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Medical College Admission Test: Verbal Reasoning, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Writing Sample (Page 10 )

Updated On: 4-Sep-2026
Page 10 of 164
PDF with 811 Questions

Our sense of smell is arguably the most powerful of our five senses, but it also the most elusive. It plays a vital yet mysterious role in our lives. Olfaction is rooted in the same part of the brain that regulates such essential functions as body metabolism, reaction to stress, and appetite. But smell relates to more than physiological function: its sensations are intimately tied to memory, emotion, and sexual desire. Smell seems to lie somewhere beyond the realm of conscious thought, where, intertwined with emotion and experience, it shapes both our conscious and unconscious lives.
The peculiar intimacy of this sense may be related to certain anatomical features. Smell reaches the brain more directly than do sensations of touch, sight, or sound. When we inhale a particular odor, air containing volatile odiferous molecules is warmed and humidified as it flows over specialized bones in the nose called turbinates. As odor molecules land on the olfactory nerves, these nerves fire a message to the brain. Thus olfactory neurons render a direct path between the stimulus provided by the outside environment and the brain, allowing us to rapidly perceive odors ranging from alluring fragrances to noisome fumes.
Certain scents, such as jasmine, are almost universally appealing, while others, like hydrogen sulfide (which emits a stench reminiscent of rotten eggs), are usually considered repellent, but most odors evoke different reactions from person to person, sometimes triggering strong emotional states or resurrecting seemingly forgotten memories. Scientists surmise that the reason why we have highly personal associations with smells is related to the proximity of the olfactory and emotional centers of our brain. Although the precise connection between emotion and olfaction remains a mystery, it is clear that emotion, memory, and smell are all rooted in a part of the brain called the limbic lobe.
Even though we are not always conscious of the presence of odors, and are often unable to either articulate or remember their unique characteristics, our brains always register their existence. In fact, such a large amount of human brain tissue is devoted to smell that scientists surmise the role of this sense must be profound. Moreover, neurobiological research suggests that smell must have an important function because olfactory neurons can regenerate themselves, unlike most other nerve cells. The importance of this sense is further supported by the fact that animals experimentally denied the olfactory sense do not develop full and normal brain function.
The significance of olfaction is much clearer in animals than in human beings. Animal behavior is strongly influenced by pheromones, which are odors that induce psychological or behavioral changes and often provide a means of communicating within a species. These chemical messages, often a complex blend of compounds, are of vital importance to the insect world. Honeybees, for example, organize their societies through odor: the queen bee exudes an odor that both inhibits worker bees from laying eggs and draws drones to her when she is ready to mate. Mammals are also guided by their sense of smell. Through odors emitted by urine and scent glands, many animals maintain their territories, identify one another, signal alarm, and attract mates.
Although our olfactory acuity can't rival that of other animal species, human beings are also guided by smell. Before the advent of sophisticated laboratory techniques, physicians depended on their noses to help diagnose illness. A century ago, it was common medical knowledge that certain bacterial infections carry the musty odor of wine, that typhoid smells like baking bread, and that yellow fever smells like meat. While medical science has moved away from such subjective diagnostic methods, in everyday life we continue to rely on our sense of small, knowingly or not, to guide us.
The author answers all of the following questions EXCEPT:

  1. why smells can evoke distant memories.
  2. why odors elicit different reactions from person to person.
  3. why a substantial part of the brain is devoted to smell.
  4. which functions are rooted in the limbic lobe.

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

This seeks the one answer choice that can't be explained by the location of the olfactory and emotional centers of the brain. Unless one answer choice clearly stands out as correct, the best way to handle such a question is to assess the answer choices one by one. Choice (A) suggests that the location of the olfactory and emotional centers of the brain cannot explain why smells can evoke distant memories. That is not the case at all ­ the third and fourth sentences of the third paragraph say that scientists surmise that the reason smells often evoke memories is because emotion, memory, and olfaction are all rooted in the brain's limbic lobe. So choice (A) is not correct. Choice (B) mentions the fact that odors elicit different reactions from person to person. This is also explained by the location of the olfactory and emotional centers, and this point is detailed in the second and third sentences of paragraph three. Choice (C) questions whether the fact that a substantial part of the brain is devoted to smell can be explained by the location of olfaction and emotion. The second sentence of the fourth paragraph mentions that a large amount of brain tissue is in fact devoted to smell. But the author does not relate this to the location of the sense of smell and emotion. The author doesn't suggest that we can explain the large amount of brain tissue by its location, so (C) seems correct. Choice (D) says that the location of the olfactory and emotional centers of the brain helps explain which functions are rooted in the limbic lobe. The last sentence of the third paragraph does indeed say that the emotions and smell are indeed rooted in the limbic lobe, so (D) is true. and the answer is choice (C).



