MCAT® Science Topic Outline

Modeled after the subject areas outlined by the AAMC® for the MCAT® exam.

How to Use This MCAT® Science Topic Outline

This outline includes subjects you may encounter on exam day for the MCAT® exam, as written in the AAMC’s® official outline, as well as expanded upon to better support your understanding. The order has been intentionally reorganized to aid learning, and links are provided to help you connect related content across disciplines.

Disclaimer: This resource is not affiliated with or endorsed by the AAMC®. MCAT® is a registered trademark of the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Biological and Biochemical Systems on the MCAT®

The Biological and Biochemical Foundations section of the MCAT®—commonly known as the B/B section—tests your knowledge of cell biology, systems biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, and how these systems work together. This part of the exam emphasizes foundational principles in biological sciences and their connection to chemical processes essential for life.

Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems on the MCAT®

The Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section of the MCAT®——also known as the C/P section—assesses your understanding of general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and physics. Often this section of the exam focuses on how physical principles and chemical processes drive biological functions, such as enzyme activity, fluid dynamics, and molecular interactions.

Psychological, Social, and Biological Behavior on the MCAT®

This section of the exam—the The Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section of the MCAT®——referred to as the P/S section—tests your ability to apply concepts from psychology, sociology, and biology to understand behavior and mental processes. This part of the exam emphasizes how cultural, social, and biological factors influence health, decision-making, perception, and human development.

This outline is designed to help you study biochemistry in a way that reflects how the MCAT® actually tests your knowledge—by integrating it with general and organic chemistry, biology, and physics. We begin with biologically important molecules (Part 1) and move into metabolism (Part 2). Throughout this outline, we indicate where a given topic intersects with content from other sciences. This will help you understand where to review if you feel unsure about the physical principles or chemical mechanisms behind a biological concept.

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, featuring unique structural and chemical properties that determine protein function. Understanding their chemistry is essential for biochemical processes.

• α-carbon configuration (typically L)
• zwitterionic nature in physiological pH

• Acidic or basic
• Hydrophilic or hydrophobic

• pKa values of side chains
• buffering behavior
• isoelectric point (pI)

Chemical reactions of amino acids include bond formation and cleavage mechanisms critical for protein synthesis and metabolism.

• Disulfide bond formation: cysteine → cystine
• oxidation reactions
• Peptide bond formation: condensation reaction
• amide linkage
• Peptide bond hydrolysis
• acid/base catalysis
• enzymatic mechanisms

Protein structure hierarchy from primary sequence to quaternary assemblies determines biological function and activity.

• Bond type: amide linkage between amino acids
• Cleavage: enzymatic methods
• hydrolytic methods

• Primary: sequence of amino acids
• Secondary: α-helices, β-sheets
• role of H-bonding
• Tertiary: 3D folding
• role of proline
• disulfide bridges
• hydrophobic interactions
• Quaternary: multimeric structure and subunit interaction

• Stabilizing forces: hydrophobic collapse, hydrogen bonding, van der Waals, ionic interactions
• Linked to: General Chemistry – Entropy and thermodynamic stability

Enzymes are biological catalysts that facilitate biochemical reactions through specific mechanisms and regulatory controls.

• Biological role: Catalysts that lower activation energy
• Enzyme Types: Classified by reaction type (e.g., oxidoreductases, hydrolases, isomerases)

• Specificity and complementarity
• Active site interaction models: Lock-and-Key
• vs. Induced Fit

• Transition state stabilization
• Participation of cofactors and coenzymes (metal ions, vitamins)
• Involvement of water molecules in acid/base catalysis
• Environmental Factors: Effect of pH, temperature on activity

Enzyme activity is precisely controlled through multiple mechanisms including kinetics, inhibition, and allosteric regulation.

• Michaelis–Menten parameters (Km, Vmax)
• Catalytic efficiency
• Cooperativity (e.g., hemoglobin as a model)

• Competitive
• Non-competitive
• Uncompetitive
• Mixed inhibition

• Allosteric enzymes
• Covalent modification (e.g., phosphorylation)
• Zymogens and proteolytic activation

• Negative and positive feedback loops in metabolic regulation

Many proteins function beyond catalysis, serving critical roles in transport, defense, and cellular movement.

• Binding Proteins: Oxygen transport (e.g., hemoglobin)
• Immune Proteins: Antibody structure and function
• Motor Proteins: Myosin, kinesin, dynein for cellular transport

• Electrophoresis: SDS-PAGE, isoelectric focusing for size and charge separation
• Chromatography: Affinity, ion-exchange, size-exclusion methods
• Protein quantification and activity assays

Linked to: OC – Aldehydes and Ketones

For the B/B and C/P sections of the MCAT® exam

This section covers carbohydrate structure, stereochemistry, and reactions. These topics integrate organic chemistry principles with biochemical applications as tested on the MCAT®.

• Structure and functional groups (aldehyde or ketone, hydroxyls)
• Stereochemistry:
  • Determination of absolute configuration at chiral centers
  • Classification as D- or L- isomers
• Tautomerism: Keto-enol equilibrium and relevance to ring formation
• Classification and naming conventions: trioses, tetroses, pentoses, hexoses
• Common biological monosaccharides (e.g., glucose, fructose, galactose)

• Cyclization of hexoses to form pyranose and furanose rings
• Preferred conformations of rings (e.g., chair vs. boat forms)
• Anomers: α and β forms based on anomeric carbon orientation
• Epimers: Diastereomers that differ at only one chiral center
• Structural isomerism in carbohydrate molecules

• Structure and formation of disaccharides (e.g., maltose, lactose, sucrose)
• Types of glycosidic linkages (α vs. β, 1→4, 1→6, etc.)
• Branching patterns in polysaccharides:
  • Amylose (linear), amylopectin and glycogen (branched)
• Biological roles of polysaccharides: energy storage and structural support (e.g., starch, cellulose, glycogen)

• Acid-catalyzed and enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis mechanisms
• Role of specific enzymes (e.g., amylase, maltase, lactase)
• Relevance to digestion and metabolism

Lipids are diverse biomolecules with essential roles in energy storage, membrane structure, and cellular signaling. Understanding their structural features and biological functions is crucial for biochemistry and organic chemistry.

• General overview and structural features

• Triacylglycerols as long-term energy reserves
• Free fatty acids, including their breakdown via saponification

• Membrane components such as phospholipids and phosphatidyl derivatives
• Sphingolipids (BC), essential in neural and cellular membranes
• Waxes as long-chain esters with protective functions

• Biologically active molecules such as fat-soluble vitamins
• Steroid hormones and cholesterol
• Prostaglandins (BC), involved in local signaling and inflammation

• Structural and functional properties of steroids
• Terpenes and terpenoids as biosynthetic precursors and signaling compounds

Learn more about it in: OC (acid derivatives), Biology (cell membranes)

• Nucleotides and nucleosides
• DNA and RNA structures, base pairing
• Polymerization and hydrogen bonding
• Linked to: GC (hydrogen bonding)

Grouped together to reflect how the MCAT® tests interconnected energy transformations, enzymatic pathways, and regulation. Metabolism integrates biochemistry, general chemistry, physics, and biology.

