AAMC MCAT Science Outline – MCAT Content Checklist

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Biological & Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems ๐Ÿฆ 

Content Category 1A: Structure and function of proteins and their constituent amino acids

Amino Acids

Description

Reactions

Protein Structure (BIO, BC, OC)

Structure

Conformational Stability

Separation Techniques

Read our comprehensive guide: Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins on the MCAT

Non-Enzymatic Protein Function (BIO, BC)

Enzyme Structure and Function (BIO, BC)

  • Cofactors
  • Coenzymes
  • Water-soluble vitamins

Control of Enzyme Activity (BIO, BC)

Content Category 1B: Transmission of genetic information from the gene to the protein

Nucleic Acid Structure and Function (BIO, BC)

DNA Replication (BIO)

Repair of DNA (BIO)

Genetic Code (BIO)

Transcription (BIO)

Translation (BIO)

Eukaryotic Chromosome Organization (BIO)

Control of Gene Expression in Prokaryotes (BIO)

Control of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes (BIO)

Recombinant DNA and Biotechnology (BIO)

Content Category 1C: Transmission of heritable information from generation to generation and the processes that increase genetic diversity

Evidence that DNA is Genetic Material (BIO)

Mendelian Concepts (BIO)

Meiosis and Other Factors Affecting Genetic Variability (BIO)

Analytic Methods (BIO)

  • Hardyโ€“Weinberg Principle
  • Testcross (Backcross; concepts of parental, F1, and F2 generations)
  • Gene mapping: crossover frequencies
  • Biometry: statistical methods

Evolution (BIO)

Content Category 1D: Principles of bioenergetics and fuel molecule metabolism

Principles of Bioenergetics (BC, GC)

  • Equilibrium constant
  • Relationship of the equilibrium constant andโˆ†Gยฐ

Carbohydrates (BC, OC)

Glycolysis, Gluconeogenesis, and the Pentose Phosphate Pathway (BIO, BC)

Principles of Metabolic Regulation (BC)

  • Maintenance of a dynamic steady state

Citric Acid Cycle (BIO, BC)

Metabolism of Fatty Acids and Proteins (BIO, BC)

Oxidative Phosphorylation (BIO, BC)

Hormonal Regulation and Integration of Metabolism (BC)

Content Category 2A: Assemblies of molecules, cells, and groups of cells within single cellular andmulticelluar organisms

Plasma Membrane (BIO, BC)

Membrane-Bound Organelles and Defining Characteristics of Eukaryotic Cells (BIO)

  • Compartmentalization, storage of genetic information
  • Nucleolus: location and function
  • Nuclear envelope, nuclear pores
  • Golgi apparatus: general structure and role in packaging and secretion
  • Peroxisomes: organelles that collect peroxides

Cytoskeleton (BIO)

Tissues Formed From Eukaryotic Cells (BIO)

Content Category 2B: The structure, growth, physiology, and genetics of prokaryotes and viruses

Cell Theory (BIO)

Classification and Structure of Prokaryotic Cells (BIO)

Growth and Physiology of Prokaryotic Cells (BIO)

Genetics of Prokaryotic Cells (BIO)

Virus Structure (BIO)

Viral Life Cycle (BIO)

Content Category 2C: Processes of cell division, differentiation, and specialization

Mitosis (BIO)

Biosignaling (BC)

Reproductive System (BIO)

Embryogenesis (BIO)

Mechanisms of Development (BIO)

Content Category 3A: Structure and functions of the nervous and endocrine systems and ways in which these systems coordinate the organ systems

Nervous System: Structure and Function (BIO)

  • Feedback loop, reflex arc
  • Role of spinal cord and supraspinalcircuits
  • Integration with endocrine system: feedback control

Nerve Cell (BIO)

Biosignalling (BC)

Lipids (BC, OC)

Endocrine System: Hormones and Their Sources (BIO)

Endocrine System: Mechanisms of Hormone Action (BIO)

