Chapter 6: Anatomy and Physology

1) Physiology is the study of:

A) body structure.

B) disease.

C) body function.

D) exercise and nutrition.

C) body function. Physiology is the study of body function.

2) In relation to anatomy, the term topography means:

A) the study of the skin.

B) external landmarks of body structures.

C) blood pressure fluctuations.

D) key elements of the central nervous system.

B) external landmarks of body structures. Topography refers to external landmarks used to locate organs or structures.

3) Which of the following best describes the medical condition of shock?

A) Hypotension

B) A state of inadequate tissue perfusion

C) An extreme emotional reaction to a stressful event

D) Delayed capillary refill

B) A state of inadequate tissue perfusion. Shock (hypoperfusion) is inadequate circulation of blood through organs or tissues.

4) Which of the following structures or tissues is not part of the musculoskeletal system?

A) Ligaments

B) Acetabulum

C) Fat

D) Tendons

C) Fat. Fat (adipose tissue) is not part of the musculoskeletal system.

5) Which of the following structures do not form part of the thorax?

A) Sternum

B) Ribs

C) Manubrium

D) Ischium

D) Ischium. The ischium is part of the pelvis, not the thorax.

6) What are the two most easily injured portions of the spine?

A) Sacral and coccygeal

B) Cervical and thoracic

C) Cervical and lumbar

D) Lumbar and sacral

C) Cervical and lumbar. The cervical spine is vulnerable due to the weight of the head, and the lumbar spine is unsupported and commonly injured.

7) Which of the following terms describes the heart muscle's ability to generate its own electrical impulses?

A) Contractility

B) Conductivity

C) Automaticity

D) Irritability

C) Automaticity. Automaticity is the heart's ability to generate and conduct its own electrical impulses.

8) Which of the following respiratory processes requires the active use of muscles?

A) Inhalation

B) Bifurcation

C) Exhalation

D) Gas exchange

A) Inhalation. Inhalation requires the diaphragm and rib muscles to actively contract.

9) What type of muscles control the size of the bronchioles in the lungs?

A) Voluntary

B) Striated

C) Skeletal

D) Smooth

D) Smooth. Smooth muscle controls bronchiole size and works involuntarily.

10) Which of the following organs functions as a reservoir for blood that can be used in case of blood loss?

A) Liver

B) Spleen

C) Thyroid gland

D) Heart

B) Spleen. The spleen stores reserve blood that can be released during blood loss.

11) An artery is a blood vessel that only:

A) returns blood to the heart.

B) carries oxygenated blood.

C) carries deoxygenated blood.

D) carries blood away from the heart.

D) carries blood away from the heart. Arteries always carry blood away from the heart.

12) The cardiac muscle receives its supply of oxygenated blood by which of the following mechanisms?

A) Coronary arteries that branch off the aorta

B) Coronary veins that branch off the pulmonary vein as it returns oxygenated blood to the heart

C) The brachial artery returning blood from the lungs

D) The pulmonary artery beginning at the right ventricle

A) Coronary arteries that branch off the aorta. The heart muscle is supplied by the coronary artery system branching off the aorta.

13) A clot cannot form without which of the following blood components?

A) Plasma

B) Corpuscles

C) Platelets

D) White blood cells

C) Platelets. Platelets release chemical clotting factors necessary to form blood clots.

14) You are caring for a 47-year-old male patient with classical chest pain suggestive of a myocardial infarction. Based on your understanding of the cardiovascular system, you know he could be suffering from damage, narrowing, or blockage of what arteries?

A) Pulmonary arteries

B) Coronary arteries

C) Brachial arteries

D) Femoral arteries

B) Coronary arteries. Coronary arteries supply the heart muscle, and blockage can cause myocardial infarction symptoms.

15) Which of the following types of blood vessels allow the exchange of substances directly between the blood and the cells of the body?

A) Veins

B) Alveoli

C) Capillaries

D) Arterioles

C) Capillaries. Capillaries are thin-walled vessels where gas and nutrient exchange occurs with cells.

16) Which of the following makes up more than half of the volume of blood in the body?

A) Platelets

B) Plasma

C) Red blood cells

D) White corpuscles

B) Plasma. Plasma is the watery fluid that makes up more than half of blood volume.

