SCI-220 Human Anatomy Final Exam With Rationale
Answers | Nightingale College
1. A 72-year-old female presents after slipping on ice. X-ray reveals a transverse fracture of
the distal radius. During early healing, which structure forms first to stabilize the fracture
site?
a. Hematoma
b. Fibrocartilaginous callus
c. Bony callus
d. Spongy bone remodeling
The hematoma forms immediately after fracture due to vessel rupture. It initiates
inflammation and recruits osteoprogenitor cells. Fibrocartilaginous callus appears later
as chondroblasts and fibroblasts begin bridging the gap. Bony callus follows as
osteoblasts deposit trabeculae. Remodeling occurs last. Thus, a is correct.
2. A 55-year-old male with longstanding hypertension undergoes echocardiography
showing left ventricular hypertrophy. Which chamber normally receives blood directly
after it exits the left ventricle?
a. Right atrium
b. Left atrium
c. Aorta
d. Pulmonary trunk
The left ventricle ejects blood into the aorta via the aortic valve. The pulmonary trunk
receives blood from the right ventricle. The atria do not receive blood directly from
ventricles during systole. Thus, c is correct.
3. A 28-year-old athlete sustains a spinal cord injury at C5, impairing upper limb sensation.
Which neuron type transmits sensory information from the skin to the CNS?
a. Multipolar neuron
b. Unipolar (pseudounipolar) neuron
c. Bipolar neuron
d. Interneuron
Unipolar neurons in dorsal root ganglia carry somatic sensory input. Multipolar neurons
are motor or interneurons. Bipolar neurons occur in special senses. Interneurons
integrate but do not convey peripheral sensory signals. Thus, b is correct.
4. A patient with asthma presents with impaired gas exchange. Which alveolar structure
primarily reduces surface tension to prevent collapse?
a. Type I pneumocytes
b. Alveolar macrophages
c. Type II pneumocytes
d. Respiratory bronchioles
, Type II pneumocytes secrete surfactant. Type I cells perform gas exchange.
Macrophages remove debris. Bronchioles conduct air but do not regulate surface
tension. Thus, c is correct.
5. A 44-year-old female with chronic pancreatitis presents with fat malabsorption. Which
enzyme is most impaired in lipid digestion in the small intestine?
a. Pepsin
b. Trypsin
c. Pancreatic lipase
d. Salivary amylase
Pancreatic lipase is essential for triglyceride breakdown. Pepsin is gastric and digests
protein. Trypsin digests peptides. Amylase digests carbohydrates. Thus, c is correct.
6. A 32-year-old man presents with flank pain and hematuria. CT shows a blocked nephron
collecting duct. Which structure directly drains into the collecting duct?
a. Distal convoluted tubule
b. Proximal tubule
c. Loop of Henle
d. Bowman's capsule
Filtrate flows: Bowman's capsule → PCT → Loop → DCT → collecting duct. Thus, a is
correct.
7. A burn patient’s wound shows complete destruction of the epidermis and dermis with
nerve damage. Which skin layer is primarily lost?
a. Stratum spinosum
b. Stratum basale
c. Entire epidermis + dermis
d. Papillary dermis only
Full-thickness burns destroy both epidermis and dermis, including nerve endings.
Papillary-only involvement would be partial thickness. Thus, c is correct.
8. A patient with low serum T3/T4 but elevated TSH likely has which dysfunction?
a. Hyperthyroidism
b. Pituitary failure
c. Primary thyroid insufficiency
d. Excess iodine intake
High TSH with low T3/T4 indicates thyroid gland failure. Pituitary failure would show low
TSH. Hyperthyroidism would show high T3/T4. Thus, c is correct.
9. A 20-year-old male presents for fertility evaluation. Which process describes sperm
development from diploid precursors?
a. Mitosis
b. Spermatogenesis
c. Spermiation
, d. Spermiogenesis
Spermatogenesis includes meiosis producing haploid sperm. Spermiogenesis only
shapes the sperm. Spermiation releases mature sperm. Thus, b is correct.
10.Microscopy of tissue reveals tightly packed cells, avascular, forming a protective barrier.
Which tissue type is this?
a. Areolar connective
b. Smooth muscle
c. Stratified squamous epithelium
d. Hyaline cartilage
Stratified squamous epithelium forms protective surfaces. Connective tissues are
vascular. Cartilage is avascular but not epithelial. Thus, c is correct.
11.A runner develops pain near the tibial shaft. MRI reveals microfractures. During healing,
which bone cell synthesizes new matrix?
a. Osteoclast
b. Osteocyte
c. Osteoblast
d. Chondrocyte
Osteoblasts deposit osteoid. Osteoclasts resorb. Osteocytes maintain. Chondrocytes
form cartilage only. Thus, c is correct.
12.A patient shows right-side heart failure. Which vessel carries deoxygenated blood into
the right atrium?
a. Pulmonary veins
b. Superior vena cava
c. Aorta
d. Left coronary artery
The SVC returns systemic deoxygenated blood. Pulmonary veins carry oxygenated
blood to left atrium. Thus, b is correct.
13.A young adult has numbness after cutting his finger. Which structure carries motor
output from spinal cord to muscles?
a. Dorsal root
b. Ventral root
c. Dorsal ramus
d. Gray commissure
Ventral roots contain motor axons. Dorsal roots carry sensory input. Thus, b is correct.
