss of protein structure and function due to extreme conditions
What is competitive inhibition? - ansInhibitor competes with substrate for active site
What is non-competitive inhibition? - ansInhibitor binds elsewhere and changes enzyme
shape
