Confusable pairs

126 questions on concepts that look alike on test day. Each one explains why the look-alike answer is wrong.

Bio/Biochem 39

  1. Gluconeogenesis vs. glycogenolysis: which enzymes?Metabolism and bioenergetics · set 3 · medium
  2. Innate vs. adaptive immunityOrgan systems · set 3 · easy
  3. Glucokinase vs. hexokinaseMetabolism and bioenergetics · set 4 · medium
  4. Substrate-level vs. oxidative phosphorylationMetabolism and bioenergetics · set 1 · easy
  5. Uncouplers vs. electron transport chain inhibitorsMetabolism and bioenergetics · set 3 · hard
  6. Mitosis vs. meiosis ICell division and development · set 1 · medium
  7. Reducing vs. nonreducing sugarsBiomolecules and organic chemistry · set 1 · easy
  8. α vs. β glycosidic linkages: starch vs. celluloseBiomolecules and organic chemistry · set 1 · easy
  9. SDS-PAGE vs. native PAGE vs. isoelectric focusingSeparations and purification · set 1 · easy
  10. Affinity vs. ion-exchange vs. size-exclusion chromatographySeparations and purification · set 1 · medium
  11. Nonsense vs. missense vs. silent mutationsGenes and gene expression · set 3 · easy
  12. DNA replication vs. transcriptionGenes and gene expression · set 3 · medium
  13. Breaking disulfide bonds: β-mercaptoethanol vs. ureaProteins and enzymes · set 5 · easy
  14. Enzyme classes: kinases vs. phosphatasesProteins and enzymes · set 4 · easy
  15. Apoenzyme vs. holoenzymeProteins and enzymes · set 4 · easy
  16. Zymogen activation: pepsinogen vs. trypsinogenOrgan systems · set 3 · medium
  17. Trp operon: repressible vs. inducibleGenes and gene expression · set 5 · medium
  18. Northern vs. Southern vs. Western blotGenes and gene expression · set 1 · easy
  19. Km vs. kcat vs. catalytic efficiencyProteins and enzymes · set 2 · medium
  20. Codominance vs. incomplete dominanceGenetics and evolution · set 3 · easy
  21. Nondisjunction in meiosis I vs. meiosis IIGenetics and evolution · set 3 · medium
  22. Founder effect vs. bottleneck effectGenetics and evolution · set 1 · easy
  23. Stabilizing vs. directional vs. disruptive selectionGenetics and evolution · set 1 · easy
  24. Hemoglobin vs. myoglobin: cooperative bindingProteins and enzymes · set 4 · easy
  25. Penetrance vs. expressivityGenetics and evolution · set 2 · medium
  26. Fatty acid synthesis vs. β-oxidationMetabolism and bioenergetics · set 6 · medium
  27. Covalent modification vs. allosteric regulationProteins and enzymes · set 3 · easy
  28. Peroxisome vs. lysosome functionsCells and organelles · set 1 · easy
  29. Microtubules vs. microfilaments vs. intermediate filamentsCells and organelles · set 1 · easy
  30. Gap junctions vs. tight junctions vs. desmosomesCells and organelles · set 1 · easy
  31. Transduction vs. transformation vs. conjugationProkaryotes and viruses · set 1 · easy
  32. Lysogenic vs. lytic cycleProkaryotes and viruses · set 1 · easy
  33. Germ layers: ectoderm vs. mesoderm vs. endodermCell division and development · set 1 · easy
  34. Sympathetic vs. parasympathetic effectsNervous and endocrine systems · set 3 · easy
  35. Steroid vs. peptide hormone mechanismsNervous and endocrine systems · set 1 · medium
  36. PTH vs. calcitonin in calcium balanceNervous and endocrine systems · set 1 · medium
  37. Aldosterone vs. ADH in the kidneyOrgan systems · set 5 · medium
  38. Secretin vs. CCKOrgan systems · set 2 · easy
  39. MHC class I vs. class IIOrgan systems · set 3 · easy