Content Category 3B: Structure and integrative functions of the main organ systems

Respiratory System(BIO)

Circulatory System (BIO)

  • Structural and functional differences
  • Pressure and flow characteristics
  • Capillary beds
  • Mechanisms of gas and solute exchange
  • Mechanism of heat exchange
  • Source of peripheral resistance

Lymphatic System (BIO)

  • Equalization of fluid distribution
  • Transport of proteins and large glycerides
  • Production of lymphocytes involved in immune reactions
  • Return of materials to the blood

Immune System (BIO)

Digestive System (BIO)

  • Storage and churning of food
  • Low pH, gastric juice, mucal protection against self-destruction
  • Production of digestive enzymes, site of digestion
  • Structure (gross)
  • Structural relationship of liver within gastrointestinal system
  • Production of bile
  • Role in blood glucose regulation, detoxification
  • Storage in gall bladder
  • Function
  • Production of enzymes
  • Transport of enzymes to small intestine
  • Absorption of food molecules and water
  • Function and structure of villi
  • Production of enzymes, site of digestion
  • Neutralization of stomach acid
  • Structure (anatomic subdivisions)
  • Absorption of water
  • Bacterial flora
  • Structure (gross)
  • Hormones
  • Target tissues

Excretory System (BIO)

  • Blood pressure
  • Osmoregulation
  • Acidโ€“base balance
  • Removal of soluble nitrogenous waste

Reproductive System (BIO)

Muscle System (BIO)

  • Support: mobility
  • Peripheral circulatory assistance
  • Thermoregulation (shivering reflex)

Specialized Cell-Muscle Cell (BIO)

  • Structural characteristics of striated, smooth, and cardiac muscle
  • Abundant mitochondria in red muscle cells: ATP source
  • Organization of contractile elements: actin and myosin filaments, cross bridges, sliding filament model
  • Sarcomeres: โ€œIโ€ and โ€œAโ€ bands, โ€œMโ€ and โ€œZโ€ lines, โ€œHโ€ zone
  • Presence of troponin and tropomyosin
  • Calcium regulation of contraction

Skeletal System (BIO)

  • Structural rigidity and support
  • Calcium storage
  • Physical protection
  • Specialization of bone types, structures
  • Joint structures
  • Endoskeleton vs. exoskeleton
  • Calcium/protein matrix
  • Cellular composition of bone

Skin System (BIO)

  • Hair, erectile musculature
  • Fat layer for insulation
  • Sweat glands, location in dermis
  • Vasoconstriction and vasodilation in surface capillaries
  • Physical protection
  • Nails, calluses, hair
  • Protection against abrasion, disease organisms
  • Hormonal control: sweating, vasodilation, and vasoconstriction

Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems โš›

Content Category 4A: Translational motion, forces, work, energy, and equilibrium in living systems

MATH

Translational Motion (PHY)

Force (PHY)

Equilibrium (PHY)

Work (PHY)

Energy of Point Object Systems (PHY)

  • PE =mgh(gravitational, local)
  • PE = ยฝkx2(spring)

Periodic Motion (PHY)

Content Category 4B: Importance offluids for the circulation of blood, gas movement, and gas exchange

Fluids (PHY)

Circulatory System (BIO)

  • Arterial and venous systems; pressure and flow characteristics

Gas Phase (GC, PHY)

  • Heat capacity at constant volume and at constant pressure (PHY)
  • Boltzmannโ€™s Constant (PHY)
  • Qualitative
  • Quantitative (Van der Waalsโ€™ Equation)

Content Category 4C: Electrochemistry and electrical circuits and their elements

Electrostatics (PHY)

  • Field lines
  • Field due to charge distribution

Circuit Elements (PHY)

  • Metallic
  • Electrolytic

Magnetism (PHY)

Electrochemistry (GC)

