Browse all practice questions for the IMAT Biology Practice Exam. Search by topic, open any question and review its full explanation, then test yourself in the practice quiz.

IMAT Biology Practice Exam 2026 - Free IMAT Biology Practice Questions and Study Guide course image
More practice questions

These questions are part of the practice quiz. Start practicing

  • Meiosis II is similar to mitosis in that it involves which process?
  • Which base pairing is correct in DNA?
  • Gene flow is best described as which of the following?
  • Glucagon acts on which tissues to promote glucose release?
  • Catabolism refers to metabolic pathways that:
  • Which cell type has two sets of chromosomes in animals?
  • Plasmids are predominantly found in which organisms?
  • What primarily determines which metabolic pathways can occur in a cell?
  • Which statement correctly distinguishes mechanical digestion from chemical digestion?
  • What is a primary role of the viral envelope in infection?
  • What does rRNA do?
  • Water is absorbed primarily in which organ?
  • Where does translation occur?
  • Which statement best describes the stabilization of the tertiary structure of a protein?
  • Multipotent stem cells are defined as cells that can become a limited number of types of tissues and cells in the body.
  • Which organ directly after the pharynx in the GI tract order?
  • Which band contains the thick filaments in their entirety?
  • Hemolysis refers to
  • Adaptive immunity is characterized by which feature?
  • The cell body is the largest part of a typical neuron; contains the nucleus and much of the cytoplasm.
  • Which function is attributed to astrocytes?
  • Genetic drift is defined as a random change in allele frequencies that can reduce genetic variation.
  • Which gland secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine?
  • Androgens are
  • What is the primary function of capillaries?
  • Which ganglion contains motor neurons for the somatic nervous system?
  • Parietal lobe functions include processing information about touch.
  • Thin filaments are composed of which components?
  • What happens to a cell if it takes in too much water?
  • Which vessel carries absorbed nutrients from the small intestine to the liver for detoxification first?
  • The direct manipulation of genes for practical purposes is called?
  • Origins of replication are best described as what?
  • Which hormones are stored in the posterior pituitary?
  • ADH is a hormone with which of the following characteristics?
  • During ventricular diastole, which statement is true?
  • The function of chloroplasts in plant cells is:
  • siRNA stands for small interfering RNA.
  • Nociceptors are sensory receptors that detect which of the following?
  • Which chamber receives blood from the body via the vena cavae?
  • Metaphase II involves which arrangement of chromosomes?
  • What are the vertical segments of the nephron primarily focused on?
  • What role does tRNA play?
  • In a sarcomere, which feature defines its boundary?
  • Nodes of Ranvier function to which of the following?
  • What is the viral envelope composed of?
  • Transcription factors that act as activators have which effect on transcription?
  • Vasodilation results in what?
  • Pluripotent stem cells are best described as cells that can differentiate into almost all types of tissues and cells in the body.
  • How many cells are produced at the end of meiosis in humans?
  • What triggers a lysogenic virus to enter the lytic cycle?
  • Which neural structure lies below the thalamus and directs maintenance activities, regulates the endocrine system via the pituitary, and is linked to emotion and reward?
  • What is glycolysis?
  • Gel electrophoresis is used to separate DNA fragments by size.
  • What is the function of helicase?
  • Osmolarity is defined as the measure of what?
  • Which mechanism causes allele frequencies to change by chance, potentially reducing variation in small populations?
  • Innate immunity includes which of the following components?
  • Binary fission is most commonly associated with which type of organism?
  • What is the primary role of siRNA in gene regulation?
  • At which stage do sister chromatids separate?
  • Which description correctly defines beta-oxidation?
  • How many hydrogen bonds form between adenine and thymine?
  • Which organ secretes lipase?
  • Which statement about catabolic metabolic pathways is true?
  • What best describes a haploid cell?
  • Opsin is a class of protein that, together with retinal, constitutes what?
  • Glycogen is best described as
  • How many daughter cells result from a single mitotic division?
  • What is DNA?
  • Which enzyme digests proteins in the stomach?
  • Diastole is best described as when the heart relaxes to receive blood.
  • Which of the following are typical components of a virus?
  • Which statement correctly describes viral envelopes?
  • Which statement best describes allopatric speciation?
  • Which glial cells form the myelin sheath in the central nervous system?
  • Which structure found inside the nucleus synthesizes ribosomes?
  • Which of the following are components of the cytoskeleton?