Our sense of smell is arguably the most powerful of our five senses, but it also the most elusive. It plays a vital yet mysterious role in our lives. Olfaction is rooted in the same part of the brain that regulates such essential functions as body metabolism, reaction to stress, and appetite. But smell relates to more than physiological function: its sensations are intimately tied to memory, emotion, and sexual desire. Smell seems to lie somewhere beyond the realm of conscious thought, where, intertwined with emotion and experience, it shapes both our conscious and unconscious lives.
The peculiar intimacy of this sense may be related to certain anatomical features. Smell reaches the brain more directly than do sensations of touch, sight, or sound. When we inhale a particular odor, air containing volatile odiferous molecules is warmed and humidified as it flows over specialized bones in the nose called turbinates. As odor molecules land on the olfactory nerves, these nerves fire a message to the brain. Thus olfactory neurons render a direct path between the stimulus provided by the outside environment and the brain, allowing us to rapidly perceive odors ranging from alluring fragrances to noisome fumes.
Certain scents, such as jasmine, are almost universally appealing, while others, like hydrogen sulfide (which emits a stench reminiscent of rotten eggs), are usually considered repellent, but most odors evoke different reactions from person to person, sometimes triggering strong emotional states or resurrecting seemingly forgotten memories. Scientists surmise that the reason why we have highly personal associations with smells is related to the proximity of the olfactory and emotional centers of our brain. Although the precise connection between emotion and olfaction remains a mystery, it is clear that emotion, memory, and smell are all rooted in a part of the brain called the limbic lobe.
Even though we are not always conscious of the presence of odors, and are often unable to either articulate or remember their unique characteristics, our brains always register their existence. In fact, such a large amount of human brain tissue is devoted to smell that scientists surmise the role of this sense must be profound. Moreover, neurobiological research suggests that smell must have an important function because olfactory neurons can regenerate themselves, unlike most other nerve cells. The importance of this sense is further supported by the fact that animals experimentally denied the olfactory sense do not develop full and normal brain function.
The significance of olfaction is much clearer in animals than in human beings. Animal behavior is strongly influenced by pheromones, which are odors that induce psychological or behavioral changes and often provide a means of communicating within a species. These chemical messages, often a complex blend of compounds, are of vital importance to the insect world. Honeybees, for example, organize their societies through odor: the queen bee exudes an odor that both inhibits worker bees from laying eggs and draws drones to her when she is ready to mate. Mammals are also guided by their sense of smell. Through odors emitted by urine and scent glands, many animals maintain their territories, identify one another, signal alarm, and attract mates.
Although our olfactory acuity can't rival that of other animal species, human beings are also guided by smell. Before the advent of sophisticated laboratory techniques, physicians depended on their noses to help diagnose illness. A century ago, it was common medical knowledge that certain bacterial infections carry the musty odor of wine, that typhoid smells like baking bread, and that yellow fever smells like meat. While medical science has moved away from such subjective diagnostic methods, in everyday life we continue to rely on our sense of small, knowingly or not, to guide us.
The author's central concern in this passage is to:

  1. discuss both the physiological and emotional aspects of olfaction.
  2. explain why the sense of smell is more important than other senses.
  3. detail the biological mechanisms by which smells trigger long-forgotten memories.
  4. defend the view that human emotion is rooted in anatomical processes.

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

This inquires about the primary purpose of the passage. This passage can be characterized as a description of the physiological and emotional aspects of our sense of smell. Considering this, the primary purpose of the passage is best described by answer choice (A) ­ to discuss both the physiological and emotional aspects of olfaction. The main idea is strongly implied throughout the first paragraph of the passage. Choice (B) says that the primary purpose of the passage is to explain why the sense of smell is more important than the other senses. This is incorrect because although the author emphasizes that smell is an important sense in many ways, the author never says or implies that it's one's important sense. The only comparison made between smell and the other senses is in the second sentence of the second paragraph, which states that smell reaches the brain more directly than do sensations of touch, sight, or sound. It cannot be inferred from this information that smell is more important than touch, sight, or sound, so (B) is wrong. Choice (C) suggests that the main purpose of the passage is to detail the biological mechanisms by which smells trigger long-forgotten memories.
Even though the third paragraph mentions the fact that memory and olfaction are somehow related, the author says that the precise connections between emotion and olfaction remain a mystery. This answer choice, however, claims that the passage details the biological mechanisms by which smells trigger memories. In doing so this answer choice plays on a detail, and exaggerates it to the point of falsity. Therefore, (C) is also wrong.
Choice (D) states that the point of the passage is to defend the view that human emotion is rooted in anatomical processes. This passage does not advance any particular point of view ­ the author merely informs us about the mysteries of smell. Even though the author suggests that the ties between emotion and smell are rooted in some obscure anatomical processes, the author never goes so far as to "defend the view" or even argue more mildly that all emotion stems from physical process. You can't infer any such view, so (D) is wrong.