  • Electrolysis
  • Anode, cathode
  • Electrolyte
  • Faradayโ€™s Law relating amount of elements deposited (or gas liberated) at an electrode to current
  • Electron flow; oxidation, and reduction at the electrodes
  • Half-reactions
  • Reduction potentials; cell potential
  • Direction of electron flow
  • Electromotive force, Voltage
  • Lead-storage batteries
  • Nickel-cadmium batteries

Specialized Cell-Nerve Cell (BIO)

Content Category 4D: How light and sound interact with matter

Sound (PHY)

Light, Electromagnetic Radiation (PHY)

  • Velocity equals constant c,in vacuo
  • Electromagnetic radiation consists of perpendicularly oscillating electric andmagnetic fields; direction of propagation is perpendicular to both

Molecular Structure and Absorption Spectra (OC)

  • Intramolecular vibrations and rotations
  • Recognizing common characteristic group absorptions, fingerprint region
  • Visible region (GC)
  • Absorption in visible region gives complementary color (e.g., carotene)
  • Effect of structural changes on absorption (e.g., indicators)
  • ฯ€-Electron and non-bonding electron transitions
  • Conjugated systems
  • Protons in a magnetic field; equivalentprotons
  • Spin-spin splitting

Geometrical Optics (PHY)

  • Thin lenses
  • Converging and diverging lenses
  • Use of formula 1/p+ 1/q= 1/f, with sign conventions
  • Lens strength, diopters

Content Category 4E: Atoms, nuclear decay, electronic structure, and atomic chemical behavior

Atomic Nucleus (PHY, GC)

  • Mass spectrometer

Electronic Structure (PHY, GC)

  • Orbital structure of hydrogen atom, principal quantum number n, number of electrons per orbital (GC)
  • Ground state, excited states
  • Absorption and emission line spectra
  • Use of Pauli Exclusion Principle
  • Paramagnetism and diamagnetism
  • Conventional notation for electronic structure (GC)
  • Bohr atom
  • Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
  • Effective nuclear charge (GC)
  • Photoelectric effect

The Periodic Table-Classification of Elements into Groups by Electronic Structure (GC)

The Periodic Table-Variations of Chemical Properties with Group and Row (GC)

  • Definition
  • Prediction from electronic structure for elements in different groups or rows
  • Definition
  • Variation with group and row
  • Definition
  • Comparative values for some representative elements and important groups
  • Electron shells and the sizes of atoms
  • Electron shells and the sizes of ions

Stoichiometry (GC)

  • Common oxidizing and reducing agents
  • Disproportionation reactions
  • Description of reactions by chemical equations

Content Category 5A: Unique nature of water and its solutions

Acid/Base Equilibria (GC, BC)

  • Dissociation of weak acids and bases with or without added salt
  • Hydrolysis of salts of weak acids or bases
  • Calculation of pH of solutions of salts of weak acids or bases
  • Equilibrium constants Ka and Kb: pKa, pKb
  • Buffers
  • Definition and concepts (common buffer systems)
  • Influence on titration curves

Ions in Solutions (GC, BC)

  • Anion, cation: common names, formulas and charges for familiar ions (e.g., NH4+ammonium,PO43โ€“phosphate, SO42โ€“sulfate)
  • Hydration, the hydronium ion

Solubility (GC)

Titration (GC)

Content Category 5B: Nature of molecules and intermolecular interactions

Titration (GC)

  • Lewis Electron Dot formulas
  • Partial ionic character
  • o and n bonds
  • Hybrid orbitals: sp3, sp2, sp and respective geometries
  • Valence shell electron pair repulsion and the prediction of shapes of molecules (e.g.,NH3, H2O, CO2)
  • Structural formulas for molecules involving H, C, N, O, F, S, P, Si, Cl
  • Delocalized electrons and resonance in ions and molecules
  • Multiple bonding
  • Effect on bond length and bond energies
  • Rigidity in molecular structure
  • Stereochemistry of covalently bonded molecules(OC)
  • Polarization of light, specific rotation
  • Absolute and relative configuration
  • Conventions for writing R and S forms
  • Conventions for writing E and Z forms

