MCAT Physical Sciences Section
Two Key Concepts Tested
Foundational Concept 4: Complex living organisms transport materials, sense their environment, process signals, and respond to changes using processes that can be understood in terms of physical principles.
- 4A: Translational motion, forces, work, energy, and equilibrium in living systems
- 4B: Importance of fluids for the circulation of blood, gas movement, and gas exchange
- 4C: Electrochemistry and electrical circuits and their elements
- 4D: How light and sound interact with matter
- 4E: Atoms, nuclear decay, electronic structure, and atomic chemical behavior
Foundational Concept 5: The principles that govern chemical interactions and reactions form the basis for a broader understanding of the molecular dynamics of living systems.
- 5A: Unique nature of water and its solutions
- 5B: Nature of molecules and intermolecular interactions
- 5C: Separation and purification methods
- 5D: Structure, function, and reactivity of biologically-relevant molecules
- 5E: Principles of chemical thermodynamics and kinetics