High Yield Topics MCAT

Physics:
-Questions about gravity in relation to radius and mass. In particular,

setting gravitational force= centripetal force to solve for things like
velocity.
-How frequency/period of a pendulum doesn't change if you change the
mass of pendulum or the amplitude. Similarly know how this applies to
springs
-Photoelectric Effect. How transitions from n=2 to n=1 are more energetic
than from n=3 to n=2 etc
-Types of decay, sometimes they like to incorporate a 'momentum'
problem with this or an electrostatic force problem with this. Ie. fission of
a nucleus releases two particles, what is the force of repulsion of the two.
-Capacitors, know conceptually how capacitance can be altered. Same
goes for resistance
-Particle deflectors! they love this one. For example, finding the radius of
curvature a particle will experience in a magnetic field by setting
Fmag=Fcentripetal. Also, setting the force applied by an electric field
equal to force of magnetic field and solving for the velocity required for
linear motion.
-Resonance and beat frequencies. Also know that 'pitch' is the same as
frequency.
-Buoyant force vs pressure at a certain depth. Buoyant force doesnt
change with depth (vdg) as opposed to pressure which does (dgh). d is
density, v is volume, g is gravity, h is depth
-Ohms law, particularly resistors in series vs parallel. They love to ask
these questions as discreet questions so you get no help from the
passage.
-'Apparent weight' of things submerged in water. How much does the
buoyant force take away from the gravitational force
Pendulum- where is the greatest PE, KE, acceleration, momentum etc.
Doppler effect- understand it conceptually and mathematically
How to calculate wavelength in open and closed pipes; when to use which
formula; strings are open
Buoyancy
A1v1=A2v2 for fluids
Bernoullis equation-- relating pressure to changes in height/velocity
Resistors/capacitors in series/parallel
Energy in a capacitors= 1/2QV
What a dielectric does to a capacitor- in terms of energy
Light with higher frequency means higher energy; E=hf
Predicting image properties based on object location-;mirrors/lenses
Types of decay
E=hf; work function vs kinetic energy. How a photon is emitted when an
electron goes to lower energy orbital
Of course kinematics and work/energy as well.
Gen Chem
-Reaction Diagram profiles. Know how to interpret these. Finding Ea, Exo
or endothermic, rate determining step if it involves more than one.
Kinetic/thermodynamic product
-Titration graphs, particularly for weak acid/strong base (visa versa) and
for polyprotic species. Also know half equivalence point is where PH= pka
and [a-]=[ha]. The equivalence point will be more toward the PH of the
strong species.
-They love questions involving the 'habor process' i have noticed
-They also love questions about 'hard water' when dealing with solubility.
-Determining the rate equation from data is huge. Also know how to
calculate the rate law when the rate limiting step involves intermediates
-Electrochemistry. They love questions involving plating out of species ie
'how many grams of Cu will be produced when 10A of current is supplied
to ...'. Know anode vs cathode for both electrolytic and galvanic. Know
how Ecell is + for galvanic and - for electrolytic and that Gibbs free energy
is - for galvanic and + for electrolytic. Know flow of e- vs flow of current.
Know salt bridge anions go to anode and cations go to cathode.
-Calorimetry problems! The test makers have a huge hard-on for these, so
practice them. Especially when there is a phase transition involved!!
Elements in the same group have the same properties
Watch out for d^4 and d^9 when writing electron configurations
normally want to fill this d shell.
Boiling point elevation- colligative property; involves "i" that is based on
number of molecules are dissociated
Freezing point depression- colligative property- includes 'i'
Vapor pressure decreases with addition of nonvolatile solvent
Oxidizing agent is reduced; reducing agent is oxidized
Entropy increases if there are more moles of gases
Delta G is negative- reaction is spontaneous
Same temperature means same average kinetic energy; temperature is a
measure of kinetic energy
Rate law; determining the order of a reaction from experimental data
Rate constant depends on temperature
Catalysts are not used up; dont effect thermodynamics
Writing equation for equilibrium constant- dont include solids/liquids
Le Chateliers principle; may involve change in pressure or change in
temperature
Reduction potentials; calculating these; E is positive, then G is negative
and its spontaneous
Elastic/inelastic collisions; what they mean and whats conserved in each;
Elastic- momentum and KE; inelastic- momentum
Phase Diagrams- how to read these; critical point; triple point
Titrations
Of course things like Periodic trends
Biology
-Punnet squares, be proficient for both mono hybrid and dihybrid crosses.
Also know how to take into account codominance and incomplete
dominance
-Know that cholesterol is a precursor for steroids
-Know steroids act on cytoplasmic receptors while peptide hormones act
on surface receptors and that tyrosine hormones act in the nucleus (weird
huh)
-Bone remodeling always shows up! Know the effects of PTH and
Calcitonin and Osteoclasts/blasts
-The role of the RER and Golgi in the production of proteins
-The location of transcription and translation in bacteria vs eukaryotes.
That translation can take place simultaneously with transcription in
bacteria
-They love the endosymbiotic hypothesis (that mitochondria came from a
prokaryote being engulfed by another cell)
-Location of glycolysis/fermentation/pdh/krebs are in the cytosol, cytosol,
matrix, matrix and intermembrane space.
-Sympathetic vs parasympathetic effects on everything
-Sarcomere contraction: the role of Ca in muscle contraction. The role of
ATP in muscle contraction.
-Fast twitch vs slow twitch fibers and what you'd expect to see in them
-Action potentials. What flows when and where. Be able to diagram an
action potential. Also know how cardiac action potentials are different.
Know that hyperpolarization is inhibitory and depolarization is excitatory.
-Things that change hemoglobins affinity for O2 (Right shift with
decreased PH, DPG, increased CO2, high temperatures: so O2 can be
unloaded to active muscles)
-Know cooperative binding in Hb but there is none in myoglobin
-Bicarbonates role as a buffer
-How the kidney can control blood pressure and how blood pressure
effects GFR
-The role of aldosterone and ADH in blood pressure control. Know
aldosterone is a steroid (STERONE) and therefore acts in the cytoplasm
wherase ADH is a peptide and acts on the surface of target cells.
-Fetus stuff. The ductus arteriosus shunts blood away from the lungs, the
ductus venosus bypasses the liver, the foramen ovale is a shunt from the
right to left atrium. Know fetal Hb has a higher affinity for O2 than the
mothers
-They love questions about blood types. In particular the heredity of blood
types. "what are the chances a type B mother who marries a type O father
has a kid with type B blood? well either 50% or 100% depending on if the
mother is BB or Bi.
-Know innate immunity as opposed to adaptive
-Know the difference between cell mediated and humoral immunity

