All MCAT Biology Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #64 : Muscles And Myocytes
Skeletal muscle fibers are made up of white and red fibers. White fibers are considered fast-twitch and red fibers are considered slow-twitch.
Which of these statements INCORRECTLY describes a difference between white and red fibers?
White fibers have less myoglobin than red fibers
Red fibers have more mitochondria than white fibers
White fibers utilize aerobic respiration more than red fibers
White fibers fatigue more quickly than red fibers
White fibers utilize aerobic respiration more than red fibers
White fibers have less myoglobin than red fibers. White fibers have less mitochondria than red fibers. White fibers fatigue more quickly than red fibers.
White fibers primarily use anaerobic respiration (red primarily uses aerobic). Remember that red fibers are active over long periods of sustained stress, while white fibers are more explosive. Red fibers require oxygen from respiration and myoglobin to maintain activity.
Example Question #255 : Systems Biology And Tissue Types
Red muscle fibers would be expected to __________.
contain few mitochondria and be impervious to fatigue
contain many mitochondria and tire easily
contain many mitochondria and be impervious to fatigue
contain few mitochondria and tire easily
contain many mitochondria and be impervious to fatigue
The two main types of muscle fibers are red and white fibers. Also known as slow twitch and fast twitch fibers, respectively, red fibers are used for high endurance activities, such as long distance running, while white fibers are used for quick movements, such as jumping. We expect red fibers to have more mitochondria and myoglobin, as these are essential to extended aerobic respiration and fatigue prevention.
Example Question #62 : Musculoskeletal System And Muscle Tissue
Compared to type II muscle cells, type I muscle cells contain more:
I. Mitochondria
II. Calcium ions
III. Myoglobin
I and III
I only
I and II
II only
I and III
Type I muscle cells, or red muscle cells, use aerobic respiration, whereas type II muscle cells, or white muscle cells, use anaerobic respiration. Aerobic respiration requires oxygen; therefore, myoglobin must be present to carry oxygen within type I muscle cells. Aerobic respiration occurs in mitochondria. This means that type I cells must have more mitochondria and myoglobin to facilitate aerobic respiration.
Calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum are essential for muscle contraction, and are found in equal amounts in both cell types.
Example Question #71 : Musculoskeletal System And Muscle Tissue
ATP used by red muscle cells is produced in the __________ and the ATP used by white muscle cells is produced in the __________.
mitochondria . . . mitochondria
mitochondria . . . cytoplasm
cytoplasm . . . mitochondria
cytoplasm . . . cytoplasm
mitochondria . . . cytoplasm
Recall that red muscle cells primarily use aerobic respiration and white muscle cells primarily use anaerobic respiration to produce ATP. Aerobic respiration, which involves the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, occurs in the mitochondria. On the other hand, anaerobic respiration (glycolysis) occurs in the cytoplasm.
Type I muscle fibers, or red muscle, will use the mitochondria from ATP production and contain large amounts of myoglobin to help supply oxygen for these aerobic processes. In contrast, type II muscle fibers, or white muscle, will use glycolysis and lactic acid fermentation in the cytoplasm and contain very little myogloblin.
Example Question #16 : Types Of Muscle Cells
A physician is examining the leg muscles of a marathon runner. What might the physician conclude upon this examination?
The runner's legs have a larger number of type II muscle fibers
The runner's legs have larger type I muscle fibers
The runner's legs have a larger number of type I muscle fibers
The runner's legs have larger type II muscle fibers
The runner's legs have larger type I muscle fibers
To answer this question you must know that running for long periods of time, such as running a marathon, requires aerobic respiration and sustained muscle contraction over a longer period of time. Type I muscle cells are most suited for these exercises because they utilize aerobic respiration and are slow to fatigue. In contrast, type II muscle fibers can function on anaerobic respiration and fatigue very quickly.