• ΔG, Keq, spontaneity
• Coupled reactions and ATP hydrolysis
• Electron carriers (NADH, FADH₂, ubiquinone)
• Redox reactions
• Linked to: GC (thermodynamics, electrochemistry)

• Glycolytic steps, energy yield
• Fermentation vs. aerobic respiration
• Gluconeogenesis bypasses
• Regulation: allosteric, hormonal
• Linked to: enzyme regulation, signaling

• Acetyl-CoA entry, steps, regulation
• NADH/FADH₂/GTP yield

• ETC complexes I–IV
• Chemiosmosis, ATP synthase
• Linked to: Physics (electrochemical gradients), GC (redox chemistry)

• Glycogen metabolism
• β-oxidation and ketone bodies
• Protein catabolism and urea cycle
• Non-template biosynthesis of lipids/polysaccharides

• Hormonal control: insulin, glucagon, epinephrine
• Tissue-specific metabolic roles
• Fed vs. fasting vs. starvation
• Linked to: Biology (Endocrine system)

This section reflects how general chemistry is tested on the MCAT®: integrated with biochemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. Topics include atomic and electronic structure, bonding, molecular interactions, chemical reactions, and energy. Whenever applicable, content is cross-referenced with biochemistry or biology.

In this part, you explore the fundamental components of the atom and the principles that govern their behavior, including isotopes, nuclear stability, and radioactive decay. You also begin to understand how atomic structure influences periodic trends in the periodic table.

• Introduction to the atom, atomic number and atomic weight
• Protons, neutrons, isotopes

• Nuclear forces, binding energy
• Mass spectrometer

• Types of radioactive decay: alpha (α), beta (β), gamma (γ)
• Half-life, exponential decay, semi-log plots

This section focuses on how electrons are arranged in atoms, the rules governing their configurations, and how these structures relate to atomic behavior, light absorption, and quantum theory.

• Orbital structure of the hydrogen atom, quantum numbers
• Maximum number of electrons per orbital
• Pauli Exclusion Principle

• Electronic ground state, excited state, energy level transitions
• Absorption and emission line spectra

• Bohr model of the atom
• Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
• Photoelectric effect, effective nuclear charge
• Paramagnetism, diamagnetism

Here, you examine how the periodic table is structured and how electron configurations give rise to trends in reactivity, size, and ionization energy.

• Alkali metals, alkaline earth metals
• Halogens, noble gases
• Transition metals, representative elements
• Metals, nonmetals, oxygen group

• Valence electrons
• Electron shells
• Electron configurations

• First and second ionization energy
• Electron affinity
• Electronegativity
• Atomic and ionic radii

This part introduces the ways atoms bond to form molecules, how molecular shape is determined, and how bond properties affect molecular stability and reactivity.

• Lewis electron dot formulas, resonance structures, formal charge
• Lewis acids and bases
• Bond polarity, dipole moment

• Hybrid orbitals (sp³, sp², sp)
• Molecular shape and geometry from VSEPR theory
• Sigma and pi bonds
• Structural formulas for molecules containing H, C, N, O, F, S, P, Si, and Cl

• Single, double, and triple bonding
• Bond length, bond energy
• Rigidity of molecular structure

• Hydrogen bonding
• Dipole–dipole interactions
• London dispersion forces

• Physical properties and gas laws: Ideal Gas Law (PV = nRT), Boyle’s Law, Charles’ Law, Avogadro’s Law
• Kinetic molecular theory of gases, heat capacity, Boltzmann’s constant
• Real gas behavior, van der Waals equation
• Gas mixtures, partial pressure, mole fraction, Dalton’s Law

• Solubility equilibria, solubility product constant (Ksp)
• Common ion effect, complex ion formation, effect of pH and complex ions on solubility
• Ions and hydration in solution, common anions and cations

In this section, you calculate relationships between reactants and products in chemical reactions, understand limiting reagents and yields, and apply concepts like molarity and density.

• Description and balancing of chemical equations; identification of reaction types, including redox reactions
• Empirical and molecular formulas; percent composition by mass
• Moles, Avogadro’s number, molar mass, number of particles
• Limiting reagent, theoretical yield, and percent yield
• Definition and calculation of density
• Units of concentration such as molarity

You explore the behavior of acids and bases in aqueous solutions, their strength and dissociation, and how they interact in buffer systems and titrations.

• Brønsted–Lowry definitions of acids and bases
• Ionization of water (Kw = [H⁺][OH⁻] = 10⁻¹⁴ at 25°C), pH of pure water
• Conjugate acids and bases (e.g., NH₄⁺ and NH₃)
• Strong acids and bases (e.g., nitric acid, sulfuric acid)
• Weak acids and bases (e.g., acetic acid, benzoic acid)

• Dissociation of weak acids and bases with or without added salt
• Hydrolysis of salts of weak acids or bases
• Ka, Kb, pKa, pKb
• Calculation of pH of salt solutions

• Definition of buffers, common buffer systems
• Buffer behavior in titration
• Acid–base indicators
• Interpretation of titration curves
• Neutralization reactions

This section helps you understand how energy changes drive chemical processes, how reactions proceed over time, and how equilibrium is established.

• System and surroundings; thermodynamic state functions
• Zeroth Law (temperature), First Law (conservation of energy), Second Law (entropy)
• Heat capacity, specific heat, calorimetry, measurement of heat changes
• Coefficient of thermal expansion

• Enthalpy (H), endothermic and exothermic processes, standard heats of reaction and formation, Hess’s Law
• Bond dissociation energy
• Entropy as a measure of disorder, relative entropy of phases (gas > liquid > solid)
• Gibbs free energy (ΔG), spontaneity, relationship between ΔG° and Keq

• Phase transitions (heat of fusion and vaporization)
• Phase diagrams relating pressure and temperature
• PV diagrams and calculation of work done during gas expansion or compression

• Rate laws, rate constants, reaction order
• Rate-determining steps
• Temperature dependence of reaction rate, activation energy (Ea), enthalpy change (ΔH), transition state theory, and the Arrhenius equation

• Catalytic mechanisms
• Distinction between kinetic and thermodynamic control
• Reversible reactions, Law of Mass Action, equilibrium constant (Keq), Le Châtelier’s Principle
• Relationship between Keq and ΔG°

• Electron flow and oxidation–reduction reactions
• Assigning oxidation numbers, balancing redox equations
• Disproportionation reactions

• Galvanic (voltaic) cells: half-reactions, direction of spontaneous electron flow, standard reduction potentials, and cell potential
• Electrolytic cells: non-spontaneous redox, anode and cathode reactions, and application of Faraday’s Law of Electrolysis

• Concentration cells and electromotive force (EMF) calculation
• Commercial electrochemical devices including lead–acid and nickel–cadmium batteries

• Electrical current (I = ΔQ/Δt), voltage, resistance, Ohm’s Law (V = IR), resistivity (ρ = R•A/L)
• Comparison of metallic and electrolytic conductivity
• Measurement tools such as voltmeters and ammeters

On the MCAT®, organic chemistry is not tested in isolation. Instead, organic principles are woven into the context of biological systems, biochemical pathways, and molecular interactions that are foundational to living organisms. The exam emphasizes application and integration—how organic chemistry intersects with general chemistry, biochemistry, and physics. You’ll be expected to analyze reaction mechanisms, interpret spectroscopic data, and understand molecular behavior in biological contexts. This outline presents organic chemistry the way the MCAT® does: by connecting structure to function, and mechanisms to biological relevance.

