Category 4B within foundational concept 4 of the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section of the MCAT focuses on fluids and their importance for the circulation of blood, gas movement as well as gas exchange. Category 4B is the second of five content categories within foundational concept 4.
Overview of Foundational Concept 4, Category 4B
Fluids are prominent in many critical physiological processes. Beyond circulation of the blood, fluids help both gas movement in and out of the lungs as well as gas exchange with the blood. The energetic requirements of fluid dynamics can be calculated via physical equations. One must have a thorough comprehension of fluids to understand the origins of many diseases. This is all information you will be tested on as part of category 4B within foundational concept 4.
Some of the content covered in category 4B includes:
- Hydrostatic Pressure
- Fluid Flow Rates
- Viscosity
- Kinetic Molecular Theory of Gases
- Ideal Gas Law
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the topics and subtopics included in category 4B include:
Photo: Association of American Medical Colleges
There isn’t a specific time in which you are required to finish category 4, but the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section must be completed within 95 minutes.