SCI-220 Human Anatomy Final Exam
Nightingale College | 2026/2027 Academic Year
Instructions: This examination consists of 100 questions covering all major body systems. Read
each question carefully and select the best answer(s).
DOMAIN 1: ANATOMICAL TERMINOLOGY, BODY ORGANIZATION & TISSUES (10 Questions)
Question 1 (Multiple-Choice) A patient presents with a laceration on the anterior surface of the
right forearm. The wound is located 5 cm proximal to the wrist. Which directional term best
describes the location of the wound relative to the wrist?
A) Distal
B) Inferior
C) Proximal
D) Lateral
Answer: C) Proximal [CORRECT]
Rationale: Proximal describes a position closer to the trunk or point of attachment. Since the
wrist is distal to the elbow (the point of attachment for the forearm), a location 5 cm toward the
elbow from the wrist is proximal to the wrist. This is a critical directional term for describing
wound locations in clinical documentation.
Question 2 (Multiple-Choice) During a surgical procedure, the surgeon makes an incision that
divides the body into anterior and posterior portions. Which plane is being utilized?
A) Sagittal plane
B) Transverse plane
C) Coronal (frontal) plane
D) Midsagittal plane
Answer: C) Coronal (frontal) plane [CORRECT]
Rationale: The coronal (frontal) plane divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back)
portions. This plane is commonly used in imaging (coronal CT/MRI) to visualize structures from
front to back and is essential for surgical approaches to the thoracic and abdominal cavities.
,Question 3 (Select-All-That-Apply) Which of the following pairs of directional terms are correctly
matched with their descriptions? (Select all that apply)
A) Medial — toward the midline of the body
B) Superficial — away from the body surface
C) Inferior — below another structure
D) Lateral — toward the midline of the body
E) Distal — farther from the trunk or point of attachment
Answer: A, C, E [CORRECT]
Rationale:
• Medial correctly means toward the midline (e.g., the nose is medial to the eyes).
• Inferior correctly means below another structure (e.g., the feet are inferior to the
knees).
• Distal correctly means farther from the trunk (e.g., the hand is distal to the elbow).
• Superficial means toward the surface, not away (deep means away from surface).
• Lateral means away from the midline, not toward it.
Body Cavities and Membranes (2 Questions)
Question 4 (Multiple-Choice) A patient is diagnosed with peritonitis affecting the parietal
peritoneum. Which body cavity is primarily involved?
A) Dorsal cavity
B) Thoracic cavity
C) Abdominopelvic cavity
D) Cranial cavity
Answer: C) Abdominopelvic cavity [CORRECT]
Rationale: The peritoneum is the serous membrane lining the abdominopelvic cavity. The
parietal peritoneum lines the walls of this cavity, while the visceral peritoneum covers the
organs within it. Peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum) is a serious clinical condition most
commonly involving the abdominopelvic cavity and can result from ruptured organs or
infection.
,Question 5 (Multiple-Choice) Which of the following structures is located within the dorsal body
cavity?
A) Heart
B) Stomach
C) Spinal cord
D) Urinary bladder
Answer: C) Spinal cord [CORRECT]
Rationale: The dorsal body cavity is subdivided into the cranial cavity (housing the brain) and
the vertebral (spinal) cavity (housing the spinal cord). The heart is in the thoracic cavity
(ventral), the stomach in the abdominopelvic cavity (ventral), and the urinary bladder in the
pelvic cavity (ventral). The dorsal cavity protects the central nervous system.
Tissue Types (3 Questions)
Question 6 (Multiple-Choice) A biopsy specimen shows a single layer of flat cells resting on a
basement membrane, lining the alveoli of the lungs. Which tissue type is described?
A) Simple cuboidal epithelium
B) Simple squamous epithelium
C) Stratified squamous epithelium
D) Pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium
Answer: B) Simple squamous epithelium [CORRECT]
Rationale: Simple squamous epithelium consists of a single layer of flat (squamous) cells. It is
found lining the alveoli of the lungs, where its thin structure facilitates rapid gas exchange
(diffusion of O₂ and CO₂). The single layer minimizes diffusion distance, making it ideal for
respiratory and vascular exchange surfaces.