  • Describe translation.
  • Mechanoreceptors respond to which stimuli?
  • Which glial cell forms myelin in the peripheral nervous system?
  • The somatic nervous system is responsible for controlling which of the following?
  • Restriction enzymes (endonucleases) are enzymes that which of the following?
  • Which statement best characterizes the autonomic nervous system?
  • Which signaling system uses hormones to coordinate activities across distant organs via the bloodstream?
  • Which mutation type changes a codon to a stop codon?
  • Which structure is described as the brain's sensory switchboard that directs messages to the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla?
  • Proteins are respired for energy primarily during which condition?
  • What is the correct order of segments in the small intestine?
  • During anaphase II of meiosis, which event occurs?
  • Which hormone stimulates production of eggs and sperm and causes follicles in ovaries to mature?
  • Prokaryotic cells differ from eukaryotic cells in that they:
  • Vasoconstriction has which effect?
  • Where is the amino acid binding site located on tRNA?
  • What do DNA controls determine in the cell?
  • Which statement about the cell membrane is true?
  • Which division of the autonomic nervous system typically arouses the body in times of stress?
  • Which statement correctly represents the overall equation for photosynthesis?
  • What is the genome?
  • During which phase of interphase does the cell grow and perform its normal functions?
  • Which hormones regulate the permeability of the collecting duct?
  • Where are plasmids found?
  • Which structure connects the two brain hemispheres by a large band of neural fibers?
  • Agranulocytes include which of the following examples?
  • Which statement describes the G2 phase?
  • During atrial systole, which occurs?
  • Occipital lobe processes visual information.
  • Telophase I yields two haploid cells. Which statement is true?
  • Genes located on homologous chromosomes are called what?
  • Which organ produces bile that is secreted into the small intestine?
  • Anaphase I involves which event?
  • Does the brain play a role in glucose regulation?
  • Which molecule acts as the primary electron carrier produced during glycolysis and the citric acid cycle?
  • Prophase II features the reappearance of which structures?
  • What does lipase do?
  • Which describes water reabsorption in the descending limb of the loop of Henle?
  • Which statement about the nucleus is true?
  • Which term describes a signal that acts on the same cell that secretes it?
  • Cartilage relies on diffusion for nutrient exchange due to its avascular nature. True or False?
  • In the listed GI tract order, which organ is fifth?
  • Frontal lobe controls functions such as movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement.
  • Aldosterone is described as what?
  • Which of the following best describes a prokaryotic cell?
  • What enzymes break down proteins into amino acids?
  • Rhodopsin is the pigment found in which cells?
  • Vital capacity is defined as which of the following?
  • Which hormone is released by the corpus luteum and supports the endometrium for pregnancy?
  • Paracrine?
  • RNA primers have what role in replication?
  • What is the function of topoisomerase during DNA replication?
  • Which lobe processes visual information?
  • Which organisms have cell walls?
  • What is mechanical digestion?
  • Which segment is not permeable to water, contributing to dilution of filtrate?
  • During which phase does DNA replication occur?
  • Mammals employ which type of pressure breathing?
  • In anaerobic glycolysis, which cofactor is regenerated to allow glycolysis to continue?
  • What is the primary structure of a protein?
  • Dorsal root ganglia contain cell bodies of which neurons?
  • Which form of reproduction requires two parents?
  • Which region of a sarcomere contains only thick filaments?
  • In semiconservative replication, each new DNA molecule contains...
  • Which gland is primarily responsible for producing corticosteroids?
  • What is the distal convoluted tubule associated with?
  • When do the atrioventricular valves open?
  • Which statement best describes neurotransmitters and neurohormones?
  • Which cells form the myelin sheath in the PNS?
  • Mutations are a source of what type of variation?
  • Which hormone is NOT produced by the anterior pituitary?
  • Which structure stores neurotransmitters at the end of the neuron?
  • In a hypotonic solution, what occurs to the cell?
  • Noncompetitive inhibitors are defined as which of the following?
  • Which hormone is secreted by the anterior pituitary gland?
  • Chemoreceptors detect changes in which parameters?
  • Which statement defines the quaternary structure of a protein?
  • Negative feedback is?
  • Point mutations are changes in the base sequence that can have a significant impact on phenotype.
  • Which statement correctly defines interphase?
  • Which statement best describes the roles of progesterone and estrogen?