Here we focus on how organic molecules are represented, named, and evaluated for electronic and geometric stability.

• Line drawings
• Hybridization (sp³, sp², sp)
• Resonance
• Inductive effects

• Alkanes, alcohols, functional groups

• Biological aromatic heterocycles

This section introduces oxidation and reduction of organic compounds, with emphasis on reactions relevant to biological and laboratory contexts.

• Nomenclature of aldehydes and ketones follows IUPAC rules, with aldehydes typically ending in “-al” and ketones in “-one”

• Physical properties include polarity due to the carbonyl group, higher boiling points than alkanes, and solubility influenced by molecular size and hydrogen bonding

Nucleophilic Addition to the Carbonyl (C=O) Group

• Reactions proceed via attack of a nucleophile on the electrophilic carbon of the carbonyl group
• – Acetal and hemiacetal formation from aldehydes or ketones and alcohols
• – Imine and enamine formation through reaction with primary or secondary amines
• – Hydride addition via reagents such as NaBH₄ and LiAlH₄ reduces carbonyls to alcohols
• – Cyanohydrin formation by nucleophilic attack of CN⁻

• Aldehydes are readily oxidized to carboxylic acids using oxidizing agents like KMnO₄, CrO₃, or Ag⁺ (Tollens’ test)

• Keto–enol tautomerism involves equilibrium between a carbonyl compound and its enol form; leads to α-racemization
• Aldol condensation occurs between two carbonyl compounds via enolate formation, resulting in β-hydroxy carbonyls or α,β-unsaturated carbonyls
• Retro-aldol reaction is the reverse, cleaving a carbon–carbon bond between the α- and β-carbons
• Kinetic vs. thermodynamic enolates refer to regioisomeric products favored under different conditions (irreversible/low temp vs. reversible/high temp)

• Reactivity of the carbonyl group is influenced by electron-donating or withdrawing substituents, and steric hindrance can reduce reactivity
• Acidity of α-hydrogens allows for enolate formation; resulting carbanions are stabilized by resonance with the carbonyl group

This section covers alcohols and phenols, their properties and reactions.

• Nomenclature and structure
• Physical and chemical properties

• Synthesis and substitution SN1 and SN2
• Oxidation and reduction
• Formation of mesylates/tosylates

• Oxidation and reduction
• Hydroquinones and ubiquinones as biological 2-electron redox centers

You learn about the structure, reactivity, and interconversion of carboxylic acids and their derivatives in organic and biological settings.

• Nomenclature and structure
• Physical and chemical properties

• Formation of acid derivatives: amides, lactones, esters, anhydrides
• Reduction
• Decarboxylation
• Reactions at 2-position/substitution

• Nomenclature and physical properties
• Nucleophilic substitution
• Transesterification
• Hydrolysis of amides

• Relative reactivity
• Steric and electronic effects
• Strain (e.g., β-lactams)

• Probes intramolecular vibrations and rotations within covalent bonds
• Common functional groups display characteristic absorption frequencies
• Includes the fingerprint region, which is unique to each compound

• Molecules that absorb light in the visible range appear as the complementary color (e.g., carotene appears orange by absorbing blue light)
• Structural changes (such as pH-induced shifts in indicators) can alter visible absorption

• Involves π-electron and non-bonding (n) electron transitions to higher energy levels
• Conjugated systems exhibit lower-energy (longer-wavelength) absorptions due to delocalization

• Detects hydrogen nuclei (protons) in a magnetic field
• Chemically equivalent protons produce the same signal
• Spin–spin splitting results from magnetic coupling with neighboring protons

• Relies on the distribution of solute between two immiscible solvents based on differential solubility

• Used to separate liquids based on differences in boiling points

• General principle: separation based on differential affinity for stationary vs. mobile phases
• Includes several methods:
• Column chromatography (Gas–liquid chromatography (GC), High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC))
• Paper chromatography (Thin-layer chromatography (TLC))

• Electrophoresis separates molecules based on charge and size
• Quantitative analysis for concentration or identity
• Specialized chromatographic methods:
• – Size-exclusion chromatography
• – Ion-exchange chromatography
• – Affinity chromatography

• Techniques for separating enantiomers in racemic mixtures, such as use of chiral agents or resolution methods

On the MCAT®, biology is not tested in isolation. Instead, biological principles are woven into the context of systems, molecules, and processes that are foundational to human life and health. The exam emphasizes application and integration—how biology intersects with general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and physics. You’ll be expected to analyze experimental setups, interpret graphs and data, and understand biological mechanisms in physiological, cellular, and molecular contexts. This outline presents biology the way the MCAT® does: by connecting structure to function, and principles to application.

This section covers two essential aspects of biological communication and cellular regulation for the B/B section of the MCAT®. Hormones act as chemical messengers that travel through the bloodstream to coordinate physiology across organ systems, while plasma membranes mediate the interface between a cell and its environment. Together, these topics form the foundation for understanding signal transduction, cellular transport, and systemic homeostasis.

• How hormones reach target tissues via circulation
• Hormone specificity and receptor interactions
• Integration with the nervous system: feedback loops and control centers
• Cell-level effects of hormones: activation of signal transduction pathways
• Second messengers: cAMP, IP3, calcium
• Endocrine tissue structure and function overview
• Types of hormones: peptide, steroid, amino acid-derived
• Linked to: Nervous system communication and feedback mechanisms

• Overall role of membranes in defining cell boundaries and compartmentalization
• Lipid composition: phospholipids, cholesterol (steroid structure), glycolipids, waxes
• (Linked to: Organic Chemistry – Lipids and Acid Derivatives)
• Protein functions: channels, transporters, receptors, and anchoring structures
• Fluid mosaic model: lateral movement, asymmetry, membrane dynamics
• Passive transport: diffusion and facilitated diffusion
• Active transport: ATP-driven pumps (e.g., Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase), secondary active transport
• Osmosis and osmotic pressure (colligative properties)
• (Linked to: General Chemistry – Solutions and Thermodynamics)
• Establishing membrane potential and electrical gradients
• Endocytosis and exocytosis: vesicular transport
• Cell-cell junctions:
• Gap junctions (direct cytoplasmic exchange)
• Tight junctions (barrier to diffusion)
• Desmosomes (mechanical strength between cells)
• (Linked to: Tissue-level cell communication – Biology)

These systems are grouped due to their complementary roles in gas exchange, oxygen delivery, and maintaining blood homeostasis.

