PAAET Nursing and Health Sciences Aptitude Test cheat sheet

Prokaryotic cells lack a membrane-bound nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; eukaryotic cells have both, plus 80S ribosomes versus 70S in prokaryotes.

Mitochondria generate most cellular ATP by oxidative phosphorylation; their inner membrane folds (cristae) increase surface area for the electron transport chain.

Mitosis produces two diploid daughter cells identical to the parent cell; meiosis produces four haploid gametes with crossing over occurring in prophase I.

DNA base pairing: adenine pairs with thymine by two hydrogen bonds, guanine pairs with cytosine by three hydrogen bonds.

Blood pathway: right atrium to right ventricle to pulmonary artery to lungs to left atrium to left ventricle to aorta.

Cardiac output equals heart rate multiplied by stroke volume, so either factor rising increases output.

In the nephron, filtration occurs at the glomerulus and most reabsorption of water and glucose occurs in the proximal convoluted tubule.

A neuron at rest sits near -70 mV, maintained by potassium leak and the sodium-potassium pump; depolarization follows sodium influx.

In a monohybrid cross Aa x Aa, the genotype ratio is 1 AA : 2 Aa : 1 aa and the phenotype ratio is 3 : 1 for a completely dominant trait.

Moles = mass in grams divided by molar mass; one mole contains 6.022 x 10^23 particles (Avogadro's number).

Molarity M = moles of solute / litres of solution; dilution obeys M1V1 = M2V2 because moles of solute stay constant.

pH = -log[H+] and pOH = -log[OH-]; at 25 degrees Celsius pH + pOH = 14.

Strong acids (HCl, HNO3, H2SO4) dissociate completely in water; weak acids such as CH3COOH dissociate only partially and set up an equilibrium.

Neutralization: acid + base gives salt + water, because H+ and OH- combine to form water.

Ideal gas law PV = nRT with R = 0.0821 Latm/(molK); one mole of any gas occupies 22.4 L at STP.

Hydrocarbon series: alkanes CnH2n+2 (single bonds), alkenes CnH2n (one double bond), alkynes CnH2n-2 (one triple bond).

Functional group priority for naming: carboxylic acid > aldehyde > ketone > alcohol > amine; the parent chain is the longest carbon chain containing the highest-priority group.

Oxidation is loss of electrons and reduction is gain of electrons; colligative properties depend on the number of dissolved particles, not their identity.

Percent change = (new value - old value) / old value x 100; to increase by p percent multiply by (1 + p/100).

In a ratio a : b, the whole is divided into a + b equal parts, so one part = total / (a + b).

Quadratic formula: x = [-b +/- sqrt(b^2 - 4ac)] / 2a; the discriminant b^2 - 4ac gives two, one, or zero real roots.

Slope m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1); parallel lines have equal slopes and perpendicular slopes multiply to -1.

Mean = sum / count; median is the middle of ordered data (mean of the two middle values when the count is even); mode is the most frequent value.

Range = maximum - minimum, while standard deviation measures typical distance from the mean and equals the square root of the variance.

Geometry formulas: circle area = pir^2, circumference = 2pi*r, triangle area = (1/2)baseheight, right triangles obey a^2 + b^2 = c^2.

Simple interest I = Prt; compound interest A = P(1 + r/n)^(nt), where n is the number of compounding periods per year.

Exponent and log rules: a^m * a^n = a^(m+n), (a^m)^n = a^(mn), log(xy) = log x + log y, log(x/y) = log x - log y.

Kinematics for constant acceleration: v = u + at, s = ut + (1/2)at^2, v^2 = u^2 + 2as.

Newton's second law F = ma; weight is W = mg with g about 9.8 m/s^2 near Earth's surface.

Density rho = m/V and pressure P = F/A; hydrostatic (gauge) pressure at depth h is rhogh.

Archimedes' principle: the buoyant force equals the weight of displaced fluid; an object floats when its average density is less than the fluid's.

Ohm's law V = IR; electrical power P = VI = I^2R = V^2/R.

Resistors in series add directly; for parallel resistors 1/R_total = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + ...

Derived SI units: newton = kgm/s^2, joule = Nm, watt = J/s, pascal = N/m^2.

SI prefixes: nano 10^-9, micro 10^-6, milli 10^-3, centi 10^-2, kilo 10^3, mega 10^6.

Continuity for an incompressible fluid gives A1v1 = A2v2, so a narrower pipe carries faster flow.

Subject-verb agreement: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and phrases between subject and verb (such as 'along with the staff') do not change the number.

Its is possessive; it's means 'it is' or 'it has'. Their, there, and they're are likewise not interchangeable.

Use fewer with countable plural nouns (fewer tablets) and less with uncountable nouns (less fluid).

Who refers to a subject (who called), whom to an object (to whom); who's means 'who is'.

Affect is usually a verb meaning to influence; effect is usually a noun meaning the result.

Passive voice = form of 'be' + past participle; active voice puts the doer first and is usually clearer.

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma; fix it with a period, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction.

The main idea = topic + the author's point about it; supporting details answer who, what, when, where, or why.

A valid inference must be supported by evidence in the passage; personal opinion or outside knowledge alone is not enough.

Average speed = total distance / total time for the whole trip; it is not the arithmetic mean of the individual speeds.

Combined work rate = 1/a + 1/b; the time together is the reciprocal of that sum.

In data interpretation, check axis units, scales, and whether values are totals or percents before computing any ratio.

Probability = favourable outcomes / total equally likely outcomes; for independent events multiply the probabilities.

In syllogisms, a conclusion is valid only if it must be true whenever the premises are true; 'all A are B' does not imply 'all B are A'.

Number series usually follow constant differences, constant ratios, alternating patterns, or squares and cubes; test each rule against consecutive terms.

'Some' means at least one and allows 'all'; 'none' and 'some not' are not equivalent statements.

Rotation and translation preserve shape and size; reflection also preserves size but reverses orientation.

In mixture problems, track the amount of each component separately, since adding a pure component changes the total as well.