Liquid Phase-Intermolecular Forces (GC)

Content Category 5C: Separation and purification methods

Separations and Purifications (OC, BC)

  • Basic principles involved in separation process
  • Separation and purification of peptides and proteins (BC)
  • Electrophoresis
  • Quantitative analysis
  • Chromatography
  • Size-exclusion
  • Ion-exchange
  • Affinity
  • Racemic mixtures, separation of enantiomers (OC)

Content Category 5D: Structure, function, and reactivity of biologically-relevant molecules

Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids (BC, BIO)

Amino Acids, Peptides, Proteins (OC, BC)

  • Absolute configuration at the aposition
  • Dipolar ions
  • Classification
  • Sulfur linkage for cysteine and cystine
  • Peptide linkage: polypeptides and proteins
  • Hydrolysis (BC)
  • General Principles

The Three-Dimensional Protein Structure (BC)

  • Hydrophobic interactions
  • Solvation layer (entropy)

Non-Enzymatic Protein Function (BC)

Lipids (BC, OC)

  • Storage
  • Structural
  • Signals/cofactors
  • Fat-soluble vitamins
  • Steroids
  • Prostaglandins (BC)

Carbohydrates (OC)

  • Nomenclature and classification, common names
  • Absolute configuration
  • Cyclic structure and conformations of hexoses
  • Epimers and anomers

Aldehydes and Ketones (OC)

  • Nomenclature
  • Physical properties
  • General principles
  • Effect of substituents on reactivity of C=O; steric hindrance
  • Acidity of a-H; carbanions

Alcohols (OC)

  • Important reactions

Carboxylic Acids (OC)

  • Nomenclature
  • Physical properties
  • Important reactions
  • Carboxyl group reactions
  • Reactions at 2-position, substitution

Acid Derivatives (Anhydrides, Amides, Esters) (OC)

  • Nomenclature
  • Physical properties
  • Important reactions
  • General principles

Phenols (OC, BC)

Polycyclic and Heterocyclic Aromatic Compounds (OC, BC)

  • Biological aromatic heterocycles

Content Category 5E: Principles of chemical thermodynamics and kinetics

Enzymes (BC, BIO)

  • Substrates and enzyme specificity
  • Active site model
  • Induced-fit model
  • Cofactors, coenzymes, and vitamins
  • General (catalysis)
  • Michaelisโ€“Menten
  • Cooperativity
  • Effects of local conditions on enzyme activity
  • Inhibition
  • Regulatory enzymes
  • Allosteric
  • Covalently modified

Principles of Bioenergetics (BC)

  • Free energy/Keq
  • Concentration
  • Phosphorylation/ATP

Energy Changes in Chemical Reactions โ€“ Thermochemistry, Thermodynamics (GC, PHY)

  • Entropy as a measure of โ€œdisorderโ€
  • Relative entropy for gas, liquid, and crystal states

Rate Processes in Chemical Reactions-Kinetics and Equilibrium (GC)

  • Reaction rate
  • Dependence of reaction rate on concentration of reactants
  • Activated complex or transition state
  • Interpretation of energy profiles showing energies of reactants, products, activation energy, and 6Hfor the reaction
  • Use of the Arrhenius Equation
  • Relationship of the equilibrium constant and ฮ”Gยฐ

Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior

Content Category 6A: Sensing the environment

Sensory Processing (PSY, BIO)

Vision (PSY, BIO)

Hearing (PSY, BIO)

Other Senses (PSY, BIO)

  • Olfactory cells/chemoreceptors that detect specific chemicals
  • Pheromones (BIO)
  • Olfactory pathways in the brain (BIO)

Perception (PSY)

Content Category 6B: Making sense of the environment

Attention (PSY)

  • Selective attention
  • Divided attention

Cognition (PSY)

  • Intellectual functioning

Consciousness (PSY)