• Gas exchange, thermoregulation, and protection
• Lung and alveoli anatomy, breathing mechanics
• Diffusion and Henry’s Law
• Neural and chemical regulation

• Heart anatomy, systolic/diastolic pressure
• Pulmonary/systemic circulation, capillary beds
• Blood components and gas transport
• Nervous and endocrine regulation

Grouped for their coordinated role in nutrient absorption, waste elimination, and metabolic homeostasis.

• Upper/lower GI anatomy and accessory organs (liver, pancreas)
• Enzyme production, nutrient absorption, acid neutralization
• Regulation: nervous, endocrine, muscular

• Kidney and nephron structure
• Urine formation and elimination
• Blood pressure, osmoregulation, nitrogenous waste management

This section explores the architecture and operation of the nervous system, which integrates body-wide responses and adapts to external stimuli. You’ll examine its organization, cellular components, signal propagation, and interactions with other systems like the endocrine system.

• Primary functions: coordinating complex behaviors, processing information, regulating bodily functions
• Central vs. peripheral nervous system
• Somatic vs. autonomic divisions
• Sensor and effector neurons: input and output roles
• Reflex arcs and local neural circuits (spinal cord involvement)
• Feedback loop, reflex arc
• Role of spinal cord and supraspinal circuits
• Sympathetic and parasympathetic systems: opposing effects on organs
• Role of the nervous system in feedback loops with endocrine control

• Neuron structure: soma, dendrites, axon
• Dendrites: branched extensions of cell body
• Axon: structure and function
• Myelination by Schwann cells and oligodendrocytes
• Saltatory conduction: role of Nodes of Ranvier
• Types of glial cells: astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes, ependymal cells

• Resting membrane potential: ion distribution and membrane permeability
• Action potentials: depolarization, repolarization, and threshold behavior
• Threshold, all-or-none
• Sodium/potassium pump
• Sodium-potassium pump and voltage-gated channels
• Excitatory and inhibitory signals: summation and frequency modulation
• Chemical synapses: neurotransmitter release and binding
• Synaptic integration and plasticity

Muscles and bones allow for voluntary movement, posture, and metabolic regulation through contraction and remodeling.

• Skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscle function and contraction
• Neuromuscular junctions and regulation

• Bone structure, calcium storage, joint function
• Connective tissues: ligaments, tendons

These systems collectively defend the body and maintain fluid, temperature, and barrier homeostasis.

• Lymphatic structure and functions: fluid balance, transport, lymphocyte production
• Innate immunity: macrophages, phagocytes
• Adaptive immunity: T-lymphocytes, B-lymphocytes
• Antigen/antibody interactions, MHC, autoimmunity

• Thermoregulation, physical protection, water impermeability
• Hormonal and vascular regulation

This section explores how new cells and organisms are formed—beginning with gamete formation and continuing through early development and cellular reproduction. Understanding these systems is essential for interpreting embryological changes, cancer biology, and cell regulation pathways tested on the B/B section of the MCAT®.

• Production of gametes (spermatogenesis and oogenesis) via meiosis
• Structural and functional differences between sperm and eggs
• Unequal contribution of maternal and paternal gametes to the zygote
• Sequence of events: fertilization, zygote formation, implantation

• Developmental stages: cleavage, morula, blastula, gastrulation
• Primary germ layer formation: ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm
• Neural tube development and neurulation
• Derivatives of germ layers
• Environmental influences on gene expression during development
• Migration of neural crest cells

• Cellular fate: determination and differentiation
• Role of paracrine and juxtacrine signals in development
• Stem cell pluripotency and regenerative potential
• Programmed cell death (apoptosis) and its role in shaping organs
• Tissue types and differentiation pathways
• Mechanisms of cell migration during embryogenesis
• Gene expression control during development
• Mechanisms of aging and cellular senescence
• Stem cells

• Interphase (G1, S, G2 phases) and M phase overview
• Regulation checkpoints and cyclins/CDKs
• Abnormal proliferation: loss of cycle regulation in cancer cells
• Mitotic stages: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase
• Key structures: spindle fibers, kinetochores, centrioles
• Chromosome dynamics and nuclear envelope changes
• Growth arrest
• Oncogenes, apoptosis

This section addresses how traits are inherited, how variation arises during sexual reproduction, and how genetic mutations and chromosomal mechanisms shape biology. You’ll explore both classical Mendelian patterns and more complex inheritance modes tested on the B/B section of the MCAT®.

• Definitions: gene, allele, locus, genotype vs. phenotype
• Genetic dominance: complete dominance, incomplete dominance, codominance
• Heterozygous and homozygous conditions
• Multiple alleles and genetic variability
• Wild-type vs. mutant alleles
• Penetrance and expressivity
• Hybrid organisms and their reproductive viability
• Recessiveness
• Gene pool

• How meiosis introduces diversity: independent assortment, segregation
• Key differences between mitosis and meiosis
• Role of crossing over in generating new allele combinations
• Structures involved in recombination: tetrads, synaptonemal complex
• Single and double crossover events
• Independent assortment
• Linkage
• Recombination
• Single crossovers
• Double crossovers
• Synaptonemal complex
• Tetrad
• Sex-linked characteristics
• Very few genes on Y chromosome
• Sex determination mechanisms
• Cytoplasmic/extranuclear inheritance patterns
• Significance of meiosis
• Synapsis or crossing-over mechanism for increasing genetic diversity

• Mutations as changes in DNA sequence: causes and classifications
• General concept of mutation — error in DNA sequence
• Types of mutations: random, translation error, transcription error, base substitution, inversion, addition, deletion, translocation, mispairing
• Advantageous vs. deleterious mutation
• Inborn errors of metabolism
• Relationship of mutagens to carcinogens

• Non-Mendelian patterns of inheritance
• Linkage and gene mapping
• Genetic drift and its impact on allele frequency in small populations
• Crossing over and recombination frequency as tools to map genes
• Founder effect and bottleneck events as sources of genetic shift
• Hardy–Weinberg Principle
• Testcross (Backcross; concepts of parental, F1, and F2 generations)
• Biometry: statistical methods

• Natural selection
• Fitness concept
• Selection by differential reproduction
• Concepts of natural and group selection
• Evolutionary success as increase in percent representation in the gene pool of the next generation
• Speciation
• Polymorphism
• Adaptation and specialization
• Inbreeding
• Outbreeding
• Bottlenecks
• Evolutionary time as measured by gradual random changes in genome

This section focuses on how genetic information stored in DNA is expressed through transcription and translation, and how cells regulate gene activity. It also covers biotechnology tools used to study and manipulate genes—core content for the B/B section of the MCAT®.