-Know what carries oxygenated blood (ie the pulmonary artery is
DEoxygenated because its moving towards the lungs and away from the
heart, arteries aren't always oxygenated, they just move away from the
heart)
-Know the stages of development Cleavage makes morula, Blastulation
makes the blastula which gets implanted, Gastrulation creates the 3 germ
layers, and then neuralation.
-Know what is derived from the 3 germ layers. Also know the notochord
comes from mesoderm while the neural tube comes from the ectoderm.
Dont get notochord and neural tube confused
-Bile! know that bile emulsifies fats and is produced in the liver, but stored
in the gall bladder. Know that the digestion of fats would be impaired
without bile.
-Respiration, in particular the role of the diaphragm. How inhalation
requires energy to contract the diaphragm but exhalation is a passive
process
-They love questions about mylenation and how it helps the conduction of
APs.
-They LOVE the Ames test, and how to use it to determine mutigenicity of
a substance, so know how to interpret these results
-Transformation vs Transduction vs Conjugation. F+ and F- plasmids
-Mitosis vs Meiosis vs Binary fission
-Non-disjunction events
-Polymerase Chain Reaction. Know the steps and that 2^n copies of DNA
will be made
-Be able to interpret a Gel and see based on a DNA fragments migration,
which allele is a mutant allele.
-Know about DNA compaction with histone proteins.
-Know the basics about alternative splicing and post transcriptional
modification of mRNA (poly a tail, 5'cap)
-Know that DNA polymerase has proofreading activity but RNA polymerase
doesnt. DNA polymerase requires a primer whereas RNA polymerase
doesnt.
-Know the role of PH in the stomach
-They love asking questions about the immune system in terms of
autoimmune disease
-Know the hormones involved in the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.
-Know the components of viruses, and what they do not have
Organelles- what they do, what the look like; ER makes proteins
Sodium potassium pump
Sarcomeres- H and I change length
Hormones*- where they come from, what they do, how hormones respond
to some change in the body
What comes from anterior pituitary (all peptides) vs posterior pituitary; PP
hormones are actually produced in the hypothalamus
Aldosterone and ADH both increase water retention; how they do this
Glucose/Insulin/Glucagon relationship
Hemoglobin affinity for oxygen- how this changes

Digestive system- structures/function; anatomy; route
Loop of henle; first permeable to water on the way down then just to ions
as it goes up.
How differential pressure relates to breathing
Menstrual cycle- follicular, ovulation, luteal phase, menstruation
Embryogenesis- especially gastrulation- what comes from ectoderm,
mesoderm, endoderm
Genetics- family tree interpretation; sex linked has more males with
disease
King- Phylum-Class-Order-Family-Genus-Species
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY:
Identifying shapes of molecules
Number of stereoisomers 2^n where n is number of chiral centers
Determining R and S
Identifying equivalent hydrogens; 9.5 on HNMR is an aldehyde
SN2 vs SN1- based on carbocation stability/steric hindrance
2700- IR-aldehydes; OH-3300
-Know basic IR peaks. OH broad 3300, NH2 sharp 3400, Carbonyl 1700
and CN 2200
-Know how to determine chemically equivalent hydrogens in NMR
-Know how to determine stereochemistry of a carbon in a Fischer
projection
-Know the basics for extracting an acid (by deprotonating it with a base,
and extracing the aqueous layer) and a base (protonating with an acid
and extracting the aqueous layer)
-Know the # of possible stereoisomers is 2^n where n is chiral carbons
-Know Sp3 vs sp2 COLD, they ask this a lot!
-Know the reactivity and trends of Carboxyllic acid derivatives
-Know enolate reactions, aldol condensation
-Know decarboxylation
-Be familiar with EAS activators vs deactivators and which are o/p and
which are meta
-Know about PI and how an amino acid will move in an electric field at a
certain PH

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What topics related to physics are mentioned?

What topics related to chemistry are mentioned?

Physics:

-Questions about gravity in relation to radius and mass. In particular,

-Know the difference between cell mediated and humoral immunity

Hemoglobin affinity for oxygen- how this changes

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