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MCAT Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems · Lessons

MCAT Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems lessons

2 sections · 62 skills · work through the full outline skill by skill — read the long-form lesson or flip through the slide-style version.
Long-form lessonsSlide-style lessons

MCAT Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems

Practice 62 skills across this outline.

Recommended next
Kinematics and Motion Variables (4A)
Foundational Concepts · Foundational Concept 4A: Motion, Forces, and Energy
Long-form lesson
Weighting distribution
13 categories
Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills · Scientific Reasoning and Problem-Solving
15%
Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills · Reasoning About the Design and Execution of Research
14%
Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills · Knowledge of Scientific Concepts and Principles
12%
Foundational Concepts · General Skills
10%
Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills · Data-Based and Statistical Reasoning
10%
Foundational Concepts · Foundational Concept 4A: Motion, Forces, and Energy
6%

Skills

The comprehensive taxonomy of mcat chemical and physical foundations of biological systems — drill into a card to work its skills.

Foundational Concepts · Foundational Concept 4A: Motion, Forces, and Energy

6 core skills6% total weight
0/6 completed
6 skills to mastery
1
Kinematics and Motion Variables (4A)Recommended
Long-form
2
Conservation of Energy and Mechanical Advantage (4A)Available
Long-form
3
Equilibrium, Torque, and Rotational Stability (4A)Available
Long-form
4
Newton’s Laws and Free-Body Diagrams (4A)Available
Long-form
5
Periodic Motion and Mechanical Waves (4A)Available
Long-form
6
Work, Energy, and Power (4A)Available
Long-form

Foundational Concepts · Foundational Concept 5E: Principles of Chemical Thermodynamics and Kinetics

5 core skills5% total weight
0/5 completed
5 skills to mastery
1
Bioenergetics and Biological Oxidation–Reduction (5E)Available
Long-form
2
Thermodynamics and Energy Changes (5E)Available
Long-form
3
Chemical Kinetics and Rate Laws (5E)Available
Long-form
4
Enzyme Inhibition and Regulation (5E)Available
Long-form
5
Enzyme Structure and Catalysis (5E)Available
Long-form

Foundational Concepts · Foundational Concept 4D: How Light and Sound Interact With Matter

6 core skills6% total weight
0/6 completed
6 skills to mastery
1
Geometrical Optics and Image Formation (4D)Available
Long-form
2
Interference, Diffraction, and Polarization (4D)Available
Long-form
3
Spectroscopy and Molecular Absorption (4D)Available
Long-form
4
Sound Waves and the Doppler Effect (4D)Available
Long-form
5
Light as Electromagnetic Radiation (4D)Available
Long-form
6
Wave Properties and Propagation (4D)Available
Long-form

Foundational Concepts · Foundational Concept 5A: Unique Nature of Water and Its Solutions

4 core skills4% total weight
0/4 completed
4 skills to mastery
1
Solubility and Solubility Product (5A)Available
Long-form
2
Titration and Buffers (5A)Available
Long-form
3
Acid–Base Equilibria (5A)Available
Long-form
4
Ions in Solutions (5A)Available
Long-form

Foundational Concepts · General Skills

11 core skills10% total weight
0/11 completed
11 skills to mastery
1
Molecular Geometry and Orbital Hybridization (5B)Available
Long-form
2
Alcohols, Carboxylic Acids, and Acid Derivatives (5D)Available
Long-form
3
Amino Acids, Peptides, and Protein Structure (5D)Available
Long-form
4
Aromatic and Heterocyclic Compounds (5D)Available
Long-form
5
Carbohydrates and Glycoconjugates (5D)Available
Long-form
6
Carbonyl Chemistry and Reactivity (5D)Available
Long-form
7
Covalent Bonding and Lewis Structures (5B)Available
Long-form
8
Intermolecular Forces and Physical Properties (5B)Available
Long-form
9
Lipids and Biological Membranes (5D)Available
Long-form
10
Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids (5D)Available
Long-form
11
Stereochemistry and Isomerism (5B)Available
Long-form

Foundational Concepts · Foundational Concept 4E: Atoms and Nuclear Decay

6 core skills6% total weight
0/6 completed
6 skills to mastery
1
Atomic Structure and Isotopes (4E)Available
Long-form
2
Electronic Structure and Quantum Models (4E)Available
Long-form
3
Mass Spectrometry and Atomic Identification (4E)Available
Long-form
4
Nuclear Decay and Radioactivity (4E)Available
Long-form
6
Photoelectric Effect and Line Spectra (4E)Available
Long-form

Foundational Concepts · Foundational Concept 4B: Fluids and Gas Exchange

5 core skills5% total weight
0/5 completed
5 skills to mastery
1
Buoyancy and Archimedes’ Principle (4B)Available
Long-form
2
Fluid Flow, Continuity, and Bernoulli’s Equation (4B)Available
Long-form
3
Fluid Properties and Hydrostatics (4B)Available
Long-form
4
Gas Laws and Kinetic Molecular Theory (4B)Available
Long-form
5
Viscosity and Poiseuille Flow (4B)Available
Long-form

Foundational Concepts · Foundational Concept 5C: Separation and Purification Methods

4 core skills4% total weight
0/4 completed
4 skills to mastery
1
Chiral Separation and Enantiomer Resolution (5C)Available
Long-form
2
Chromatography Techniques (5C)Available
Long-form
3
Electrophoresis and Protein Separation (5C)Available
Long-form
4
Extraction and Distillation (5C)Available
Long-form

Foundational Concepts · Foundational Concept 4C: Electrochemistry and Circuits

7 core skills6% total weight
0/7 completed
7 skills to mastery
1
Circuit Elements and Ohm’s Law (4C)Available
Long-form
2
Electrical Signaling in Neurons (4C)Available
Long-form
3
Electrochemical Cells and Redox Reactions (4C)Available
Long-form
4
Electric Potential, Voltage, and Capacitance (4C)Available
Long-form
5
Electrostatics and Electric Fields (4C)Available
Long-form
6
Magnetism and Motion of Charged Particles (4C)Available
Long-form
7
Resistors and Capacitors in Series and Parallel (4C)Available
Long-form

Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills · Reasoning About the Design and Execution of Research

2 core skills14% total weight
0/2 completed
2 skills to mastery
1
Reason About Ethical Issues in ResearchAvailable
Long-form
2
Demonstrate Understanding of Important Components of Scientific ResearchAvailable
Long-form

Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills · Knowledge of Scientific Concepts and Principles

2 core skills12% total weight
0/2 completed
2 skills to mastery
2
Demonstrate Understanding of Scientific Concepts and PrinciplesAvailable
Long-form

Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills · Data-Based and Statistical Reasoning

2 core skills10% total weight
0/2 completed
2 skills to mastery
1
Reason About Data and Draw Conclusions From ThemAvailable
Long-form
2
Interpret Patterns in Data Presented in Tables, Figures, and GraphsAvailable
Long-form

Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning Skills · Scientific Reasoning and Problem-Solving

2 core skills15% total weight
0/2 completed
2 skills to mastery
1
Analyze and Evaluate Scientific Explanations and PredictionsAvailable
Long-form
2
Reason About Scientific Principles, Theories, and ModelsAvailable
Long-form