• Components of nucleotides and nucleosides
• Molecular features of purines and pyrimidines
• DNA structure: antiparallel strands, hydrogen bonding, double helix stability
• Double helix Watson-Crick model
• Base pairing specificity: A with T, G with C
• RNA structure and chemical differences from DNA
• Roles of DNA and RNA in storing and transferring information
• DNA melting, hybridization, and reannealing behavior

• Semi-conservative nature of DNA replication
• Key enzymes: helicase, primase, DNA polymerases, ligase, topoisomerase
• Origins of replication and bidirectional replication in eukaryotes
• Leading vs. lagging strand synthesis
• Telomeres and challenges replicating chromosome ends
• Mechanisms for correcting replication errors
• Mismatch repair and nucleotide excision repair

• Central dogma: DNA → RNA → protein
• Triplet codon system and its redundancy
• Start and stop codons, wobble base pairing
• mRNA roles and codon-anticodon interactions
• Transcription process: initiation, elongation, termination
• Enzymes involved: RNA polymerases and transcription factors
• Roles of mRNA, rRNA, and tRNA in protein synthesis

• Ribosome function and structure
• Translating mRNA into polypeptides
• Role of tRNAs in decoding the message
• Initiation, elongation, termination
• Polyribosomes
• Post-translational modifications (e.g., folding, cleavage, phosphorylation)
• Targeting proteins to specific cellular compartments

• Packaging of DNA with histones
• Euchromatin vs. heterochromatin
• Supercoiling and topological changes
• Specialized DNA elements: centromeres, telomeres
• Single-copy vs. repetitive DNA sequences

• Operons and transcriptional regulation in bacteria (e.g., lac operon)
• Negative and positive gene regulation mechanisms
• Transcription factor binding and enhancer regions in eukaryotes
• Cancer as a failure of normal cellular controls
• DNA binding proteins, transcription factors
• Epigenetic regulation: DNA methylation, histone modification
• RNA splicing (introns and exons) and RNA stability
• Oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and cancer biology
• Non-coding RNAs and their regulatory roles

• Recombinant DNA techniques and cloning strategies
• Restriction enzymes and creation of recombinant plasmids
• Use of DNA libraries and cDNA generation
• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and quantitative PCR
• Gel electrophoresis, Southern/Northern blotting
• DNA sequencing and CRISPR technologies
• Gene function analysis via knockouts/knockdowns
• Determining gene function
• Applications: gene therapy, diagnostic testing, biotechnology in agriculture and medicine
• Ethical and safety considerations in genetic engineering

For the B/B section of the exam This section covers foundational knowledge in cell biology, including historical concepts, cellular diversity across domains of life, and the structural distinctions between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. It also introduces viruses and their replication cycles, as well as the internal systems of eukaryotic cells.

• Development of modern cell theory and its core principles
• Fundamental distinctions between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
• Implications of cell theory in modern biology

• Domains Bacteria and Archaea: major differences
• Common bacterial shapes: rods, spirals, and spheres
• Bacilli (rod-shaped)
• Spirilli (spiral-shaped)
• Cocci (spherical)
• Absence of a defined nucleus or membrane-bound organelles
• Presence of a rigid cell wall and basic internal organization
• Cell wall structure
• Mechanism of bacterial movement via flagella

• Binary fission as a mode of asexual reproduction
• Growth curve phases and adaptation to oxygen availability
• Aerobic and anaerobic variants
• Symbiotic, pathogenic, and mutualistic interactions
• Genetic flexibility and rapid adaptability
• Chemotaxis

• Plasmids and horizontal gene transfer
• Mechanisms of genetic change:
• Transformation
• Transduction
• Conjugation
• Role of mobile genetic elements such as transposons

• Basic viral architecture: genetic material enclosed in protein shells
• DNA vs. RNA genomes; single-stranded vs. double-stranded
• Presence or absence of a lipid envelope
• Lack of organelles and nucleus
• Structural aspects of typical bacteriophage
• Relative size and simplicity compared to living cells

• Dependence on host cells for reproduction
• General steps: attachment, entry, replication, assembly, release
• Attachment to host, penetration of cell membrane or cell wall, and entry of viral genetic material
• Use of host synthetic mechanism to replicate viral components
• Self-assembly and release of new viral particles
• Life cycles of phages and animal viruses
• Retroviruses: reverse transcription and genome integration (e.g., HIV)
• Gene transfer via viral vectors (transduction)
• Prions: misfolded proteins affecting neural tissues
• Viroids: pathogenic RNA molecules in plants

• Distinction of eukaryotic cells via presence of internal compartments
• Nucleus as the genetic command center
• Compartmentalization, storage of genetic information
• Nucleolus: location and function
• Nuclear envelope, nuclear pores
• Rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum in protein and lipid production
• Rough and smooth components
• Rough endoplasmic reticulum site of ribosomes
• Double membrane structure
• Role in membrane biosynthesis
• Role in biosynthesis of secreted proteins
• Golgi apparatus for sorting and modifying macromolecules
• Vesicular bodies:
• Lysosomes for degradation
• Peroxisomes for detoxification
• Mitochondria as ATP-producing centers with dual membranes and their own DNA
• Site of ATP production
• Inner and outer membrane structure
• Self-replication
• Role of membranes in intracellular compartmentalization and metabolic regulation

• Cytoskeleton as the structural framework for shape, transport, and movement
• Microfilaments: actin-based structures for contractility and motility
• Microtubules: tubular elements supporting organelle movement and mitotic spindle formation
• Intermediate filaments: tension-bearing elements in structural stability
• Roles of cilia and flagella in motility (e.g., epithelial lining, sperm cells)
• Centrioles and microtubule-organizing centers in cell division coordination

The physics section of the MCAT® doesn’t test your ability to memorize formulas—it tests whether you can apply core physical principles in biological and chemical contexts. As such, each chapter integrates mathematical thinking, reasoning through systems, and understanding how forces and energy affect living systems. Physics connects to everything from blood flow and nerve signaling to visual processing and biochemical reactions.

Algebra is a requirement on this exam, and understanding basic geometry—such as trigonometric functions, unit conversions, and vector addition—is essential. Consequently, we begin by reviewing how math is tested in physics and what foundational tools you’ll need to reason through MCAT®-style questions.

• Units and dimensions used in MCAT® physics
• Vectors: graphical representation, components, and mathematical operations
• Vector addition and use of algebra to rearrange formulas and isolate variables

We now turn to how objects move, why they move, and when they stop moving. This part lays the groundwork for everything from biomechanics to fluid systems. Motion, force, and balance form the basis of nearly every system the MCAT® tests.