Our sense of smell is arguably the most powerful of our five senses, but it also the most elusive. It plays a vital yet mysterious role in our lives. Olfaction is rooted in the same part of the brain that regulates such essential functions as body metabolism, reaction to stress, and appetite. But smell relates to more than physiological function: its sensations are intimately tied to memory, emotion, and sexual desire. Smell seems to lie somewhere beyond the realm of conscious thought, where, intertwined with emotion and experience, it shapes both our conscious and unconscious lives.
The peculiar intimacy of this sense may be related to certain anatomical features. Smell reaches the brain more directly than do sensations of touch, sight, or sound. When we inhale a particular odor, air containing volatile odiferous molecules is warmed and humidified as it flows over specialized bones in the nose called turbinates. As odor molecules land on the olfactory nerves, these nerves fire a message to the brain. Thus olfactory neurons render a direct path between the stimulus provided by the outside environment and the brain, allowing us to rapidly perceive odors ranging from alluring fragrances to noisome fumes.
Certain scents, such as jasmine, are almost universally appealing, while others, like hydrogen sulfide (which emits a stench reminiscent of rotten eggs), are usually considered repellent, but most odors evoke different reactions from person to person, sometimes triggering strong emotional states or resurrecting seemingly forgotten memories. Scientists surmise that the reason why we have highly personal associations with smells is related to the proximity of the olfactory and emotional centers of our brain. Although the precise connection between emotion and olfaction remains a mystery, it is clear that emotion, memory, and smell are all rooted in a part of the brain called the limbic lobe.
Even though we are not always conscious of the presence of odors, and are often unable to either articulate or remember their unique characteristics, our brains always register their existence. In fact, such a large amount of human brain tissue is devoted to smell that scientists surmise the role of this sense must be profound. Moreover, neurobiological research suggests that smell must have an important function because olfactory neurons can regenerate themselves, unlike most other nerve cells. The importance of this sense is further supported by the fact that animals experimentally denied the olfactory sense do not develop full and normal brain function.
The significance of olfaction is much clearer in animals than in human beings. Animal behavior is strongly influenced by pheromones, which are odors that induce psychological or behavioral changes and often provide a means of communicating within a species. These chemical messages, often a complex blend of compounds, are of vital importance to the insect world. Honeybees, for example, organize their societies through odor: the queen bee exudes an odor that both inhibits worker bees from laying eggs and draws drones to her when she is ready to mate. Mammals are also guided by their sense of smell. Through odors emitted by urine and scent glands, many animals maintain their territories, identify one another, signal alarm, and attract mates.

Although our olfactory acuity can't rival that of other animal species, human beings are also guided by smell. Before the advent of sophisticated laboratory techniques, physicians depended on their noses to help diagnose illness. A century ago, it was common medical knowledge that certain bacterial infections carry the musty odor of wine, that typhoid smells like baking bread, and that yellow fever smells like meat. While medical science has moved away from such subjective diagnostic methods, in everyday life we continue to rely on our sense of small, knowingly or not, to guide us.
The passage implies that physicians no longer make diagnoses based on odors because:

  1. the human sense of smell has considerably diminished over time.
  2. the association of odors with disease proved largely fictitious.
  3. such subjective diagnostic methods were shown to be useless.
  4. the medical profession today favors more objective techniques.

Answer(s): D

Explanation:

This asks why physicians no longer make diagnoses based on odors. The fact that doctors used to use their noses to sniff out disease is discussed in the last paragraph of the passage. In the very last sentence of this paragraph, the author says that medical science has moved away from such subjective diagnostic methods.
From this point, it can be inferred that contemporary medical science considers such diagnostic procedures too subjective, and prefer more objective methods, such as laboratory analyses. This is reflected in choice (D) ­ the medical profession today favors more objective techniques.
As for the wrong answers, choice (A) says that physicians no longer make diagnoses based on odors because the human sense of smell has considerably diminished over time. There's nothing stated or implied in the passage about the sense of smell changing at all, and this answer choice is inapplicable. Choice (B) suggests that physicians no longer favor diagnoses based on odors because the association of odors with disease proved largely fictitious. This is not implied in the passage either. The author's tone in the last paragraph, where this issue is discussed, is not at all disparaging of these old subjective techniques. So (B) is wrong. Choice (C) says that such subjective diagnostic methods were shown to be useless. Again, the author never says anything disparaging about these subjective techniques. (C) then, is also wrong, and choice (D) is the answer.



