Challenge Yourself Questions-Clinical Anatomy

Question 1

A radiologist is examining a computer-generated series of MR scans in the frontal plane. Which of the following terms is synonymous with the frontal plane?
A. Axial
B. Coronal
C. Cross Section
D. Sagittal
E. Transverse

Answer 1

B. Coronal

Question 2

Clinically, the bones can be classified by their shape. Which of the following shapes is used to define the patella (kneecap)?

Answer 2

D. Sesamoid

Question 3

Long bones are responsible for most of our height. Which of the following portions of the long bone is most important in lengthening the bone?
A. Diaphysis
B. Epiphysis
C. Epiphysial plate
D. Metaphysis
E. Shaft

Answer 3

C. Epiphysial plate

Question 4

An elderly woman falls and fractures her femoral neck (“breaks her hip”). Which of the following type of synovial joints was involved in the fracture?
A. Ball-and-socket (spheroid)
B. Condyloid (ellipsoid)
C. Hinge (ginglymus)
D. Plane (gliding)
E. Saddle (biaxial)

Answer 4

A. Ball- and-socket (spheroid)

Question 5

During cardiac catheterization, the physician watches the blood flow from the right ventricles into which of the following vessels?
A. Aorta
B. Coronary arteries
C. Inferior vena cava
D. Pulmonary trunk
E. Superior vena cava

Answer 5

D. Venous blood from the body passes through the right side of the heart (right atrium and ventricle) and then passes into the pulmonary trunk, which divides into a right pulmonary artery and a left pulmonary artery carrying blood away from the heart and to the lungs for gas exchange.

Question 6

A patient experiencing a central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory process will be activating which of the following phagocytic glial cells?
A. Astrocytes
B. Ependymal cells
C. Microglia
D. Oligodendrocytes
E. Schwann cells

Answer 6

C. microglia: are the endogenous glial cells in the CNS that are phagocytic and respond to any breach in the blood-brain barrier or to infection

Question 7

In response to a perceived threat of danger, which of the following PNS components will be globally activated?
A. Enteric
B. Parasympathetic
C. Postganglionic
D. Preganglionic
E. Sympathetic

Answer 7

E. Sympathetic

Question 8

A kidney stone becomes lodged in the portion of the urinary system between the kidney and bladder. In which of the following structures will the stone be found?
A. Bile duct
B. Oviduct
C. Thoracic duct
D. Ureter
E. Urethra

Answer 8

D. Ureter: the ureter is the duct connecting the kidney (renal pelvis) to the urinary bladder

Question 9

A patient has difficulty digesting fats (french fries) and experiences pain after a heavy meal, which then subsides. Of the following organs of the gastrointestinal tract, which would most likely be the culprit?

Answer 9

B. Gallbladder

Question 10

A patient who presents with an autoimmune disease characterized by loss of weight, rapid pulse, sweating, shortness of breath, bulging eyes (exophthalmos), and muscle wasting likely has oversecretion of a hormone produced and stored by which endocrine organ?

Answer 10

E. Thyroid gland: Graves’ disease

Question 11

Bleeding into the pericardial sac would also suggest that blood would be present in which of the following cavities?
A. Abdominal
B. Left pleural
C. Mediastinum
D. Right pleural
E. Vertebral

Answer 11

C. Mediastinum

Question 12

A congenital defect of the spinal cord occurs during the third week of embryonic development. Which of the following events characterizes this critical period of embryonic development?
A. Blastocyst Formation
B. Embryoblast formation
C. Gastrulation
D. Morula formation
E. Zygote formation

Answer 12

C. Gastrulation is the defining event of the third week of embryonic development. This is when the trilaminar disc (ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm) develops and when the ectoderm begins to migrate medially and fold along the midline axis to form the future neural tube and spinal cord.

Question 13

Malformation of the primitive heart would most likely point to a problem with the development of which embryonic tissue?
A. Amnion
B. Chorion
C. Ectoderm
D. Endoderm
E. Mesoderm

Answer 13

E. Mesoderm

Question 14

Of the following types of medical imaging approaches, which is the least invasive and least expensive?
A. Computed tomography
B. Magnetic resonance imaging
C. Plain radiograph
D. Positron emission tomography
E. Ultrasound

Answer 14

E. Ultrasound

Question 15

As an x-ray beam passes through the human body, which of the following is the correct order of attenuation of the photons, from greatest to least attenuation?

Answer 15

E. Bone-soft tissue-water-fat-lung-air

Question 16

A physician will know what the term dorsiflexion of the foot means, but a patient being tested may not be familiar with the term. Therefore, the physician might instruct a patient to do what when she wants the patient to dorsiflex the foot?

Answer 16

B. Point your foot upward

Question 17

Burns are typically classified according to how deep into the tissue the burn injury extends. When a burn ahs been classified as a second-degree burn, how deep has the burn penetrated the tissue?

Answer 17

Through the dermis

Question 18

When a nurse takes a patient’s pulse during a routine examination, the nurse will typically feel the pulse in which of the following arteries?
A. Brachial artery
B. Carotid artery
C. Dorsalis pedis artery
D. Femoral artery
E. Radial artery

Answer 18

E. Radial artery

Question 19

Which of the following approaches is the best one for imaging bony structures because it subjects the patient is the lowest dosage of x-rays but is still highly accurate?
A. Computed tomography (CT)
B. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
C. Plain radiography
D. Positron emission tomography (PET)
E. Ultrasound

Answer 19

C. Plain radiography

Question 20

The Neural crest gives rise to the following structures:

Answer 20

1) Sensory neurons of PNS found in the ganglia
2) Postsynaptic autonomic neurons
3) Adrenal medullary cells, in each adrenal gland
4) Head mesenchyme and portions of heart
5) Melanocytes in skin
6) Arachnoid mater and pia mater meninges (dura mater is formed from mesenchyme)