• Motion along straight or curved paths (without rotation)
• Speed, velocity (average and instantaneous), and acceleration
• Acceleration: relationships between position, time, and rate of change

• Newton’s First Law: inertia and constant velocity
• Newton’s Second Law: F = ma
• Newton’s Third Law: action–reaction forces
• Friction (static and kinetic), tension, and gravity
• Center of mass and distribution of weight

• Conditions for translational and rotational equilibrium
• Balancing forces and torques, lever arms
• Vector analysis of forces acting on a point object and their applications to static systems
• Vector diagrams to assess net force and torque

This section explores how energy is transferred, stored, and conserved. Understanding energy is central to biology and biochemistry—think ATP hydrolysis, muscle contraction, and metabolic reactions.

• Definition of work (W = Fd cosθ)
• Mechanical advantage and efficiency
• Work-Energy Theorem: change in kinetic energy from net work
• Conservative vs. non-conservative forces (e.g., gravity vs. friction)

• Kinetic energy (KE = ½mv²)
• Gravitational and elastic potential energy (mgh, ½kx²)
• Power as rate of doing work (P = W/t)
• Law of conservation of energy: energy cannot be created or destroyed

• Simple harmonic motion: amplitude, frequency, phase
• Types of waves: transverse vs. longitudinal
• Wave properties: wavelength, propagation speed, oscillation direction
• Oscillating systems in the body (e.g., vocal cords, ear drums)

Fluids are tested both as static systems (unchanging) and dynamic systems (flowing). On the MCAT®, these concepts are crucial for understanding biomedical processes like blood flow, respiratory pressure, and organ filtration. Static fluids help us understand pressure and buoyancy; dynamic fluids explain real-time flow, viscosity, and turbulence.

• Density and specific gravity
• Buoyancy and Archimedes’ Principle
• Hydrostatic pressure, Pascal’s Law: P = ρgh
• Surface tension and capillary action

• Viscosity and Poiseuille’s Law
• Continuity equation (A₁v₁ = A₂v₂)
• Bernoulli’s Principle: pressure–velocity trade-off
• Venturi effect and pitot tubes
• Concept of turbulence at high velocities

• Charge properties and conservation
• Electric fields and electric potential
• Coulomb’s Law
• Electrostatic energy and field lines
• Insulators vs. conductors

• Current (I = ΔQ/Δt), voltage, and resistance
• Ohm’s Law (V = IR)
• Series vs. parallel resistors and capacitors
• Capacitance: storage and energy (E = ½CV²)
• Conductivity: metallic and electrolytic
• Meters: ammeter, voltmeter

• Magnetic field (B) and directionality
• Lorentz Force (F = qvB sinθ)
• Charged particles in magnetic fields

• Charge, conductors, charge conservation
• Insulators
• Coulomb’s Law
• Electric Field E: field lines, field due to charge distribution
• Electrostatic energy, electric potential at a point in space

• Current I = ΔQ/Δt, sign conventions, units
• Electromotive force, voltage
• Resistance: Ohm’s Law (I = V/R), series and parallel configurations
• Capacitance: parallel plate capacitors, energy storage, dielectrics
• Conductivity: metallic and electrolytic

• Definition of magnetic field B
• Motion of charged particles in magnetic fields; Lorentz Force

• Electrolytic cells: electrolysis, anode, cathode, electrolyte
• Galvanic or voltaic cells: half-reactions, reduction potentials
• Concentration cells
• Batteries: lead-storage, nickel-cadmium systems

• Myelin sheath, Schwann cells, insulation of axon
• Nodes of Ranvier: propagation of nerve impulse along axon

• Mechanisms of sound wave generation
• Variation of sound speed depending on medium (solids, liquids, gases)
• Measurement of sound intensity using decibel scale; logarithmic relationships
• Sound energy loss through damping (attenuation)
• Frequency shifts with motion: Doppler phenomenon (stationary and moving sources, reflective objects)
• Perceived pitch changes and auditory interpretation
• Acoustic resonance in pipes and strings: open vs. closed systems
• Use of ultrasound in imaging and diagnostics
• Shock waves: when objects exceed the speed of sound

• Light interference patterns: interpretation of double-slit experiments
• Behavior of light through thin films and diffraction gratings
• Single-slit and complex diffraction effects, including applications like X-ray diffraction
• Polarization: filtering of electric fields (linear and circular polarization)

• Constant speed of light (c) in a vacuum
• Electromagnetic waves composed of perpendicular electric and magnetic components
• Wave propagation direction orthogonal to field oscillations
• Electromagnetic spectrum classification and photon energy via E=hf
• Visible light region and color differentiation based on wavelength

• Law of reflection: incident angle equals reflected angle
• Refraction and Snell’s law: n₁sinθ₁=n₂sinθ₂
• Wavelength-dependent refraction: dispersion and color splitting
• Criteria for total internal reflection in mediums of differing densities

• Spherical mirrors: curvature, focal points, real and virtual image formation
• Lenses: converging (convex) and diverging (concave) behaviors
• Lens equations: image distance and object distance (1/f=1/p+1/q)
• Optical power (diopters) and system magnification
• Multi-lens systems and compound optical arrangements
• Image distortion from lens aberrations
• Applications in instruments, including how the human eye operates as a lens system

• Atomic number, atomic weight
• Neutrons, protons, isotopes
• Nuclear forces, binding energy
• Radioactive decay: α, β, γ decay; half-life, exponential decay
• Mass spectrometer

• Orbital structure of hydrogen atom, principal quantum number n
• Ground state, excited states
• Absorption and emission line spectra
• Use of Pauli Exclusion Principle
• Bohr atom
• Photoelectric effect

This MCAT® section evaluates your understanding of behavioral and sociocultural determinants of health and behavior. Rather than simple recall, the focus is on how psychological and sociological principles apply to physical and mental health, behavior, and social systems. You’ll integrate knowledge from psychology, sociology, and biology to analyze research, recognize experimental design, and understand human behavior in context. It’s essential to grasp both individual cognitive processes and larger-scale social structures that influence health outcomes.

This section explores how biological systems—especially the brain, nervous system, and hormones—shape our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It also covers how genes and environment work together to influence development, temperament, and mental function.

