The Human Body and Life Development Study Guide EMT

Which of the following describes the Moro reflex?

A. When something touches a neonate’s cheek, he or she instinctively turns his or her head toward the touch.

B. The neonate opens his or her arms wide, spreads his or her fingers, and seems to grasp at something after being startled.

C. An infant’s heart rate decreases secondary to hypoxia because he or she depends heavily on the heart rate to perfuse the body.

D. When the sole of the foot is stroked with a blunt object, the big toe lifts upward and the other toes fan outward.

B. The neonate opens his or her arms wide, spreads his or her fingers, and seems to grasp at something after being startled.

You suspect that a 75-year-old man has internal injuries after he fell and struck his ribs and abdomen on the corner of a table. When assessing and treating an injured patient of this age, you must recall that:

A. His ability to physiologically compensate for his injury might be impaired due to an inability to increase cardiac output.

B. It is not uncommon to observe heart rates in excess of 150 beats/min in elderly patients with internal injuries.

C. Blood pressure is usually adequately maintained because the blood vessels of older people can contract easily.

D. Functional blood volume in patients of this age steadily increases due to increased production of red blood cells.

A. His ability to physiologically compensate for his injury might be impaired due to an inability to increase cardiac output.

Deoxygenated blood from the abdomen, pelvis, and lower extremities is returned to the right atrium via the:

inferior vena cava.

 

A 16-year-old female complains of vaginal bleeding and abdominal cramping that began several hours ago. During your assessment interview, you should:

inquire about the possibility of pregnancy in private, if possible.

Hemoglobin is a molecule that attaches to ___________ and carries oxygen.

erythrocytes

How does respiration differ from ventilation?

Respiration is the process of gas exchange, whereas ventilation is the movement of air between the lungs and the environment.

Which of the following is not a function of the skin?

A. Sensory reception

B. Temperature regulation

C. Metabolic coordination

D. Pressure and pain perception

C. Metabolic coordination

 

With increasing age, the heart must work harder to move the blood effectively because:

the blood vessels become stiff.

Breathing occurs as the result of a(n):

increase in carbon dioxide, which decreases the pH of the cerebrospinal fluid.

The autonomic nervous system controls all of the following functions, except:

A. digestion.

B. breathing.

C. breath holding.

D. vessel dilation.

C. breath holding.

Which of the following statements regarding the kidneys is correct?

A. The kidneys eliminate toxic waste products from the body and control the body’s fluid balance.

B. Both kidneys are located in the anterior abdominal cavity and lie in between the liver and the spleen.

C. Because the kidneys require little oxygen, only 5% of the body’s blood volume passes through them each minute.

D. A series of small blood vessels attach the kidneys directly to the superior vena cava and renal arteries.

A. The kidneys eliminate toxic waste products from the body and control the body’s fluid balance.

Why do middle adults commonly experience financial concerns?

A. They are typically receiving social security and must budget with a fixed income.

B. Most people in the middle adult age group have chronic illnesses and cannot work.

C. They are preparing for retirement but must still manage everyday financial demands.

D. The majority of middle adults still have small children who live at home with them.

C. They are preparing for retirement but must still manage everyday financial demands.

Which of the following statements regarding the heart is correct?

A. The heart is under the control of the autonomic nervous system.

B. The heart can tolerate an interruption of oxygen for five minutes.

C. The heart receives its blood supply from the pulmonary arteries.

D. The heart relies on an external electrical source to function correctly.

A. The heart is under the control of the autonomic nervous system.

The anterior fontanelle fuses together between the ages of:

9 and 18 months.

At rest, the normal adult heart rate should not exceed:

100 beats/min.

When assessing an 80-year-old patient in shock, it is important to remember that:

A. It is common to see a more significant increase in heart rate than what would be expected in younger adults.

B. Age-related changes in the cardiovascular system might make the patient less able to compensate for decreased perfusion.

C. The patient’s cardiac output is able to increase by nearly 200% in response to the decrease in perfusion.

D. In older adults, it is especially common to observe a significant decrease in heart rate in response to shock.

B. Age-related changes in the cardiovascular system might make the patient less able to compensate for decreased perfusion.