Our sense of smell is arguably the most powerful of our five senses, but it also the most elusive. It plays a vital yet mysterious role in our lives. Olfaction is rooted in the same part of the brain that regulates such essential functions as body metabolism, reaction to stress, and appetite. But smell relates to more than physiological function: its sensations are intimately tied to memory, emotion, and sexual desire. Smell seems to lie somewhere beyond the realm of conscious thought, where, intertwined with emotion and experience, it shapes both our conscious and unconscious lives.
The peculiar intimacy of this sense may be related to certain anatomical features. Smell reaches the brain more directly than do sensations of touch, sight, or sound. When we inhale a particular odor, air containing volatile odiferous molecules is warmed and humidified as it flows over specialized bones in the nose called turbinates. As odor molecules land on the olfactory nerves, these nerves fire a message to the brain. Thus olfactory neurons render a direct path between the stimulus provided by the outside environment and the brain, allowing us to rapidly perceive odors ranging from alluring fragrances to noisome fumes.
Certain scents, such as jasmine, are almost universally appealing, while others, like hydrogen sulfide (which emits a stench reminiscent of rotten eggs), are usually considered repellent, but most odors evoke different reactions from person to person, sometimes triggering strong emotional states or resurrecting seemingly forgotten memories. Scientists surmise that the reason why we have highly personal associations with smells is related to the proximity of the olfactory and emotional centers of our brain. Although the precise connection between emotion and olfaction remains a mystery, it is clear that emotion, memory, and smell are all rooted in a part of the brain called the limbic lobe.
Even though we are not always conscious of the presence of odors, and are often unable to either articulate or remember their unique characteristics, our brains always register their existence. In fact, such a large amount of human brain tissue is devoted to smell that scientists surmise the role of this sense must be profound. Moreover, neurobiological research suggests that smell must have an important function because olfactory neurons can regenerate themselves, unlike most other nerve cells. The importance of this sense is further supported by the fact that animals experimentally denied the olfactory sense do not develop full and normal brain function.
The significance of olfaction is much clearer in animals than in human beings. Animal behavior is strongly influenced by pheromones, which are odors that induce psychological or behavioral changes and often provide a means of communicating within a species. These chemical messages, often a complex blend of compounds, are of vital importance to the insect world. Honeybees, for example, organize their societies through odor: the queen bee exudes an odor that both inhibits worker bees from laying eggs and draws drones to her when she is ready to mate. Mammals are also guided by their sense of smell. Through odors emitted by urine and scent glands, many animals maintain their territories, identify one another, signal alarm, and attract mates.
Although our olfactory acuity can't rival that of other animal species, human beings are also guided by smell. Before the advent of sophisticated laboratory techniques, physicians depended on their noses to help diagnose illness. A century ago, it was common medical knowledge that certain bacterial infections carry the musty odor of wine, that typhoid smells like baking bread, and that yellow fever smells like meat. While medical science has moved away from such subjective diagnostic methods, in everyday life we continue to rely on our sense of small, knowingly or not, to guide us.
The sense of smell in animals is different from olfaction in humans in that animals:

  1. are unable to make associations between smells and past experience.
  2. only use smell to communicate outside their own species.
  3. rely on olfaction only for mating purposes.
  4. more clearly exhibit behavioral changes in response to odors.

Answer(s): D

Explanation:

This requires the reader to identify how the sense of smell in animals is different from olfaction in humans. The author discusses olfaction in animals in the fifth paragraph, which begins with the statement that "the significance of olfaction is much clearer in animals than in human beings". Then, the author discusses the ways in which odors affect animals and bring about behavioral changes. Considering this information, the way smell in animals differs from that in humans is best expressed by answer choice (D) ­ animals more clearly exhibit behavioral changes in response to odors.Choice (A) says that animals are unable to make associations between smells and past experience. There is no instance in the passage that outright states or implies that. In actuality, the passage suggests that animals, with their clearly important sense of smell, probably are able to remember smells and what they signal or signify. So choice (A) is incorrect. Choice (B) states that animals only use smell to communicate outside their own species. This contradicts information in the second sentence of the fifth paragraph, which says that animals often rely on pheromones to communicate within their own species.
Choice (C) suggests that animals rely on olfaction only for mating purposes. This is incorrect, as the fifth paragraph details the many functions of olfaction in animals ­ attracting mates is only one important aspect of smell in other animals species. So (C) is also wrong.