  • A virus with a lipid envelope is typically enveloped due to acquisition from what source?
  • Which term describes stem cells that can differentiate into a limited number of tissue types?
  • Which event describes the entry of pyruvate into the mitochondria and its conversion to acetyl-CoA?
  • What term describes the complete set of genetic material in an organism's chromosomes?
  • Which vessel carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart?
  • What do electromagnetic receptors detect?
  • Which structure is not a component of the cytoskeleton?
  • Which statement about enzymes is true?
  • During prophase, what happens to the nuclear envelope?
  • Which organ directly before the stomach in the GI tract order?
  • Which term describes stem cells that can differentiate into almost all types of tissues and cells in the body?
  • Which part of the nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord?
  • RNA primer is defined as which of the following?
  • Which best describes skeletal muscle?
  • What does semiconservative replication mean?
  • Alleles are best described as
  • Which gland synthesizes corticosteroids when stimulated by ACTH?
  • Allopatric speciation is described as which of the following?
  • Which sequence correctly describes the flow of blood from the vena cavae through the heart to the aorta?
  • What is the renal artery?
  • Which inheritance pattern is characterized by more frequent expression in males and can be carried by females?
  • Which cytoskeletal component is primarily involved in muscle contraction and intracellular movement?
  • Which molecules are produced during photosynthesis?
  • What is the primary purpose of meiosis?
  • Which statement best differentiates meiosis from mitosis?
  • T cells mature in which organ?
  • Which statement best contrasts competitive and noncompetitive inhibitors?
  • In muscle contraction, which statement best describes the role of tropomyosin?
  • Which cell type has one set of chromosomes in animals?
  • Which statement correctly describes the peripheral nervous system?
  • What occurs in the descending loop of Henle?
  • Frameshift mutations shift the reading frame of the genetic message by inserting or deleting a nucleotide.
  • Which lobe handles hearing and language?
  • What is the function of the renal artery?
  • Which statement correctly describes a repressible operon?
  • What event initiates cross-bridge formation during muscle contraction?
  • Which region of the sarcomere does not change in length during contraction?
  • Which molecules diffuse across respiratory surfaces during gas exchange?
  • Which hormone increases blood calcium levels by stimulating bones to release calcium?
  • Free energy is best described as which of the following?
  • In enveloped viruses, where are the glycoproteins typically located?
  • Which statement best describes the central nervous system?
  • Which part of the nephron concentrates urine during reabsorption?
  • The nucleus and ribosomes relationship is:
  • During meiosis I, what happens to homologous chromosomes?
  • Which condition triggers the release of ADH?
  • Which organ directly precedes the anus in the GI tract order?
  • Gel electrophoresis is used for which of the following purposes?
  • What is lactic fermentation?
  • Which acts faster, the nervous system or the endocrine system?
  • Describe transcription.
  • Which statement best describes the action of the parasympathetic division?
  • What constitutes the secondary structure of a protein?
  • Which process produces two genetically identical diploid daughter cells?
  • Missense mutations change a codon to code for a different amino acid, whereas nonsense mutations create a premature stop codon.
  • What is the primary function of a myelin sheath around an axon?
  • Cartilage is an example of which type of connective tissue?
  • Enzymes lower the activation energy of a reaction by which mechanism?
  • Agranulocytes are leukocytes without granules; which of the following is an agranulocyte?
  • During telophase II, which event occurs?
  • Which organ contains pepsin to digest proteins?
  • Neurotransmitter vs neurohormones: which statement is true?
  • In animals, which statement correctly describes chromosome sets in gametes and somatic cells?
  • Which of the following is NOT one of the FLAT PEG hormones produced by the anterior pituitary?
  • B cells are primarily responsible for which function?
  • Innate immunity includes which of the following components?
  • Where does filtration occur in the nephron?
  • Which enzymes break down lipids to produce fatty acids and glycerol?
  • A promoter is the specific region of a gene where RNA polymerase can bind and begin transcription.
  • Metaphase I: Homologous chromosome pairs align at metaphase plate. Which statement is correct?
  • Tidal volume is defined as which of the following?
  • Thermoreceptors respond to changes in what?
  • Totipotent stem cells are best described as cells that can differentiate into any type of specialised cells found in organisms of that species.
  • Which brain structure is primarily responsible for controlling fine motor skills?
  • Chyme is produced in which organ?
  • Which statement best describes crossing over?
  • Damage to the hypothalamus would most likely disrupt which functions?