17) You have been dispatched to the site of a construction accident where a 36-year-old male patient was moderately cut by some machinery. His left arm has a 4" deep laceration that appears to have stopped bleeding with the gauze and direct pressure applied by his coworkers. Your knowledge of physiology suggests that which component of blood was partially responsible for forming clotting factors to stop the bleeding?

A) Platelets

B) White blood cells

C) Plasma

D) Red blood cells

A) Platelets. Platelets release clotting factors needed for blood clot formation.

18) What condition of immediate concern results from a loss of red blood cells due to hemorrhage?

A) Decreased ability to fight infection

B) Decrease in pulse rate

C) Decreased oxygen delivery to the tissues

D) Decreased production of carbon dioxide

C) Decreased oxygen delivery to the tissues. Red blood cells carry oxygen, so losing them reduces oxygen delivery.

19) The pressure against the walls of the blood vessels as blood is ejected from the heart and circulates through the body is the ________ blood pressure.

A) systolic

B) diastolic

C) central venous

D) mean arterial

A) systolic. Systolic pressure is created when the left ventricle contracts and ejects blood.

20) The pulse palpated on the top of the foot is called the ________ pulse.

A) phalanx proximalis

B) tibialis posterior

C) dorsalis pedis

D) suprametatarsal

C) dorsalis pedis. The dorsalis pedis pulse is palpated on the top of the foot.

21) In which of the following locations is the femoral pulse palpated?

A) In the crease between the abdomen and the groin

B) Behind the knee

C) On the medial side of the ankle, posterior to the tibia

D) On the medial side of the upper arm

A) In the crease between the abdomen and the groin. The femoral artery runs through the groin crease.

22) You are on the scene at an office building where a 32-year-old male is described as having difficulty breathing and chest pain. The patient is allergic to peanuts and thinks he may have accidentally ingested some cookies with peanuts in them this afternoon during his break. He is pale with a pulse rate of 158 and a respiratory rate of 36. You understand that a fight-or-flight response may have been activated in this patient, involving which nervous system and which hormone?

A) Parasympathetic nervous system and insulin

B) Parasympathetic nervous system and epinephrine

C) Sympathetic nervous system and insulin

D) Sympathetic nervous system and epinephrine

D) Sympathetic nervous system and epinephrine. Fight-or-flight is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system using epinephrine.

23) Which of the following is the primary function of the stomach?

A) Production of bile

B) Absorption of water from food products

C) Chemical breakdown of food by acidic secretions

D) Absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream

C) Chemical breakdown of food by acidic secretions. The stomach uses acidic gastric juices to break food down.

24) Which of the following structures allows food to move from the mouth to the stomach?

A) Trachea

B) Venae cavae

C) Duodenum

D) Esophagus

D) Esophagus. The esophagus transports food from the mouth to the stomach.

25) Which of the following body systems primarily produces hormones?

A) Cardiovascular

B) Gastrointestinal

C) Exocrine

D) Endocrine

D) Endocrine. The endocrine system produces hormones that regulate body functions.

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

A) Regulation of body temperature

B) Balancing water in the body

C) Protection from the environment

D) Removal of old blood vessels

D) Removal of old blood vessels. The skin does not remove old blood vessels.

27) What system is composed of organs, tissues, and vessels that help maintain the fluid balance of the body and contribute to the body's immune system?

A) Respiratory system

B) Endocrine system

C) Lymphatic system

D) Digestive system

C) Lymphatic system. The lymphatic system maintains fluid balance and contributes to immune function.

28) Failure of the liver would result in which of the following?

A) Inability to filter out old and damaged blood cells

B) Inability to secrete insulin

C) Inability to detoxify harmful substances in the bloodstream

D) Inability to regulate temperature

C) Inability to detoxify harmful substances in the bloodstream. The liver detoxifies harmful substances and helps produce blood products.

29) What system is a group of organs and glands designed for the specific purpose of reproduction?

A) Respiratory system

B) Renal system

C) Lymphatic system

D) Reproductive system

D) Reproductive system. The reproductive system is designed specifically for reproduction.

