TEAS Anatomy and Physiology Practice Questions

A blood clot forms in a deep vein of a patient's left calf and breaks loose. If the patient has no heart defects, where is the clot most likely to lodge first?

1. AIn an artery that supplies the brain
2. BIn a branch of the pulmonary arteries
3. CIn one of the coronary arteries
4. DIn an artery that supplies the kidney

A patient's sinoatrial (SA) node stops firing, and the monitor now shows a steady rhythm of about 45 beats per minute. Which structure has most likely taken over as the pacemaker?

1. APurkinje fibers
2. BLeft ventricular wall
3. CInteratrial septum
4. DAtrioventricular node

Which event allows air to flow into the lungs during quiet, resting inspiration?

1. AThe diaphragm contracts, enlarging the chest cavity and lowering lung pressure
2. BThe diaphragm relaxes, enlarging the chest cavity and raising lung pressure
3. CThe internal intercostals contract, narrowing the rib cage and lowering pressure
4. DThe abdominal muscles contract, pushing the diaphragm up and raising pressure

A long-time smoker is diagnosed with emphysema, in which the walls between alveoli are destroyed. Which change most directly explains the patient's low blood oxygen?

1. AGreater surface area available for oxygen diffusion
2. BA thicker mucus layer lining the trachea
3. CLess surface area available for gas exchange
4. DNarrowing of the larynx during speech

After having her gallbladder removed, a patient is told that large, high-fat meals may cause discomfort. Which function did the gallbladder perform?

1. AProducing bile to emulsify dietary fats
2. BSecreting lipase to digest triglycerides
3. CStoring and concentrating bile from the liver
4. DAbsorbing fatty acids into the lacteals

A patient takes a medication that strongly reduces stomach acid production. Activation of which digestive enzyme is most directly impaired?

1. APepsin, formed from pepsinogen at low pH
2. BSalivary amylase, which digests starch in the mouth
3. CPancreatic lipase, which digests fats in the duodenum
4. DLactase, which digests milk sugar at the brush border

A cook touches a hot pan and jerks the hand away a split second before feeling any pain. Which best describes this response?

1. AA voluntary motor command from the cerebral cortex
2. BA hormonal response from the adrenal medulla
3. CA cranial nerve response coordinated by the brainstem
4. DA reflex arc processed in the spinal cord

What happens at a neuron's membrane during the depolarization phase of an action potential?

1. APotassium ions rush into the cell through voltage-gated channels
2. BSodium ions rush into the cell through voltage-gated channels
3. CSodium ions are moved out of the cell by the Na⁺/K⁺ pump
4. DChloride ions leave the cell through ligand-gated channels

A teenager with type 1 diabetes forgets an insulin dose before dinner. What happens to blood glucose, and why?

1. AIt rises, because body cells take up less glucose
2. BIt falls, because the liver stores more glucose as glycogen
3. CIt rises, because the pancreas releases extra insulin
4. DIt falls, because glucagon secretion stops completely

A patient's thyroid gland is damaged and produces too little T₃ and T₄. Through negative feedback, how is the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) expected to change?

1. ATSH falls because the pituitary senses low hormone levels
2. BTSH stays the same because the thyroid works independently
3. CTSH rises because the pituitary is no longer inhibited
4. DTSH falls because the hypothalamus stops making TRH

During a biceps curl, the muscle fibers of the biceps shorten. At the molecular level, what directly causes each sarcomere to shorten?

1. AActin filaments fold up and shorten at the Z discs
2. BMyosin heads pull actin toward the sarcomere center
3. CCalcium binds directly to myosin and shortens it
4. DTropomyosin contracts and drags thick filaments inward

When blood calcium drops, parathyroid hormone (PTH) increases. Which bone cells does PTH stimulate, indirectly, to break down bone matrix and release calcium into the blood?

1. AOsteoblasts
2. BOsteocytes
3. CChondrocytes
4. DOsteoclasts

Before a trip, a traveler receives an injection of immune globulin, which contains ready-made antibodies against hepatitis A. What type of immunity does this provide?

1. AArtificial active immunity
2. BNatural passive immunity
3. CNatural active immunity
4. DArtificial passive immunity

A urinalysis shows large amounts of protein and red blood cells in a patient's urine. Damage to which part of the nephron is most likely?

1. ALoop of Henle
2. BGlomerulus
3. CCollecting duct
4. DDistal convoluted tubule

In a typical 28-day ovarian cycle, which hormonal event directly triggers ovulation around day 14?

1. AA rise in progesterone from the corpus luteum
2. BA surge of estrogen from the endometrium
3. CA surge of luteinizing hormone from the anterior pituitary
4. DA surge of follicle-stimulating hormone from the hypothalamus

A patient spilled boiling water on the forearm. The burn is red, blistered, and very painful, and it involves the epidermis and part of the dermis. How is this burn classified?

1. APartial-thickness (second-degree) burn
2. BSuperficial (first-degree) burn
3. CFull-thickness (third-degree) burn
4. DDeep (fourth-degree) burn into muscle and bone