Our sense of smell is arguably the most powerful of our five senses, but it also the most elusive. It plays a vital yet mysterious role in our lives. Olfaction is rooted in the same part of the brain that regulates such essential functions as body metabolism, reaction to stress, and appetite. But smell relates to more than physiological function: its sensations are intimately tied to memory, emotion, and sexual desire. Smell seems to lie somewhere beyond the realm of conscious thought, where, intertwined with emotion and experience, it shapes both our conscious and unconscious lives.

The peculiar intimacy of this sense may be related to certain anatomical features. Smell reaches the brain more directly than do sensations of touch, sight, or sound. When we inhale a particular odor, air containing volatile odiferous molecules is warmed and humidified as it flows over specialized bones in the nose called turbinates. As odor molecules land on the olfactory nerves, these nerves fire a message to the brain. Thus olfactory neurons render a direct path between the stimulus provided by the outside environment and the brain, allowing us to rapidly perceive odors ranging from alluring fragrances to noisome fumes.
Certain scents, such as jasmine, are almost universally appealing, while others, like hydrogen sulfide (which emits a stench reminiscent of rotten eggs), are usually considered repellent, but most odors evoke different reactions from person to person, sometimes triggering strong emotional states or resurrecting seemingly forgotten memories. Scientists surmise that the reason why we have highly personal associations with smells is related to the proximity of the olfactory and emotional centers of our brain. Although the precise connection between emotion and olfaction remains a mystery, it is clear that emotion, memory, and smell are all rooted in a part of the brain called the limbic lobe.
Even though we are not always conscious of the presence of odors, and are often unable to either articulate or remember their unique characteristics, our brains always register their existence. In fact, such a large amount of human brain tissue is devoted to smell that scientists surmise the role of this sense must be profound. Moreover, neurobiological research suggests that smell must have an important function because olfactory neurons can regenerate themselves, unlike most other nerve cells. The importance of this sense is further supported by the fact that animals experimentally denied the olfactory sense do not develop full and normal brain function.
The significance of olfaction is much clearer in animals than in human beings. Animal behavior is strongly influenced by pheromones, which are odors that induce psychological or behavioral changes and often provide a means of communicating within a species. These chemical messages, often a complex blend of compounds, are of vital importance to the insect world. Honeybees, for example, organize their societies through odor: the queen bee exudes an odor that both inhibits worker bees from laying eggs and draws drones to her when she is ready to mate. Mammals are also guided by their sense of smell. Through odors emitted by urine and scent glands, many animals maintain their territories, identify one another, signal alarm, and attract mates.
Although our olfactory acuity can't rival that of other animal species, human beings are also guided by smell. Before the advent of sophisticated laboratory techniques, physicians depended on their noses to help diagnose illness. A century ago, it was common medical knowledge that certain bacterial infections carry the musty odor of wine, that typhoid smells like baking bread, and that yellow fever smells like meat. While medical science has moved away from such subjective diagnostic methods, in everyday life we continue to rely on our sense of small, knowingly or not, to guide us.
The author describes the sense of smell as elusive because:

  1. odiferous molecules are extremely volatile.
  2. the functions of smell are emotional rather than physiological.
  3. the function and effects of smell are not fully understood.
  4. olfactory sensations are more fleeting than those of other senses.

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

This inquires regarding the author's description of the sense of smell as "elusive." Smell is described as being an elusive sense in the first sentence of the first paragraph. Although, the author does not explicitly state why smell is an elusive sense, the author implies that smell is a mysterious process whose effects, means of functioning, and process of registering in the brain are not fully known. Considering this, then, choice (C) is the correct answer. One can infer that the author describes the sense of smell as elusive because "the function and effects of smell are not fully understood". Choice (A) suggests that the author deems smell elusive because
odiferous molecules are extremely volatile. It is true that odiferous molecules are volatile, as this is stated in the third sentence of the second paragraph. The author, however, strongly implies that the mysterious functions of smell, not the actual make-up of odor molecules, is what is elusive about olfaction. Choice (B) says that the author characterizes smell as elusive because its functions are emotional rather than physical. This is not true.
Throughout the first paragraph the author points out that smell has both physical and emotional functions. This is a central current of thought throughout the passage. Finally, choice (D) states that olfactory sensations are more fleeting than those of other senses. Even though the second sentence of the second paragraph says that smell reaches the brain more quickly than do sensations of other senses, and the third sentence of that paragraph says that odiferous molecules are volatile and dissipate quickly, we cannot confuse and combine these issues to conclude that olfactory sensations are more fleeting than those of touch, sight, or sound. The pace of olfactory sensations is an issue that simply is not addressed in the passage; choice (D) is wrong.



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