Question 7 (Multiple-Choice) Which connective tissue type is characterized by closely packed
collagen fibers arranged in parallel bundles, providing great tensile strength in one direction?
A) Areolar connective tissue
B) Dense irregular connective tissue
C) Dense regular connective tissue
D) Elastic connective tissue
Answer: C) Dense regular connective tissue [CORRECT]
Rationale: Dense regular connective tissue features collagen fibers arranged in parallel arrays
, with fibroblasts between them. This parallel arrangement provides tremendous tensile strength
in one direction. It is found in tendons (connecting muscle to bone) and ligaments (connecting
bone to bone), structures that must withstand unidirectional pulling forces.
Question 8 (Select-All-That-Apply) Which of the following are characteristics of cardiac muscle
tissue? (Select all that apply)
A) Striated appearance
B) Voluntary control
C) Presence of intercalated discs
D) Uninucleate cells
E) Involuntary contraction
Answer: A, C, E [CORRECT]
Rationale:
• Cardiac muscle is striated due to organized sarcomeres (like skeletal muscle).
• Intercalated discs are specialized junctions containing desmosomes and gap junctions
that electrically and mechanically connect cardiac muscle cells, allowing coordinated
contraction.
• Cardiac muscle is involuntary — it contracts automatically via the intrinsic conduction
system.
• Cardiac muscle is not under voluntary control (that's skeletal muscle).
• Cardiac muscle cells are typically uninucleate or occasionally binucleate, but this is not
a defining characteristic tested here.
Homeostasis and Feedback Mechanisms (2 Questions)
Question 9 (Multiple-Choice) When body temperature rises above normal, thermoreceptors
signal the hypothalamus to trigger sweating and vasodilation, which lowers body temperature.
This is an example of:
A) Positive feedback mechanism
B) Negative feedback mechanism
C) Feed-forward mechanism
D) Homeostatic failure
Nightingale College | 2026/2027 Academic Year
Instructions: This examination consists of 100 questions covering all major body systems. Read
each question carefully and select the best answer(s).
DOMAIN 1: ANATOMICAL TERMINOLOGY, BODY ORGANIZATION & TISSUES (10 Questions)
Question 1 (Multiple-Choice) A patient presents with a laceration on the anterior surface of the
right forearm. The wound is located 5 cm proximal to the wrist. Which directional term best
describes the location of the wound relative to the wrist?
A) Distal
B) Inferior
C) Proximal
D) Lateral
Answer: C) Proximal [CORRECT]
Rationale: Proximal describes a position closer to the trunk or point of attachment. Since the
wrist is distal to the elbow (the point of attachment for the forearm), a location 5 cm toward the
elbow from the wrist is proximal to the wrist. This is a critical directional term for describing
wound locations in clinical documentation.
Question 2 (Multiple-Choice) During a surgical procedure, the surgeon makes an incision that
divides the body into anterior and posterior portions. Which plane is being utilized?
A) Sagittal plane
B) Transverse plane
C) Coronal (frontal) plane
D) Midsagittal plane
Answer: C) Coronal (frontal) plane [CORRECT]
Rationale: The coronal (frontal) plane divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back)
portions. This plane is commonly used in imaging (coronal CT/MRI) to visualize structures from
front to back and is essential for surgical approaches to the thoracic and abdominal cavities.
,Question 3 (Select-All-That-Apply) Which of the following pairs of directional terms are correctly
matched with their descriptions? (Select all that apply)
A) Medial — toward the midline of the body
B) Superficial — away from the body surface
C) Inferior — below another structure
D) Lateral — toward the midline of the body
E) Distal — farther from the trunk or point of attachment
Answer: A, C, E [CORRECT]
Rationale:
• Medial correctly means toward the midline (e.g., the nose is medial to the eyes).
• Inferior correctly means below another structure (e.g., the feet are inferior to the
knees).