  • In the GI tract order, which organ immediately follows the mouth?
  • Where does the Calvin cycle take place in plant chloroplasts?
  • Granulocytes include which of the following?
  • Which of the following is a typical virus component?
  • During atrial systole, what occurs?
  • Which type of immunity is produced by T cells that attack infected or abnormal body cells?
  • Why is a high surface area to volume ratio important in the respiratory system?
  • Where are fats absorbed and broken down in the body?
  • From which structure does the mitotic spindle arise?
  • Dorsal root ganglia contain sensory neuron cell bodies. Which statement best describes this?
  • Dendrites are branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information.
  • Which process adds substances to the tubular fluid from blood?
  • Which statement correctly describes an inducible operon?
  • Which statement about the citric acid cycle is true?
  • Function of the hypothalamus?
  • Prophase I features includes crossing over between homologues. Choose the accurate description.
  • Which statement best describes recombinant DNA technology?
  • In a hypertonic solution, what happens to a cell?
  • During the cardiac cycle, which condition marks the start of ventricular systole?
  • Which hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland to promote ovulation?
  • Which organ directly after the stomach in the GI tract order?
  • What is the correct order of the airflow pathway into the lungs?
  • What is the effect of histone deacetylation on chromatin structure and transcription?
  • In the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT), which substances are reabsorbed with water?
  • Ribosomes are responsible for
  • Which statement about meiosis is true?
  • What is the role of hydrogen bonds in DNA base pairing?
  • Which region of a sarcomere contains only thin filaments?
  • Endocytosis is best described as which kind of transport?
  • During inhalation, the diaphragm does what?
  • In the liver, glucagon promotes which process to increase blood glucose?
  • A unit of genetic function common in bacteria and phages, consisting of coordinately regulated clusters of genes with related functions.
  • Sympatric speciation is described as which of the following?
  • Which statement about the adrenal cortex is true?
  • Alternative splicing refers to splicing of introns in a pre-mRNA that occurs in different ways, leading to different mRNAs that code for different proteins.
  • What is the mitotic spindle?
  • What is described about the horizontal segments of the nephron?
  • What is the correct sequence for urine formation steps?
  • Meiosis creates genetic diversity by which mechanisms?
  • Anabolism refers to metabolic pathways that:
  • Reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) is a technique that uses reverse transcription to produce a DNA template from RNA.
  • Ribosomes function to:
  • Which best describes the function of sodium channels in neurons?
  • Temporal lobe is responsible for hearing and language.
  • How many bases form a codon that specifies an amino acid?
  • What is the shortest phase of mitosis?
  • Where are leukocytes produced?
  • Which genetic mechanism explains how variants of viral genomes differentiate and cause pandemics?
  • During which stage of mitosis do chromosomes become visible, the nuclear envelope dissolves, and the spindle forms?
  • Which molecules provide energy and reducing power for the Calvin cycle to convert CO2 into sugars?
  • Region of DNA that controls RNA polymerase's access to a set of genes with related functions.
  • What happens in the ascending loop of Henle?
  • What is a primary function of microfilaments?
  • Residual volume is defined as which of the following?
  • Photopigments are composed of opsin and which molecule?
  • Which features are typical of an effective gas exchange system?
  • Nodes of Ranvier contribute to conduction by which description?
  • All cells contain which of the following?
  • A homeostatic response includes
  • What is a replication fork?
  • Which statement about red blood cells is true?
  • Which function is typically associated with the right brain?
  • Which description applies to progesterone?
  • In the airway pathway, which structure directly precedes the alveoli?
  • Which cells form the myelin sheath in the CNS?
  • Which organelle modifies, sorts, and packages proteins for secretion?
  • T cells mature in the thymus and primarily function to:
  • How many hydrogen bonds form between guanine and cytosine?
  • A synapse is a tiny gap that separates the axon of one neuron, and the dendrite of another neuron.
  • Crossing over during meiosis increases genetic variation by exchanging segments between homologous chromosomes.
  • Which cellular organelle contains RNA but not DNA?
  • Which structure in the kidney collects urine after it has been processed through the renal tubules?
  • Which glial cells phagocytize bacterial cells and debris in the CNS?
  • Which hormone stimulates the release of cortisol by the adrenal cortex?
  • Reflex arcs are:
  • Which of the following is a set of sex hormones?
  • What are the semilunar valves?