Chem/Phys 6

  1. Reaction quotient vs. equilibrium constantThermodynamics, kinetics, and equilibrium · set 1 · medium
  2. Photon energy vs. wavelengthLight and sound · set 1 · easy
  3. Photoelectric effect: intensity vs. frequencyAtoms and nuclear physics · set 1 · medium
  4. Lewis acids vs. Lewis basesSolutions, acids, and bases · set 1 · easy
  5. Fractional vs. simple distillationSeparations and purification · set 1 · easy
  6. Enantiomers vs. diastereomersBiomolecules and organic chemistry · set 1 · easy

Psych/Soc 81

  1. Negative reinforcement vs. punishmentLearning and conditioning · set 3 · easy
  2. Social facilitation vs. social loafingSocial processes · set 1 · medium
  3. Retrograde vs. anterograde amnesiaCognition, memory, and sleep · set 4 · medium
  4. Inattentional blindness vs. change blindnessSensation and perception · set 1 · medium
  5. Group polarization vs. groupthinkSocial processes · set 1 · medium
  6. Deductive vs. inductive reasoningCognition, memory, and sleep · set 6 · medium
  7. Problem-focused vs. emotion-focused copingEmotion and stress · set 2 · medium
  8. Persistent depressive disorder vs. major depressionPersonality, motivation, and disorders · set 5 · medium
  9. Bipolar I vs. bipolar IIPersonality, motivation, and disorders · set 5 · medium
  10. Internal vs. external validityResearch design · set 1 · easy
  11. OCD vs. obsessive-compulsive personality disorderPersonality, motivation, and disorders · set 5 · medium
  12. Acute stress disorder vs. PTSDPersonality, motivation, and disorders · set 5 · medium
  13. Moderator vs. mediator vs. confounding variableResearch design · set 2 · hard
  14. Collective behavior: fads vs. mass hysteriaSocial structures and institutions · set 1 · medium
  15. Reform vs. revolutionary social movementsSocial structures and institutions · set 2 · medium
  16. Proactive vs. retroactive interferenceCognition, memory, and sleep · set 2 · easy
  17. Random assignment vs. random samplingResearch design · set 2 · medium
  18. Habituation vs. sensory adaptationSensation and perception · set 2 · hard
  19. Procedural vs. episodic memory after hippocampal damageCognition, memory, and sleep · set 3 · medium
  20. Changing α: Type I vs. Type II errorsData and statistics · set 2 · hard
  21. Fluid vs. crystallized intelligence with agingCognition, memory, and sleep · set 1 · easy
  22. EEG vs. fMRI: temporal resolutionCognition, memory, and sleep · set 5 · hard
  23. Top-down vs. bottom-up processingSensation and perception · set 1 · easy
  24. Schachter–Singer vs. James–Lange vs. Cannon–BardEmotion and stress · set 1 · medium
  25. Actor–observer bias vs. fundamental attribution errorSocial thinking and prejudice · set 1 · medium
  26. Primary vs. secondary appraisal of stressEmotion and stress · set 1 · easy
  27. Conflict theory vs. functionalism vs. symbolic interactionismSocial structures and institutions · set 2 · easy
  28. Organic vs. mechanical solidarity (Durkheim)Social structures and institutions · set 2 · medium
  29. Master status vs. ascribed and achieved statusSocial interaction and groups · set 2 · medium
  30. Relative vs. absolute povertySocial inequality · set 1 · easy
  31. Intragenerational vs. intergenerational mobilitySocial inequality · set 1 · easy
  32. Signal detection theory: false alarm vs. missSensation and perception · set 2 · easy
  33. Rods vs. cones in dim lightSensation and perception · set 2 · easy
  34. Place theory vs. frequency theory of pitchSensation and perception · set 1 · medium
  35. Gestalt principles: closure vs. proximity vs. similaritySensation and perception · set 1 · easy
  36. Reliability vs. validity in measurementResearch design · set 1 · medium
  37. Binocular vs. monocular depth cuesSensation and perception · set 1 · easy
  38. Otolith organs vs. semicircular canalsSensation and perception · set 2 · medium