  • Alertness (PSY, BIO)
  • Sleep
  • Hypnosis and meditation
  • Consciousness-altering drugs
  • Types of consciousness-altering drugs and their effects on the nervous systemandbehavior
  • Drug addiction and the reward pathway in the brain

Memory (PSY)

  • Process of encoding information
  • Processes that aid in encoding memories
  • Types of memory storage (e.g., sensory, working, long-term)
  • Semantic networks and spreading activation
  • Recall, recognition, and relearning
  • Retrieval cues
  • The role of emotion in retrieving memories (PSY, BIO)
  • Processes that aid retrieval
  • Forgetting
  • Changes in synaptic connections underlie memory and learning (PSY, BIO)

Language (PSY)

Content Category 6C: Responding to the world

Emotion (PSY)

  • Jamesโ€“Lange theory
  • Cannonโ€“Bard theory
  • Schachterโ€“Singer theory
  • The role of biological processes in perceiving emotion(PSY, BIO)

Stress (PSY)

  • The nature of stress

Content Category 7A: Individual influences on behavior

Biological Bases of Behavior (PSY, BIO)

  • Components of the endocrine system
  • Effects of the endocrine system on behavior
  • Behavioral genetics
  • Influence of genetic and environmental factors on the development of behaviors
  • Experience and behavior (PSY)
  • Regulatory genes and behavior (BIO)
  • Genetically based behavioral variation in natural populations
  • Human physiological development (PSY)
  • Prenatal development
  • Motor development
  • Developmental changes in adolescence

Personality (PSY)

  • Situational approach to explaining behavior

Psychological Disorders (PSY)

Motivation (PSY)

  • Factors that influence motivation
  • Instinct
  • Drives (e.g., negative feedback systems) (PSY, BIO)
  • Needs
  • Factors that influence motivation
  • Biological and sociocultural motivators that regulate behavior(e.g., hunger, sex drive, substanceaddiction)

Attitudes (PSY)

  • Processes by which behavior influences attitudes (e.g., foot-in-the door phenomenon, role-playing effects)

Content Category 7B: Social processes that influence human behavior

How the Presence of Others Affects Individual Behavior (PSY)

Group Decision-making Processes (PSY, SOC)

Normative and Non-normative Behavior (SOC)

  • Deviance
  • Perspectives on deviance (e.g., differential association, labeling theory, strain theory)
  • Aspects of collective behavior (e.g., fads, mass hysteria, riots)

Socialization (PSY, SOC)

Content Category 7C: Attitude and behavior change

Habituation and Dishabituation (PSY)

Associative Learning (PSY)

  • Neutral, conditioned, and unconditioned stimuli
  • Conditioned and unconditioned response
  • Processes: acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, discrimination
  • Processes of shaping and extinction
  • Types of reinforcement: positive, negative, primary, conditional
  • Reinforcement schedules: fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, fixed-interval, variable-interval
  • Punishment
  • Escape and avoidance learning
  • The role of cognitive processes in associative learning
  • Biological processes that affect associative learning (e.g., biological predispositions, instinctive drift) (PSY, BIO)

Observational Learning (PSY)

  • Modeling
  • Biological processes that affect observational learning

Theories of Attitude and Behavior Change (PSY)

  • Elaboration likelihood model
  • Social cognitive theory
  • Factors that affect attitude change (e.g., changing behavior, characteristics of the message and target, social factors)

Content Category 8A: Self-identity

Self-Concept, Self-identity, and Social Identity (PSY, SOC)

Formation of Identity (PSY, SOC)

  • Influence of individuals (e.g., imitation, looking-glass self, role-taking)
  • Influence of groups (e.g., reference group)
  • Influence of culture and socialization on identity formation

Content Category 8B: Social thinkinghttps://medlifemastery.com/mcat/psychology-sociology/social-thinking-and-attitudes/types-inherent-social-perceptions/

Attributing Behavior to Persons or Situations (PSY)

Prejudice and Bias (PSY, SOC)