Which skin layers contain sweat and oil glands, hair follicles, blood vessels, and nerve endings?

Dermis

Which of the following structures does not contain smooth muscle?

A. Blood vessels

B. Urinary system

C. Skeletal system

D. Gastrointestinal tract

C. Skeletal system

Bleeding is normally stopped by:

activation of platelets.

A patient has a blood pressure of 130/70 mm Hg. The “130” in this measurement represents:

A. atrial contraction.

B. ventricular filling.

C. ventricular contraction.

D. ventricular relaxation.

C. ventricular contraction.

Which of the following arteries does not carry highly oxygenated blood?

A. Aorta

B. Renal

C. Femoral

D. Pulmonary

D. Pulmonary

Which of the following statements regarding nervous system control of the cardiovascular system is correct?

A. When stimulated, the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for increasing the heart rate.

B. Alpha-adrenergic receptors are located exclusively in the heart and are stimulated by epinephrine.

C. Baroreceptors located throughout the body provide information to the brain regarding the blood pressure.

D. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems work together to perform the same function.

C. Baroreceptors located throughout the body provide information to the brain regarding the blood pressure.

Relative to an adult’s airway anatomy, the child’s:

A. tongue takes up less space in the pharynx.

B. pharynx is smaller and less deeply curved.

C. trachea is smaller, softer, and less flexible.

D. mouth and nose are proportionately larger.

B. pharynx is smaller and less deeply curved.

A person’s bones will become brittle if he or she is deficient in:

calcium

The circulation of blood within an organ or tissue in adequate amounts to meet the cells’ current needs is called:

perfusion

Activities such as walking, talking, and writing are regulated by the:

somatic nervous system.

 

The risk of bleeding in the skull, which increases with age, is most directly related to:

shrinkage of the brain.

The average adult has approximately ___________ of blood in his or her vascular system.

6 L

The low normal systolic blood pressure for a 30-year-old is:

90 mm Hg.

In an otherwise healthy adult, blood loss would cause:

A. vascular dilation and bradycardia.

B. vascular constriction and bradycardia.

C. vascular dilation and tachycardia.

D. vascular constriction and tachycardia.

D. vascular constriction and tachycardia.

The brain connects to the spinal cord through a large opening at the base of the skull called the:

foramen magnum.

Contraction of the right ventricle causes:

A. Closure of the mitral and aortic valves.

B. A return of blood from the pulmonary veins.

C. Blood to flow into the pulmonary circulation.

D. Ejection of blood into the systemic circulation.

C. Blood to flow into the pulmonary circulation.

Which of the following systems is responsible for releasing hormones that regulate body activities?

A. Skeletal

B. Nervous

C. Endocrine

D. Reproductive

C. Endocrine

Which of the following statements regarding plasma is correct?

A. Plasma transports the blood cells and nutrients.

B. Approximately 45% of the blood is composed of plasma.

C. Plasma has no role in the body’s blood-clotting mechanism.

D. Most of the body’s plasma is contained within the large veins.

A. Plasma transports the blood cells and nutrients.

Signs of adequate breathing in the adult include all of the following, except:
A. A reduction in tidal volume.

B. Respirations of 18 breaths/min.

C. Bilaterally clear breath sounds.

D. Rhythmic inhalation and exhalation.

A. A reduction in tidal volume.

The areas of the spinal column, in descending order, are:

cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccyx.

The bones of the forearm are called the:

radius and ulna.

Which of the following is a physical change that typically occurs in the adolescent age group?

A. Secondary sexual development begins.

B. Muscle and bone growth both decrease.

C. The normal pulse rate steadily increases.

D. The systolic blood pressure decreases.

A. Secondary sexual development begins.

You are dispatched to a call for a 4-month-old infant with respiratory distress. While you prepare to take care of this child, you must remember that:

A. Small infants are nose breathers and require clear nasal passages at all times.

B. Assisted ventilations in infants often need to be forceful to inflate their lungs.

C. The infant’s proportionately small tongue often causes an airway obstruction.

D. An infant’s head should be placed in a flexed position to prevent obstruction.

A. Small infants are nose breathers and require clear nasal passages at all times.