NurseHub HESI® A2 Practice Test and Study Guide Review

Practice flashcards covering Science (Anatomy & Physiology, Biology, Chemistry), Math, Grammar, and Vocabulary based on the NurseHub HESI® A2 practice exam and study rationales.

HESI® A2

The Health Education Systems, Inc. Admission Assessment, a computerized exam used for journey into nursing school.

ProctorU

An online service through which some schools offer the HESI® A2 exam online.

Sagittal plane

A vertical plane that runs from the front to the back, dividing the body into left and right sides.

Coronal plane

A vertical plane that divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) sections; also called a frontal plane.

Transverse plane

A horizontal plane that divides the body into upper (superior) and lower (inferior) parts.

Distal

An anatomical direction meaning further away from the trunk of the body.

Proximal

An anatomical direction meaning closer to the trunk of the body.

Medial

An anatomical direction meaning closer to the midline of the body.

Lateral

An anatomical direction meaning further away from the midline of the body; situated at or proceeding from the side.

Cardiac muscles

Branched, striated muscles with a single nucleus found in the heart; they are not under voluntary control.

Smooth muscles

Spindle-shaped, nonstriated, involuntary muscles with a single nucleus found in hollow organs.

Skeletal muscle

Striated multinucleated cylindrical fibers attached to bones moves the body under voluntary control.

Compact bone

The harder, outer shell of the bone composed of Haversian canals surrounded by concentric rings of lamellae.

Cancellous bone

The inner meshwork of spongy tissue (trabeculae) found at the core of vertebral bones and ends of long bones; also called spongy bone.

Neurons

Excitable nervous tissues typically covered by a myelin sheath with a cell body, an axon, and dendrites.

Neuroglia

Non-excitable nervous tissue, such as Astrocytes and Schwann cells, that support the neurons; also called glial cells.

Diaphysis

The shaft of a long bone.

Epiphyses

The two ends of a long bone.

Adduction

A body movement that pulls a structure towards the midline.

Abduction

A body movement that pulls a structure away from the midline.

Flexion

A body movement that reduces the angle at a joint.

Supination

A rotation of the forearm so that the palm faces anteriorly (towards the front).

Sarcomere

The basic contractile unit of a muscle, composed of actin and myosin filaments.

Actin

A thin protein filament in a muscle fiber covered in troponin.

Myosin

A thick protein filament in a muscle fiber that binds to actin to cause contraction.

Central nervous system

One of the two main parts of the nervous system, comprised of the brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral nervous system

A part of the nervous system comprising the cranial nerves, spinal nerves, peripheral nerves, and ganglia.

Autonomic nervous system

The involuntary part of the peripheral nervous system that innervates smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, glands, and viscera.

Somatic nervous system

The voluntary part of the peripheral nervous system that innervates skeletal muscle.

Pancreas

An organ in the abdomen that produces digestive enzymes and the hormones glucagon and insulin.

Hypothalamus

The control center for the endocrine system that tells the pituitary gland what hormones to make and maintains homeostasis.

Pituitary gland

The "master endocrine gland" that produces several hormones regulating the activities of other endocrine glands.

Erythropoiesis

The process of producing red blood cells, which occurs in the bone marrow.

Erythropoietin

A hormone released by the kidneys when they detect low blood oxygen, signaling the bone marrow to produce more erythrocytes.

EKG / ECG

An electrocardiogram that records the electrical activity of the heart to check for various conditions.

Mastication

The process by which teeth break down food particles in the oral cavity.

Chyme

Partially digested food mixed with gastric juice produced in the stomach.

Nephron

The functional unit of the kidney, each made up of a glomerulus and a tubule.

Dermis

The thickest, vascular layer of the skin containing capillaries necessary for thermoregulation.

Synapse

A specialized junction from which nerve impulses pass from one neuron to the next.

Placebo

A pill or treatment with no therapeutic value administered to prevent subjects from knowing if they are receiving real drug.

Specific heat

The amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius.

Enzymes

Proteins that catalyze or accelerate different cellular reactions and processes.

Ribosomes

Organelles responsible for protein synthesis by reading RNA and translating genetic instructions.

Mitochondria

The powerhouse of eukaryotic cells and the site of cellular respiration where ATP is produced.

Lysosomes

The digestive system of the cell containing hydrolytic enzymes that break down proteins, fats, sugars, and nucleic acids.

Vacuoles

Membrane-enclosed structures that provide storage for the cell, waste disposal, or protection.

Active transport

The movement of material across a membrane against the concentration gradient (from low to high concentration), requiring energy.

Passive transport

The movement of substances from an area of high concentration to low concentration, such as diffusion or osmosis.

Cellular respiration

A metabolic pathway consisting of glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation that breaks down glucose to produce ATP.

Photosynthesis

An anabolic process where plants use carbon dioxide, water, and light energy to produce glucose ($C_6H_{12}O_6$) and oxygen ($O_2$).

Glycolysis

The first step in the breakdown of glucose to extract energy, producing two three-carbon molecules called pyruvates.

Fermentation

An anaerobic pathway that breaks down glucose to extract energy in the absence of oxygen, producing alcohol or lactic acid.

Mitosis

Nuclear cell division in eukaryotic cells where a single parent cell divides into two identical daughter cells.

Meiosis

A type of cell division resulting in four unique daughter cells with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell, forming gametes.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an individual organism, often represented as a combination of alleles (e.g., $BB$, $Bb$, or $bb$).

Phenotype

The set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from its genetic makeup (e.g., brown hair).

Principal

A noun referring to the person of highest authority in an organization.

Principle

A noun referring to a rule, tenet, or basic truth.

Accept

A verb meaning to receive or approve of something.

Except

A preposition meaning excluding or to leave out.

Misplaced modifier

Words or phrases not located properly in relation to the words they modify or describe.

Complex sentence

A sentence containing an independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

Compound sentence

A sentence with at least two independent clauses joined by a semicolon or a comma and a conjunction.

Simple sentence

A sentence consisting of only one clause with a single subject and predicate.

Anion

A negatively charged atom that has more electrons than protons.

Cation

A positively charged atom that has more protons than electrons.

Isotope

Atoms with the same number of protons and electrons but a different number of neutrons.

Sublimation

The phase transition where a solid (like ice) transforms directly into a gas (like steam) without becoming a liquid.

Catalyst

A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction by lowering the activation energy without being consumed.

OIL RIG

A mnemonic for redox reactions: Oxidation Is Loss, Reduction Is Gain of electrons.

Half-life

The amount of time it takes for half of a radioactive substance to decay.

Abrupt

Sudden or unexpected.

Febrile

Pertaining to or marked by fever.

Languid

Lacking energy, or causing a lack of energy or enthusiasm.

Cicatrix

New tissue that forms over a wound and later contracts into a scar.

Palliative

A treatment that reduces pain without curing the cause of the pain.

Endogenous

Found or coming from within something, such as a system or a person’s body or mind.

Vertigo

A sensation of whirling and loss of balance.

Staunch

A verb meaning to stop something from happening, especially to stop the flow of blood from a wound.

Occluded

To close, shut, or stop up, such as blocked circulation.

Predicate nominative

A noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and renames or explains the subject.

Direct object

A word or phrase representing a person or thing receiving the action done by a verb.

Indirect object

The person or thing that is receiving the direct object or the action of the verb.