Population Genetics MCAT Practice Questions
13 board-style MCAT questions in Biological & Biochemical Foundations (B/B). Each question shows the correct answer; create a free account for the full explanation and adaptive practice.
- MCAT · medium1. A 45-year-old man with a family history of hereditary hemochromatosis (HFE C282Y mutation) undergoes genetic counseling. The genetic counselor explains that despite strong selec…
- MCAT · medium2. A 35-year-old woman with a family history of cystic fibrosis (CF) is counseled regarding carrier risk. CF is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the CFTR gene…
- MCAT · medium3. A population genetics researcher is studying cystic fibrosis carrier frequencies in an isolated Ashkenazi Jewish community of 500 individuals. The current frequency of the ΔF508…
- MCAT · medium4. Researchers examine three populations of the same species and calculate FST (fixation index) values comparing genetic variation within and between populations. Population pair 1…
- MCAT · medium5. A scientist models allele frequency changes in a population with two alleles under complete heterozygote advantage. Individuals with genotype AA have fitness 0.9, Aa individuals…
- MCAT · medium6. A population experiences a bottleneck when a volcanic eruption kills 99% of individuals, reducing the population from 100,000 to 1,000. An allele previously at frequency 0.5 is…
- MCAT · medium7. A 35-year-old man with cystic fibrosis is enrolled in a study examining Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung colonization. Genetic sequencing of bacteria isolated from his sputum over 18…
- MCAT · medium8. A 28-year-old woman of Ashkenazi Jewish descent is found to be a carrier of the HEXA mutation (Tay-Sachs disease) on routine genetic screening. Tay-Sachs is an autosomal recessi…
- MCAT · medium9. A 45-year-old man with no significant past medical history is found to have elevated serum cholesterol levels during routine screening. Genetic analysis reveals he is heterozygo…
- MCAT · medium10. A population genetics study examines a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the CFTR gene. In a coastal fishing village of 5,000 people, the…
- MCAT · medium11. A genetic screening study of 10,000 individuals from a isolated rural population identifies a recessive autosomal disorder caused by allele 'a'. The allele frequency of 'a' is 0…
- MCAT · medium12. A genetic counselor is evaluating a rare autosomal recessive disorder (cystic fibrosis-like phenotype) in an isolated Amish community of approximately 45 unrelated families. Ove…
- MCAT · medium13. A population of fruit flies exhibits a stable allele frequency for eye color across generations. Researchers observe no mutations, migration, or mating preferences affecting thi…