  • Activation energy is defined as which of the following?
  • Which statement correctly describes the DNA backbone?
  • Which statement best contrasts diffusion and osmosis?
  • Posterior pituitary stores and releases hormones produced by the hypothalamus; it is controlled by neuronal signals from the hypothalamus.
  • What best defines the cardiac cycle?
  • What is an RNA primer in DNA replication?
  • Stem cells possess the ability to
  • Which structures are found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes?
  • What is the glomerulus in the nephron?
  • Is NAD+ an oxidizing agent or reducing agent?
  • Progesterone has three main functions. Which statement best describes one of these functions?
  • Which description matches the function of microtubules?
  • What is chromatin?
  • What is a macromolecule?
  • Which interaction commonly stabilizes a protein's tertiary structure by linking distant parts of the chain?
  • Which process yields gene flow?
  • Alternative splicing increases protein diversity by producing different proteins from the same gene.
  • Lytic cycle vs lysogenic: Lytic cycle produces virions until the host cell lyses; Lysogenic cycle integrates into the genome as provirus or prophage and remains dormant until stress activates it.
  • Myofibrils are what?
  • DNA strands are antiparallel. What does antiparallel mean?
  • Which statement about mature mammalian red blood cells is true?
  • Axon terminal is the endpoint of a neuron where neurotransmitters are stored.
  • Which organ is primarily involved in the breakdown and recycling of old red blood cells?
  • If a cell undergoes n rounds of mitotic divisions, how many cells are produced in total?
  • What describes the role of single-strand binding proteins?
  • Which hormone decreases blood calcium levels?
  • Which cytoskeletal element is a hollow tube that helps move materials around the cell?
  • Which RNA type forms the structural component of ribosomes?
  • Osmosis is defined as which process?
  • Compared to hemoglobin, myoglobin has a higher affinity for oxygen.
  • Which level of protein structure describes the assembly of two or more polypeptide subunits?
  • Which type of bond connects the backbone of DNA?
  • Competitive inhibitors are defined as which of the following?
  • Which valve opens to allow blood from the right ventricle into the pulmonary artery?
  • Which protein primarily transports oxygen in the bloodstream?
  • Thick filaments are composed of which protein?
  • Which cell type forms myelin sheath in the CNS?
  • Which organelle is primarily responsible for energy production in the cell?
  • Proteins are digested in which organ?
  • Which function is typically associated with the left brain?
  • Transcription factors are proteins that regulate the transcription of genes.
  • Genetic variation refers to differences among individuals in the composition of their genes or other DNA segments.
  • Humoral immunity is described as which of the following?
  • What happens during ventricular systole?
  • Positive feedback?
  • Which hormone maintains the uterine lining, inhibits FSH/LH production, and inhibits uterine contractions?
  • Viral envelopes are typically derived from which structure of the host cell?
  • Which statement best describes aldosterone's effect?
  • During skeletal muscle contraction, which sarcomeric region changes length the most?
  • Histone modification that loosens chromatin structure and enhances transcription is histone acetylation.
  • Which DNA element serves as the binding site for RNA polymerase to initiate transcription in bacteria?
  • Progesterone has what effect on FSH release?
  • Cyclins and CDKs are what?
  • Facilitated diffusion involves what mechanism?
  • Which term describes arterial pressure that remains between heart contractions?
  • Where does filtration occur in the nephron?
  • What term describes DNA formed by combining constituents from different organisms?
  • Which pigment in chloroplasts is primarily responsible for absorbing light during photosynthesis?
  • Under aerobic conditions, which stage of cellular respiration yields the most ATP?
  • What term describes the three-dimensional shape of a single polypeptide chain?
  • In humans, how many chromosomes are typically found in a haploid gamete?
  • Entropy is defined as:
  • Mitosis is what type of reproduction?
  • Which statement about cartilage is accurate?
  • Posterior pituitary gland?
  • Where are proteins synthesized in the cell?
  • Osmoregulation refers to:
  • If blood volume is low and osmolarity is high (dehydration), what happens to urine?
  • Estrogen is described as which of the following?
  • How is diffusion defined?
  • Autocrine?
  • When do the semilunar valves open?
  • Meiosis results in haploid gametes and introduces genetic variation.
  • Endocytosis is an example of which transport mechanism?
  • During anaphase, sister chromatids separate to move to opposite poles of the cell.
Subscribe

Get the latest from Examzify

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy