August MCAT

[ken]

Okay, so these 3 questions (which I will paraphrase to avoid copyright infringement) are really bugging me.

1. One of them discussed the conversion of a benzylic acetal to a benzylic ether and asked what the resulting IR absorbances would be. Clearly, the ether absorbance (1100 or so) was one of the answers. Another choice included the ether absorbance and an absorbance around 1700. Would we expect a C=O absorbance in this conversion?

2. There was a question asking which type of vaccine would be most likely to lead to unwanted immunities. I believe the choices were DNA vaccine, RNA vaccine, protein, or recombinant virus.

3. The last question on the p53/adenovirus passage asked what information would enable us to conclude that adenovirus would be useful in treating cancer. I remember three of the choices: a. adenovirus can productively infect some cells b. most cancers have p53 mutations (or something to that effect) c. adenovirus can infect cells that express p53.


My test form was EM if that helps anyone.

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[Wasabi]

man, what's the use of worrying about your answers at this point?
what's done is done. just keep your fingers crossed and enjoy this labor day weekend.

 

[Jamier2]

When I was wondering about these things after my MCAT, I knew that everything would be OK. Why? Because I used the trusty "B-guess". It worked for me.

If you're just interested in the correct answers, someone here will probably answer you better than I could.

 

[Mystique]

Jamier2,

Funny, you used the "B" guess. I opted away from the C's and used the B's. Hopefully, it'll work to my benefit...

 

[audeo]

I have not taken august MCAT and do not know the full question but i will try to answer.
1. C=O absorbance should exist in the intermediate compound when acetal turns into ketone or aldehyde, and disappears once the product an ether comes about.

2. I bet retrovirus, just think that these virus are invincible. Herpes, HIV sucks

3. adenovirus is used for gene therapy. It is used as a vector for incorporating specific genes to target cells. So the answer should be something along this line. Choice A sounds all right, something about productive transfection?? I forgot the question-_-.

Disclaimer: I don't know anything about the actual question, so I cannot guarantee my answer is going to prove right.

 

[Jamier2]

Originally posted by pendulum:
•Funny, you used the "B" guess. I opted away from the C's and used the B's. Hopefully, it'll work to my benefit... •

LOL. I was once an unrefined "Take C!" guesser. Now after my MCAT trial, I'm a definite "B" man now.

 

[Georgey]

I know how frustrating it is to not know whether or not you got an answer right on the MCAT. A word of advice: your test score takes into account so many different factors, worrying about one or two questions will only serve to stress you out at this point. With that said....here's my take.

1. I am not an OChem expert so I will let someone else take a shot at that one.

2. DNA vaccine. There are many consequences--e.g. specialized transduction--to such a vaccine and the possible abnormal expression of certain genes in distant cells that this is probably the right answer. RNA vaccine would also seem likely, however, under this reasoning, but one would have to go with the more important macromolecule shoud a choice need to be made. A protein vaccine would have few repercussions. And a recombinant virus would only affect germ cells, which in turn, would only affect the individual's offspring.

3. I don't believe the right answer is on your post. The p53 gene is expressed as a last line of defense to stop uncontrolled growth. Point mutations and the like that occur within it eventually lead to adenomas, polyps (as in the case of colo-rectal cancer), and eventually a malignancy. The adenovirus would not want to target cells using this gene as a marker because doing so would only infect "good" potentially cancer fighting cells. B only restates a random fact that was probably mentioned in the passage. C is counter intuitive: why would you want to infect cells that have the p53 gene intact? The intact p53 gene can only do good, not bad. My guess is that the right answer is the one you left off.

I think the take home lesson is that these types of things bother you, which in my book is actually a good sign. It shows you had a high intensity level in your approach to the test, which is why you most likely will do well. Good luck.

 

[Georgey]

PS If you don't feel comfortable with these explanations, send a private message to Baylor21. When it comes to MCAT stuff he can seem to do no wrong. Sorry Baylor for the unsolicited referral.

 

[kk]

Jamier2, I hope you're right about "B's"!

I just took the Aug MCAT and had form BT. I remember I got a row of B's towards the middle of the verbal reasoning section. However, when I asked others on the TRP bulletin board if they got the same thing, they replied "NO"! Verbal is definitely not my strongest section and I am getting really worried now...

 

[kk]

Jamier2, I hope you're right about "B's"!

I just took the Aug MCAT and had form BT. I remember I got a row of B's towards the middle of the verbal reasoning section. However, when I asked others on the TRP bulletin board if they got the same thing, they replied "NO"! Verbal is definitely not my strongest section and I am getting really worried now...

 

[GoatBoy]

The best letter folks is "D"