  • Processes that contribute to prejudice
  • Power, prestige, and class (SOC)
  • The role of emotion in prejudice (PSY)
  • The role of cognition in prejudice (PSY)
  • Ethnocentrism vs. cultural relativism

Processes Related to Stereotypes (PSY)

  • Self-fulfilling prophecy
  • Stereotype threat

Content Category 8C: Social interactions

Elements of Social Interaction (PSY, SOC)

  • Types of status (e.g., achieved, ascribed)
  • Role conflict and role strain
  • Role exit (SOC)
  • Primary and secondary groups (SOC)
  • In-group vs. out-group
  • Group size (e.g., dyads, triads) (SOC)
  • Organizations (SOC)
  • Formal organization
  • Bureaucracy
  • Characteristics of an ideal bureaucracy
  • Perspectives on bureaucracy (e.g., iron law of oligarchy, McDonaldization)

Self-presentation and Interacting with Others (PSY, SOC)

  • Expressing and detecting emotion
  • The role of gender in the expression and detection of emotion
  • The role of culture in the expression and detection of emotion
  • Presentation of self

Social Behavior (PSY)

  • Foraging behavior (BIO)
  • Mating behavior and mate choice
  • Applying game theory (BIO)
  • Altruism
  • Inclusive fitness (BIO)

Discrimination (PSY, SOC)

  • Individual vs. institutional discrimination (SOC)
  • The relationship between prejudice and discrimination
  • How power, prestige, and class facilitate discrimination (SOC)

Content Category 9A: Understanding social structure

Theoretical Approaches (SOC)

Social Institutions (SOC)

  • Hidden curriculum
  • Teacher expectancy
  • Educational segregation and stratification
  • Forms of kinship (SOC)
  • Diversity in family forms
  • Marriage and divorce
  • Violence in the family (e.g., child abuse, elder abuse, spousal abuse) (SOC)
  • Religiosity
  • Types of religious organizations (e.g., churches, sects, cults)
  • Religion and social change (e.g., modernization, secularization, fundamentalism)
  • Power and authority
  • Comparative economic and political systems
  • Division of labor
  • Medicalization
  • The sick role
  • Delivery of health care
  • Illness experience
  • Social epidemiology

Culture (PSY, SOC)

Content Category 9B: Demographic characteristics and processes

Demographic Structure of Society (PSY, SOC)

  • Aging and the life course
  • Age cohorts (SOC)
  • Social significance of aging
  • Sex versus gender
  • The social construction of gender (SOC)
  • Gender segregation (SOC)
  • The social construction of race
  • Racialization
  • Racial formation
  • Immigration status (SOC)
  • Patterns of immigration
  • Intersections with race and ethnicity
  • Sexual orientation

Demographic Shifts and Social Change (SOC)

  • Relative deprivation
  • Organization of social movements
  • Movement strategies and tactics
  • Factors contributing to globalization (e.g., communication technology, economic interdependence)
  • Perspectives on globalization
  • Social changes in globalization (e.g., civil unrest, terrorism)
  • Urbanization
  • Industrialization and urban growth
  • Suburbanization and urban decline
  • Gentrification and urban renewal

Content Category 10A: Social inequality

Spatial Inequality (SOC)

  • Residential segregation
  • Neighborhood safety and violence
  • Environmental justice (location and exposure to health risks)

Social Class (SOC)

  • Social class and socioeconomic status
  • Class consciousness and false consciousness
  • Cultural capital and social capital
  • Social reproduction
  • Power, privilege, and prestige
  • Intersectionality (e.g., race, gender, age)
  • Socioeconomic gradient in health
  • Global inequalities
  • Patterns of social mobility
  • Relative and absolute poverty
  • Social exclusion (segregation andisolation)

Health Disparities (SOC)

(e.g., class, gender, and race inequalities in health)

Healthcare Disparities (SOC)

(e.g., class, gender, and race inequalities in health care)

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