  39. Absolute threshold vs. difference thresholdSensation and perception · set 2 · easy
  40. Piaget: assimilation vs. accommodationCognition, memory, and sleep · set 1 · easy
  41. Availability vs. representativeness heuristicCognition, memory, and sleep · set 5 · easy
  42. Belief perseverance vs. confirmation biasCognition, memory, and sleep · set 5 · medium
  43. Functional fixedness vs. mental setCognition, memory, and sleep · set 5 · easy
  44. Night terrors (N3) vs. nightmares (REM)Cognition, memory, and sleep · set 7 · medium
  45. Classical vs. operant conditioningLearning and conditioning · set 1 · easy
  46. Cocaine vs. amphetamine: how they raise dopamineCognition, memory, and sleep · set 6 · medium
  47. Broca's vs. Wernicke's aphasiaCognition, memory, and sleep · set 2 · easy
  48. Elaborative vs. maintenance rehearsalCognition, memory, and sleep · set 3 · easy
  49. Serial position: recency vs. primacy effectCognition, memory, and sleep · set 3 · medium
  50. Language acquisition: nativist vs. learning vs. interactionistCognition, memory, and sleep · set 2 · easy
  51. Spearman's g vs. Gardner's multiple intelligencesCognition, memory, and sleep · set 2 · easy
  52. Amygdala vs. hippocampus: fear and memoryEmotion and stress · set 1 · easy
  53. Drive-reduction vs. incentive vs. arousal theoryPersonality, motivation, and disorders · set 2 · easy
  54. Defense mechanisms: displacement vs. projection vs. sublimationPersonality, motivation, and disorders · set 3 · easy
  55. Reaction formation vs. repression vs. rationalizationPersonality, motivation, and disorders · set 3 · medium
  56. Elaboration likelihood: central vs. peripheral routeLearning and conditioning · set 1 · medium
  57. Schizophrenia: positive vs. negative symptomsPersonality, motivation, and disorders · set 4 · easy
  58. Personality disorders: antisocial vs. avoidant vs. schizoidPersonality, motivation, and disorders · set 4 · medium
  59. Dissociative identity disorder vs. schizophreniaPersonality, motivation, and disorders · set 4 · easy
  60. Panic disorder vs. generalized anxiety disorderPersonality, motivation, and disorders · set 4 · easy
  61. Normative vs. informational social influenceSocial processes · set 2 · medium
  62. Self-handicapping vs. self-serving biasSelf and identity · set 1 · medium
  63. Door-in-the-face vs. foot-in-the-doorSocial processes · set 2 · medium
  64. Spontaneous recovery vs. extinctionLearning and conditioning · set 1 · easy
  65. Stimulus generalization vs. discriminationLearning and conditioning · set 1 · easy
  66. Erikson: identity vs. role confusionSelf and identity · set 1 · easy
  67. Self-efficacy vs. self-esteemSelf and identity · set 1 · medium
  68. Stereotype vs. prejudice vs. discriminationSocial thinking and prejudice · set 2 · easy
  69. Stereotype threat vs. self-fulfilling prophecySocial thinking and prejudice · set 2 · medium
  70. Cultural relativism vs. ethnocentrismSocial thinking and prejudice · set 1 · easy
  71. Goffman: front stage vs. back stageSocial interaction and groups · set 1 · easy
  72. Primary vs. secondary groupsSocial interaction and groups · set 1 · easy
  73. Cultural lag: material vs. nonmaterial cultureSocial structures and institutions · set 1 · medium
  74. Obedience vs. conformity vs. complianceSocial processes · set 1 · easy
  75. Assimilation vs. amalgamation vs. multiculturalismDemographics and culture · set 1 · easy
  76. Cultural capital vs. social capitalSocial inequality · set 1 · medium
  77. Incidence vs. prevalenceData and statistics · set 1 · medium
  78. Cross-sectional vs. longitudinal designsResearch design · set 1 · medium
  79. Correlation vs. causation: third variablesResearch design · set 1 · easy
  80. Avoidance vs. escape learningLearning and conditioning · set 3 · medium
  81. Negative punishment vs. negative reinforcementLearning and conditioning · set 4 · medium