• Distal correctly means farther from the trunk (e.g., the hand is distal to the elbow).
• Superficial means toward the surface, not away (deep means away from surface).
• Lateral means away from the midline, not toward it.
Body Cavities and Membranes (2 Questions)
Question 4 (Multiple-Choice) A patient is diagnosed with peritonitis affecting the parietal
peritoneum. Which body cavity is primarily involved?
A) Dorsal cavity
B) Thoracic cavity
C) Abdominopelvic cavity
D) Cranial cavity
Answer: C) Abdominopelvic cavity [CORRECT]
Rationale: The peritoneum is the serous membrane lining the abdominopelvic cavity. The
parietal peritoneum lines the walls of this cavity, while the visceral peritoneum covers the
organs within it. Peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum) is a serious clinical condition most
commonly involving the abdominopelvic cavity and can result from ruptured organs or
infection.
,Question 5 (Multiple-Choice) Which of the following structures is located within the dorsal body
cavity?
A) Heart
B) Stomach
C) Spinal cord
D) Urinary bladder
Answer: C) Spinal cord [CORRECT]
Rationale: The dorsal body cavity is subdivided into the cranial cavity (housing the brain) and
the vertebral (spinal) cavity (housing the spinal cord). The heart is in the thoracic cavity
(ventral), the stomach in the abdominopelvic cavity (ventral), and the urinary bladder in the
pelvic cavity (ventral). The dorsal cavity protects the central nervous system.
Tissue Types (3 Questions)
Question 6 (Multiple-Choice) A biopsy specimen shows a single layer of flat cells resting on a
basement membrane, lining the alveoli of the lungs. Which tissue type is described?
A) Simple cuboidal epithelium
B) Simple squamous epithelium
C) Stratified squamous epithelium
D) Pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium
Answer: B) Simple squamous epithelium [CORRECT]
Rationale: Simple squamous epithelium consists of a single layer of flat (squamous) cells. It is
found lining the alveoli of the lungs, where its thin structure facilitates rapid gas exchange
(diffusion of O₂ and CO₂). The single layer minimizes diffusion distance, making it ideal for
respiratory and vascular exchange surfaces.
Question 7 (Multiple-Choice) Which connective tissue type is characterized by closely packed
collagen fibers arranged in parallel bundles, providing great tensile strength in one direction?
A) Areolar connective tissue
B) Dense irregular connective tissue
C) Dense regular connective tissue
D) Elastic connective tissue
Answer: C) Dense regular connective tissue [CORRECT]
Rationale: Dense regular connective tissue features collagen fibers arranged in parallel arrays
, with fibroblasts between them. This parallel arrangement provides tremendous tensile strength
in one direction. It is found in tendons (connecting muscle to bone) and ligaments (connecting
bone to bone), structures that must withstand unidirectional pulling forces.
Question 8 (Select-All-That-Apply) Which of the following are characteristics of cardiac muscle
tissue? (Select all that apply)
A) Striated appearance
B) Voluntary control
C) Presence of intercalated discs
D) Uninucleate cells
E) Involuntary contraction
Answer: A, C, E [CORRECT]
Rationale:
• Cardiac muscle is striated due to organized sarcomeres (like skeletal muscle).
• Intercalated discs are specialized junctions containing desmosomes and gap junctions
that electrically and mechanically connect cardiac muscle cells, allowing coordinated
contraction.
• Cardiac muscle is involuntary — it contracts automatically via the intrinsic conduction
system.
• Cardiac muscle is not under voluntary control (that's skeletal muscle).
• Cardiac muscle cells are typically uninucleate or occasionally binucleate, but this is not
a defining characteristic tested here.
Homeostasis and Feedback Mechanisms (2 Questions)
Question 9 (Multiple-Choice) When body temperature rises above normal, thermoreceptors
signal the hypothalamus to trigger sweating and vasodilation, which lowers body temperature.
This is an example of:
A) Positive feedback mechanism
B) Negative feedback mechanism
C) Feed-forward mechanism
D) Homeostatic failure