• Overview of the nervous system and how it coordinates bodily functions
• Neurons and signal transmission
  • Reflex arcs and sensory/motor pathways
  • Synaptic communication and neurotransmitter roles
• Peripheral vs. Central Nervous System
  • Autonomic and somatic branches
  • Parasympathetic vs. sympathetic control
• Key brain regions and functions
  • Hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain organization
  • Cortical specialization (e.g., language, emotion, movement)
  • Hemispheric lateralization
• Brain imaging and research methods
  • fMRI, PET, EEG, lesion studies
• Neurochemical control of behavior
  • Dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, and others
  • How neurotransmitters impact emotions, cognition, and behavior

• Endocrine system and behavioral regulation
  • Hormone-producing glands and target tissue effects
  • Hormonal feedback loops and homeostasis
• Stress and emotion regulation
  • Role of the hypothalamus and adrenal axis
  • Cortisol’s impact on mood and physical health
• Behavioral genetics
  • Genetic contribution to traits and temperament
  • Heredity-environment interactions in shaping personality
  • Regulatory genes and behavioral expression
  • Genetic diversity and adaptive traits in populations

• Prenatal development milestones
  • Genetic programming and environmental influences
• Early physical and motor development
  • Reflexes and gross/fine motor milestones
• Brain and hormonal changes during adolescence
  • Risk-taking, identity formation, and emotional shifts
• Influence of experience and upbringing on behavioral outcomes
  • Role of social and sensory input in neural development
  • Lasting effects of childhood environment on adult behavior

This section explores how we detect, process, and interpret sensory information. You’ll learn how raw environmental signals are converted into neural activity and how the brain organizes these inputs into meaningful experiences.

• Absolute threshold: the minimum level of stimulus needed for detection
• Weber’s Law: understanding proportional differences in perception
• Signal detection theory: recognizing the role of decision-making in sensing stimuli
• Sensory adaptation: reduced sensitivity after constant exposure
• Psychophysics: quantitative relationship between stimuli and sensation

• Classes of sensory receptors (e.g., photoreceptors, mechanoreceptors, chemoreceptors)
• How sensory signals travel from receptors to the brain
• Specialized pathways for visual, auditory, olfactory, and somatosensory input

• Anatomy of the eye and function of each component (lens, retina, etc.)
• Neural processing of visual input from retina to visual cortex
• The brain’s ability to detect motion, color, and depth simultaneously (parallel processing)
• Feature detection: how specific neurons identify lines, edges, and patterns

• Inner and outer ear structures and their respective roles
• Sound transmission through ossicles and cochlear fluid
• How hair cells convert mechanical vibrations into neural signals
• Auditory pathways and interpretation in the brain

• Chemoreceptor function in detecting taste molecules (e.g., sweet, salty, bitter)
• Structure and role of taste buds
• Olfactory cells and their role in identifying airborne chemicals
• Brain pathways involved in olfaction
• Effects of pheromones and chemical signaling

• Pressure, texture, and vibration detection via skin receptors
• Sensory integration of body position and movement (kinesthetic sense)
• Vestibular system’s role in balance and orientation
• Pain perception: nociceptors and their neural signaling

• Bottom-up: interpreting stimuli from raw sensory input
• Top-down: interpreting stimuli based on expectations and prior knowledge

• How we recognize shapes, movement, and spatial depth
• Visual constancies that maintain object perception under changing conditions

• Gestalt principles: how we group visual elements (e.g., similarity, proximity, closure)
• Strategies the brain uses to assemble fragmented or ambiguous input into a coherent whole

This section covers how we experience and respond to emotional and stressful stimuli. It explores the brain systems responsible for emotional regulation and the physiological effects of psychological stress.

• Components of Emotional Experience
  • Emotions consist of three core elements: how we interpret the situation (cognitive), the body’s physical reaction (physiological), and how we act in response (behavioral)
• Shared Human Emotions
  • Across cultures, some emotions appear consistently—such as happiness, fear, anger, sadness, surprise, disgust, and joy
• Function of Emotion in Behavior
  • Emotions contribute to survival and social behavior, signaling important environmental changes or guiding decisions
• Theories of Emotion (PSY, BIO)
  • James-Lange: Emotional experience results from physiological changes
  • Cannon-Bard: Emotions and bodily responses occur at the same time
  • Schachter-Singer: Emotions emerge from physiological arousal and how we interpret it
• Emotion
  • Specific brain regions like the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hypothalamus play key roles in generating and regulating emotions
  • The limbic system is a central emotional processing hub
  • The autonomic nervous system—through changes in heart rate, respiration, and more—reflects emotional arousal
  • Emotions can be detected through physical responses (e.g., facial expressions, heart rate changes)

• Stress and Appraisal (PSY,BIO)
  • Stress arises from how we perceive and evaluate challenges or threats (appraisal)
  • Common stressors include traumatic events, personal loss, and chronic strain
• Psychological and Physiological Stress Responses
  • The body and brain respond with physiological (e.g., increased cortisol), emotional (e.g., anxiety), and behavioral (e.g., avoidance) changes
  • These reactions are designed to help cope, but chronic exposure can cause harm
• Stress Management
  • Coping strategies like exercise, meditation, deep breathing, and connecting with supportive communities can buffer stress and improve well-being

This section explores how humans encode, store, and retrieve information, how memory systems are organized in the brain, and how language shapes communication and cognition—key concepts tested on the MCAT®.

• How We Encode Information
  • Process of encoding information
  • Processes that aid in encoding memories
• Types of Memory Systems
  • Types of memory storage (e.g., sensory, working, long-term)
  • Semantic networks and spreading activation
• Retrieving Memories
  • Recall, recognition, and relearning
  • Retrieval cues
  • The role of emotion in retrieving memories (PSY, BIO)
  • Processes that aid retrieval
• Why We Forget
  • Aging and memory
  • Memory dysfunctions (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, Korsakoff’s syndrome)
  • Decay
  • Interference
  • Memory construction and source monitoring
• Biological Mechanisms of Memory
  • Neural plasticity
  • Memory and learning
  • Long-term potentiation

• Theories of Language Development
  • Different perspectives explain how we acquire language: Behaviorist view (learned through reinforcement), Nativist theory (humans have an innate ability/language acquisition device), Interactionist model (shaped by both biology and social interaction)
• Language and Thought
  • Language doesn’t just reflect thought—it can shape how we perceive the world and make decisions
• Brain Structures Involved in Language
  • Key brain areas such as Broca’s area (speech production) and Wernicke’s area (language comprehension) play distinct roles in verbal communication

Grouped together for their relevance to mental processing and states of awareness.

• Focused attention vs. multitasking
• Mechanisms of selective attention: filtering relevant information
• Divided attention and its limitations
• Impact of cognitive load on attention performance

This section covers cognitive processes including attention, information processing, problem-solving, and intelligence as tested on the MCAT®.

• Overview of information-processing framework for thinking

• Piaget’s stages of cognitive growth
• Late-life cognitive shifts
• Environmental and genetic factors shaping development
• Cultural variation in developmental trajectories

• Brain structures and neurotransmitters linked to cognition (PSY, BIO)

• Approaches to solving problems: trial-and-error, algorithms, heuristics
• Common pitfalls: mental sets, functional fixedness
• Role of heuristics and biases (e.g., confirmation bias, overconfidence, belief perseverance)

• Theories of multiple intelligences and general intelligence
• Heritability and environmental influences
• Differences in intellectual capacity and assessment

This section covers consciousness states, sleep cycles, and altered states of awareness as tested on the MCAT®.