30) The two major portions of the skull are the:

A) atlas and axis.

B) manubrium and mandible.

C) cranium and face.

D) frontal bone and ilium.

C) cranium and face. The skull is made up of the cranium and facial bones.

31) Your unit has arrived on the scene of a multiple vehicle collision where several vehicles have rear-ended each other. You are directed by the incident commander to care for a 23-year-old female in the first vehicle. The firefighter on-scene holding manual spinal immobilization indicates that her primary complaint is back pain from her head whipping back and forth from the impact. Your understanding of the anatomy of the spinal column and vertebrae suggests that this type of mechanism of injury results in frequent injuries to which part of the spinal column?

A) Lumbar spine

B) Thoracic spine

C) Cervical spine

D) Sacral spine

C) Cervical spine. Whiplash-type mechanisms most commonly injure the cervical spine due to the size and weight of the head.

32) What is another name for the eye socket?

A) Orbit

B) Parietal bone

C) Zygomatic arch

D) Odontoid process

A) Orbit. The bony structure surrounding the eye is called the orbit.

33) What is the inferior-most portion of the sternum?

A) Body

B) Sternal notch

C) Xiphoid process

D) Manubrium

C) Xiphoid process. The xiphoid process is the inferior portion of the sternum.

34) What is the large, wing-shaped bone on either side of the pelvis?

A) Ischium

B) Acetabulum

C) Pubis

D) Ilium

D) Ilium. The ilium is the wide, wing-shaped part of the pelvis.

35) Which of the following is not part of the lower extremity?

A) Femur

B) Carpals

C) Pelvis

D) Patella

B) Carpals. Carpals are wrist bones and part of the upper extremity.

36) What is the larger bone of the lower leg?

A) Tibia

B) Femur

C) Fibula

D) Patella

A) Tibia. The tibia is the larger medial bone of the lower leg.

37) What is another name for the shoulder blade?

A) Pharynx

B) Clavicle

C) Patella

D) Scapula

D) Scapula. The scapula is the shoulder blade.

38) What is the bone on the thumb side of the forearm?

A) Fibula

B) Acromion

C) Radius

D) Ulna

C) Radius. The radius is the lateral forearm bone aligned with the thumb.

39) What is the long bone of the upper portion of the arm?

A) Humerus

B) Ulna

C) Scapula

D) Radius

A) Humerus. The humerus is the upper arm bone between shoulder and elbow.

40) What are the small bones that make up the wrist called?

A) Tarsals

B) Carpals

C) Metatarsals

D) Metacarpals

B) Carpals. The wrist bones are called carpals.

41) At which of the following locations could you palpate a malleolus?

A) Elbow

B) Ankle

C) Spinal column

D) Wrist

B) Ankle. The malleolus is the bony protrusion on the side of the ankle.

42) Which of the following is the only movable bone of the face?

A) Mandible

B) Maxillae

C) Zygomatic arch

D) Manubrium

A) Mandible. The mandible (lower jaw) is the only movable facial bone.

43) Which of the following is not part of the upper extremities?

A) Carpals

B) Calcaneus

C) Clavicle

D) Scapula

B) Calcaneus. The calcaneus is the heel bone and part of the lower extremity.

44) Your 15-year-old patient was playing baseball today and was struck in the face by a baseball bat. As you assess his injuries and manage spinal immobilization, you note that several of his teeth are broken and he seems to have deformity and pain isolated to his lower jaw. The lower jaw bone is also known as the:

A) orbit.

B) maxillae.

C) manubrium.

D) mandible.

D) mandible. The mandible is the lower jawbone.

45) You have been dispatched to a local shopping mall where a 63-year-old female patient has slipped and fallen in a department store. Upon your arrival, you find her supine on the ground, conscious and oriented with stable vital signs, complaining of severe pain in the upper portion of her left leg and hip. Her left leg is slightly shortened and rotated outward. The bone most commonly fractured with a "broken hip" is the:

A) femur.

B) tibia.

C) fibula.

D) ilium.

A) femur. Most "hip fractures" involve the proximal femur, not the pelvis.

46) Which of the following structures closes over the trachea to protect it during swallowing?

