MDCAT Biology — Acellular Life
Acellular Life is a core Biology topic in the PMDC MDCAT syllabus, covering 2 subtopics. Below are the subtopics to revise, how often the topic appears in past papers, and real past-paper MCQs to try.
Subtopics (2)
- AIDS and HIV Infection
- Viruses
How Acellular Life is tested
Across the 16 MDCAT past papers on ParhaiKrlo, Acellular Life accounts for 46 questions. It appears in all 16, about 2.9 questions a paper. The heaviest was MDCAT 2015, with 6 questions, and the most recent is MDCAT 2025, with 1.
| Paper | Questions |
|---|---|
| MDCAT 2025 | 1 |
| MDCAT 2024 | 4 |
| MDCAT 2023 | 4 |
| MDCAT 2022 | 4 |
| MDCAT 2019 | 1 |
| MDCAT 2018 | 3 |
| MDCAT 2017 | 5 |
| MDCAT 2016 | 2 |
| MDCAT 2015 | 6 |
| MDCAT 2014 | 3 |
| MDCAT 2013 | 4 |
| MDCAT 2012 | 3 |
| MDCAT 2011 | 2 |
| MDCAT 2010 | 2 |
| MDCAT 2009 | 1 |
| MDCAT 2008 | 1 |
Acellular Life MCQs from the MDCAT past papers
Try each one before opening the answer. Each comes with a short explanation.
- Q1 · MDCAT 2025 · Acellular Life
Why are retroviruses placed in a separate class of RNA viruses?
- A.They always infect animal cells only
- B.Their RNA acts directly as mRNA
- C.They lack protein coats
- D.They use reverse transcriptase to make DNA from RNA
Show answer
Answer: D. They use reverse transcriptase to make DNA from RNA — Retroviruses are set apart because they use reverse transcriptase to make DNA from their RNA genome.
- Q2 · MDCAT 2024 · Acellular Life
Example of viruses having a polyhedral capsid that is with 252 capsomeres is:
- A.Adenovirus
- B.Tobacco Mosaic Virus
- C.Influenza virus
- D.Bacteriophage
Show answer
Answer: A. Adenovirus — An adenovirus has a polyhedral (icosahedral) capsid built from 252 capsomeres.
- Q3 · MDCAT 2023 · Acellular Life
Which of the following virus contains single stranded DNA?
- A.Adeno virus
- B.Herpes virus
- C.Parvo virus
- D.Pox virus
Show answer
Answer: C. Parvo virus — Parvovirus is the single-stranded DNA virus among these options.