• Levels of consciousness: wakefulness, drowsiness, sleep
• Role of the reticular formation in alertness (BIO, PSY)

• Sleep architecture: NREM and REM stages
• Circadian rhythm regulation and disruption (BIO, PSY)
• Effects of sleep deprivation and common sleep disorders

• Meditation and hypnosis as modified mental states
• Psychoactive substances: stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens
• Brain’s reward circuitry and the neuroscience of addiction

This section covers the mechanisms by which behavior is shaped through experience, including learned associations, reinforcement, modeling, and cognitive influences—key topics in understanding behavior on the MCAT®.

• Repeated exposure to a stimulus can lead to a decreased response (habituation)
• Recovery of response after a new stimulus interrupts the habituated one (dishabituation)

• Classical conditioning (PSY, BIO)
  • Neutral, conditioned, and unconditioned stimuli
  • Conditioned and unconditioned response
  • Processes: acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, discrimination
• Operant conditioning (PSY, BIO)
  • 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)

• Modeling
• Biological processes that affect observational learning
  • Mirror neurons
  • Role of the brain in experiencing vicarious emotions
• Applications of observational learning to explain individual behavior

This section explains how individuals form, express, and change attitudes—and how behavior is influenced by social presence, group settings, and cultural expectations.

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

• Social facilitation
• Deindividuation
• Bystander effect
• Social loafing
• Social control (SOC)
• Peer pressure (PSY, SOC)
• Conformity (PSY, SOC)
• Obedience (PSY, SOC)

• Group polarization (PSY)
• Groupthink

• Social norms (PSY, SOC)
  • Sanctions (SOC)
  • Folkways, mores, and taboos (SOC)
  • Anomie (SOC)
• Deviance
  • Perspectives on deviance (e.g., differential association, labeling theory, strain theory)
• Aspects of collective behavior (e.g., fads, mass hysteria, riots)

• Agents of socialization (e.g., the family, mass media, peers, workplace)

This section links theories of personality with classifications of psychological disorders, and emphasizes the role of biology in shaping personality and contributing to mental illness.

• Theories of personality: psychoanalytic, humanistic, trait, social cognitive, biological, and behaviorist perspectives
• Situational approach to explaining behavior
• Biomedical vs. biopsychosocial approaches to psychological disorders
• Types of psychological disorders: anxiety, mood, psychotic, personality, somatic, and neurodevelopmental disorders
• Biological underpinnings: neurotransmitters, brain regions, genetics
• Stem cell-based therapy in the CNS

This section explores how individual personality traits form and how psychological disorders are categorized, understood, and treated. You’ll study how biological and environmental factors contribute to behavior and mental health—topics assessed in the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations section of the MCAT®.

• Theories of personality
  • Psychoanalytic perspective
  • Humanistic perspective
  • Trait perspective
  • Social cognitive perspective
  • Biological perspective
  • Behaviorist perspective
• Situational approach to explaining behavior

• Understanding psychological disorders
  • Biomedical vs. biopsychosocial approaches
  • Classifying psychological disorders
  • Rates of psychological disorders
• Types of psychological disorders
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Obsessive–compulsive disorder
  • Trauma- and stressor-related disorders
  • Somatic symptom and related disorders
  • Bipolar and related disorders
  • Depressive disorders
  • Schizophrenia
  • Dissociative disorders
  • Personality disorders
• Neurobiology of Psychological Disorders (PSY, BIO)
  • Schizophrenia
  • Depression
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Stem cell-based therapy to regenerate neurons in the central nervous system (BIO)
• Consciousness-altering drugs
  • Types of consciousness-altering drugs and their effects on the nervous system and behavior
  • Drug addiction and the reward pathway in the brain

This section examines how individuals develop their sense of self and identity, how they perceive and interact with others, and how social factors influence behavior and create inequality in society.

• Theories of identity development: gender, moral, psychosexual, social
• Social influence on identity: imitation, looking-glass self, role-taking, reference groups
• Culture and upbringing in shaping identity
• Types of identity: racial, gender, age-based, sexual, class-based
• Self-concept: self-esteem, self-efficacy, locus of control
• Social vs. personal identity

• Attribution theory: fundamental attribution error, cultural perspectives
• Self-perception and how it impacts perceptions of others
• Environmental cues and social perception

• Contributors to prejudice: emotion, cognition, power structures
• Stereotypes and stigma
• Ethnocentrism vs. cultural relativism
• Discrimination: individual and institutional
• Self-fulfilling prophecies and stereotype threat

• Spatial and residential segregation, violence exposure
• Environmental justice disparities
• Social stratification: class, status, privilege, capital
• Social mobility: vertical, horizontal, inter- and intragenerational
• Poverty: absolute, relative, exclusion
• Intersectionality across identities and health gradients

• Health outcomes by class, race, gender
• Access to care and healthcare inequality

This section explores how society is organized through various institutions, how individuals interact within social structures, and the theoretical frameworks used to understand social phenomena and cultural transmission.

• Status (ascribed vs. achieved), roles and related conflicts
• Primary vs. secondary groups, in-groups vs. out-groups
• Social networks and formal organizations
• Bureaucracy, ideal characteristics, critiques (e.g., oligarchy, McDonaldization)

• Emotion expression: cultural and gender roles
• Impression management and dramaturgy
• Verbal and nonverbal cues in social interactions
• Human vs. animal communication

• Social bonding: attraction, attachment, altruism, aggression
• Social support structures
• Biological basis of social behavior in animals: mating, game theory, inclusive fitness

• Micro vs. macro perspectives
• Functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism
• Social constructionism, rational choice, feminist theory

• Education: hidden curriculum, teacher bias, inequality
• Religion: religiosity, religious organizations, social change
• Government and economy: authority, labor division, systems
• Healthcare: sick role, medicalization, delivery systems
• Family: kinship, diversity, marriage/divorce, domestic violence

• Core elements: beliefs, rituals, language, values
• Symbolic vs. material culture, culture lag and shock
• Assimilation, multiculturalism, subcultures, countercultures
• Mass media and cultural transmission
• Evolution’s role in shaping culture

This section examines population characteristics, demographic changes over time, and how social movements and globalization shape modern society.

• Age and life course
• Gender: roles, construction, segregation
• Race and ethnicity: formation, racialization, social meaning
• Immigration and intersections with identity
• Sexual orientation as a demographic variable

• Population trends: fertility, mortality, migration

Disclaimer

MCAT® is a registered trademark of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC®), which does not endorse or approve this resource. This material is independently developed for educational purposes and is based on publicly available information about the MCAT® exam. While the topics presented here are inspired by the AAMC®’s official science content outline, they have been paraphrased, reorganized, and expanded upon to support student understanding and study planning.