Muscle cells do not undergo mitosis, and therefore cannot increase in number due to training. Instead, the size of the muscle fibers will grow. In a marathon runner, we would expect there to be very large type II muscle fibers in the muscles of the legs.
Example Question #271 : Biology
Which of the following types of muscle is under voluntary motor control?
Cardiac muscle
Smooth muscle
Skeletal muscle
None of these
Skeletal muscle
Skeletal muscle is under voluntary control, and are innervated by the somatic nervous system. Skeletal muscle is responsible for skeletal movement, such as swinging the arms or lifting the legs.
Cardiac and smooth muscle are under the control of the autonomic nervous system. Cardiac muscle contracts the heart autonomously, without additional neuronal input.
Example Question #72 : Musculoskeletal System And Muscle Tissue
Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system would most likely correspond with increased activity in which type of muscle tissue?
Cardiac muscle
Skeletal muscle
Visceral smooth muscle
Vascular smooth muscle
Visceral smooth muscle
The parasympathetic nervous system is more simply characterized as the “rest and digest” system, as it is activated during times of rest and helps in the digestion of food. Visceral smooth muscle tissue is mostly involved in digestion, and helps move food through the gastrointestinal tract.
In contrast, vascular smooth muscle is incorporated into the vascular tissues and plays a key role in vasoconstriction. Vasoconstriction helps increase blood pressure, increasing cardiac output during times of stress. Cardiac muscle is more active when the heart beats more rapidly, which would not occur while a person is at rest. Increased activity in vascular smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and skeletal muscle occurs at times when the sympathetic nervous system ("fight or flight") is activated.
Example Question #73 : Musculoskeletal System And Muscle Tissue
Choose the answer that best describes the characteristics of the extraocular muscles.
Fatigable with small motor units
Fatigable with large motor units
Non-fatigable with small motor units
Non-fatigable with large motor units
Non-fatigable with small motor units
The extraocular muscles have small motor units to allow for very precise movements. These muscles are also non-fatigable because the muscles do not become weak after continual use throughout the day.
Large motor units would result in less precise control, affecting the ability of the eye to focus on a given target. Fatigable motor units would result in an inablility to keep the eye open and directed after sustained use.
Example Question #74 : Musculoskeletal System And Muscle Tissue
Peristalsis takes place in the lower two-thirds of the esophagus.
What type of muscle is used in the process of peristalsis?
Voluntary skeletal muscle
Involuntary skeletal muscle
Involunary cardiac muscle
Involuntary smooth muscle
Involuntary smooth muscle
Involuntary smooth muscle is used in many parts of the digestive tract. Smooth muscle moves food through the digestive tract, while also methodically spreading out the food's surface area, maximizing exposure to the nutrient-absorbing layers of the intestines.
Example Question #73 : Musculoskeletal System And Muscle Tissue
What is the difference between the muscles in a distance runner's legs compared to the muscles in a weight lifter's legs?
The weight lifter will have many more muscle cells than the runner
The weight lifter will have more type I muscle fibers than the runner
The weight lifter will have more type IIA muscle fibers than the runner
The runner will have more type IIB muscle fibers than the weight lifter
The weight lifter will have more type IIA muscle fibers than the runner
There are three types of muscle fibers: type I (slow twitch muscle fibers), type IIA, and type IIB (both fast twitch muscle fibers). Type I muscle fibers are very slow to fatigue, so we would expect to find them in athletes that specialize in endurance. Conversely, type IIA and B fibers are used for short lived, anaerobic activities. These fibers are typically seen in weight lifters. As a result, we would expect the weight lifter to have more type IIA and B muscle fibers than the runner.
Certified Tutor
Certified Tutor
All MCAT Biology Resources
![Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors](https://vt-vtwa-app-assets.varsitytutors.com/assets/problems/og_image_practice_problems-9cd7cd1b01009043c4576617bc620d0d5f9d58294f59b6d6556fd8365f7440cf.jpg)