A) Pharynx

B) Epiglottis

C) Cricoid cartilage

D) Diaphragm

B) Epiglottis. The epiglottis closes over the trachea during swallowing to prevent aspiration.

47) What type of blood vessels surround the alveoli?

A) Arterioles

B) Veins

C) Capillaries

D) Arteries

C) Capillaries. Pulmonary capillaries surround the alveoli for gas exchange.

48) Your patient is an 84-year-old male with difficulty breathing and peripheral edema. He tells you he has been suffering for many years with "heart failure," and his condition is worsening, especially with trouble breathing at night. Your knowledge of cardiovascular physiology suggests that his condition could have resulted from the failure of either the right or left side of his heart. Which chamber of the heart is the strongest, most muscular part of the heart and is primarily responsible for pumping oxygenated blood to the rest of the body?

A) Left ventricle

B) Right ventricle

C) Left atrium

D) Right atrium

A) Left ventricle. The left ventricle is the strongest chamber and pumps oxygenated blood through the aorta to the body.

49) Which of the following structures receives deoxygenated blood from the body via the venae cavae?

A) Right ventricle

B) Left ventricle

C) Left atrium

D) Right atrium

D) Right atrium. The venae cavae return blood to the heart, entering the right atrium.

50) What vessel carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs?

A) Venae cavae

B) Aorta

C) Pulmonary artery

D) Pulmonary veins

C) Pulmonary artery. The pulmonary artery carries oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle to the lungs.

51) What is the strongest and most muscular part of the heart?

A) Left atrium

B) Right ventricle

C) Left ventricle

D) Right atrium

C) Left ventricle. The left ventricle is the most muscular chamber because it pumps blood to the entire body.

52) Which of the following are the components of the complete nervous system?

A) Brain and autonomic nerves

B) Spinal cord and motor nerves

C) Spinal cord and sensory nerves

D) Brain, spinal cord, and nerve tissue

D) Brain, spinal cord, and nerve tissue. The nervous system includes the brain, spinal cord, and associated nerve tissue.

53) Which layer of the skin is exposed to the environment?

A) Adipose tissue

B) Dermis

C) Subcutaneous tissue

D) Epidermis

D) Epidermis. The epidermis is the outermost skin layer exposed to the environment.

54) Which organ secretes insulin after a person eats a large meal?

A) Gallbladder

B) Spleen

C) Liver

D) Pancreas

D) Pancreas. The pancreas produces insulin for sugar absorption and digestive enzymes.

55) Which organ is the principal organ of the renal system?

A) Kidney

B) Bladder

C) Ureter

D) Urethra

A) Kidney. The kidneys are the main organs of the renal system.

56) What is not one of the primary organs for the female reproductive system?

A) Ovaries

B) Uterus

C) Urethra

D) Vagina

C) Urethra. The urethra is part of the renal system, not the reproductive system.

57) A child's ________ takes up proportionally more space in the pharynx than does an adult's.

A) trachea

B) tongue

C) epiglottis

D) cricoid cartilage

B) tongue. A child's tongue is proportionally larger and takes up more space in the pharynx.

58) What causes the "seesaw" breathing pattern of young children?

A) The cricoid cartilage and trachea are both more flexible than in adults, making breathing more difficult.

B) The size of their tongues in proportion to their mouths is larger than an adult's.

C) They rely more on the diaphragm during breathing difficulty.

D) Young children have a pronounced inward curvature at the bottom of the ribcage.

C) They rely more on the diaphragm during breathing difficulty. Children rely heavily on diaphragmatic breathing due to a softer chest wall, causing seesaw motion.

59) What two body systems are critical for the life support chain?

A) Respiratory and cardiovascular systems

B) Respiratory and endocrine systems

C) Cardiopulmonary and digestive systems

D) Cardiovascular and lymphatic systems

A) Respiratory and cardiovascular systems. These systems work together as the cardiopulmonary system to deliver oxygen to tissues.

60) What two components are directly related to aerobic metabolism?

A) Exercise and water

B) Electrolytes and carbohydrates

C) Oxygen and glucose

D) Carbolic acid and air

C) Oxygen and glucose. Aerobic metabolism converts glucose using oxygen.