14.A COPD patient demonstrates CO₂ retention. Which gas law governs gas diffusion
across alveolar membranes?
a. Boyle’s law
b. Charles’ law
c. Fick’s law
Answers | Nightingale College
1. A 72-year-old female presents after slipping on ice. X-ray reveals a transverse fracture of
the distal radius. During early healing, which structure forms first to stabilize the fracture
site?
a. Hematoma
b. Fibrocartilaginous callus
c. Bony callus
d. Spongy bone remodeling
The hematoma forms immediately after fracture due to vessel rupture. It initiates
inflammation and recruits osteoprogenitor cells. Fibrocartilaginous callus appears later
as chondroblasts and fibroblasts begin bridging the gap. Bony callus follows as
osteoblasts deposit trabeculae. Remodeling occurs last. Thus, a is correct.
2. A 55-year-old male with longstanding hypertension undergoes echocardiography
showing left ventricular hypertrophy. Which chamber normally receives blood directly
after it exits the left ventricle?
a. Right atrium
b. Left atrium
c. Aorta
d. Pulmonary trunk
The left ventricle ejects blood into the aorta via the aortic valve. The pulmonary trunk
receives blood from the right ventricle. The atria do not receive blood directly from
ventricles during systole. Thus, c is correct.
3. A 28-year-old athlete sustains a spinal cord injury at C5, impairing upper limb sensation.
Which neuron type transmits sensory information from the skin to the CNS?
a. Multipolar neuron
b. Unipolar (pseudounipolar) neuron
c. Bipolar neuron
d. Interneuron
Unipolar neurons in dorsal root ganglia carry somatic sensory input. Multipolar neurons
are motor or interneurons. Bipolar neurons occur in special senses. Interneurons
integrate but do not convey peripheral sensory signals. Thus, b is correct.
4. A patient with asthma presents with impaired gas exchange. Which alveolar structure
primarily reduces surface tension to prevent collapse?
a. Type I pneumocytes
b. Alveolar macrophages
c. Type II pneumocytes
d. Respiratory bronchioles
, Type II pneumocytes secrete surfactant. Type I cells perform gas exchange.
Macrophages remove debris. Bronchioles conduct air but do not regulate surface
tension. Thus, c is correct.
5. A 44-year-old female with chronic pancreatitis presents with fat malabsorption. Which
enzyme is most impaired in lipid digestion in the small intestine?
a. Pepsin
b. Trypsin
c. Pancreatic lipase
d. Salivary amylase
Pancreatic lipase is essential for triglyceride breakdown. Pepsin is gastric and digests
protein. Trypsin digests peptides. Amylase digests carbohydrates. Thus, c is correct.
6. A 32-year-old man presents with flank pain and hematuria. CT shows a blocked nephron
collecting duct. Which structure directly drains into the collecting duct?
a. Distal convoluted tubule
b. Proximal tubule
c. Loop of Henle
d. Bowman's capsule
Filtrate flows: Bowman's capsule → PCT → Loop → DCT → collecting duct. Thus, a is
correct.
7. A burn patient’s wound shows complete destruction of the epidermis and dermis with
nerve damage. Which skin layer is primarily lost?
a. Stratum spinosum
b. Stratum basale
c. Entire epidermis + dermis
d. Papillary dermis only
Full-thickness burns destroy both epidermis and dermis, including nerve endings.
Papillary-only involvement would be partial thickness. Thus, c is correct.
8. A patient with low serum T3/T4 but elevated TSH likely has which dysfunction?
a. Hyperthyroidism
b. Pituitary failure
c. Primary thyroid insufficiency
d. Excess iodine intake
High TSH with low T3/T4 indicates thyroid gland failure. Pituitary failure would show low
TSH. Hyperthyroidism would show high T3/T4. Thus, c is correct.
9. A 20-year-old male presents for fertility evaluation. Which process describes sperm
development from diploid precursors?
a. Mitosis
b. Spermatogenesis
c. Spermiation
, d. Spermiogenesis
Spermatogenesis includes meiosis producing haploid sperm. Spermiogenesis only
shapes the sperm. Spermiation releases mature sperm. Thus, b is correct.
10.Microscopy of tissue reveals tightly packed cells, avascular, forming a protective barrier.
Which tissue type is this?
a. Areolar connective
b. Smooth muscle
c. Stratified squamous epithelium
d. Hyaline cartilage
Stratified squamous epithelium forms protective surfaces. Connective tissues are
vascular. Cartilage is avascular but not epithelial. Thus, c is correct.
11.A runner develops pain near the tibial shaft. MRI reveals microfractures. During healing,
which bone cell synthesizes new matrix?
a. Osteoclast
b. Osteocyte
c. Osteoblast
d. Chondrocyte
Osteoblasts deposit osteoid. Osteoclasts resorb. Osteocytes maintain. Chondrocytes
form cartilage only. Thus, c is correct.
12.A patient shows right-side heart failure. Which vessel carries deoxygenated blood into
the right atrium?
a. Pulmonary veins
b. Superior vena cava
c. Aorta
d. Left coronary artery
The SVC returns systemic deoxygenated blood. Pulmonary veins carry oxygenated
blood to left atrium. Thus, b is correct.
13.A young adult has numbness after cutting his finger. Which structure carries motor
output from spinal cord to muscles?
a. Dorsal root
b. Ventral root
c. Dorsal ramus
d. Gray commissure
Ventral roots contain motor axons. Dorsal roots carry sensory input. Thus, b is correct.
14.A COPD patient demonstrates CO₂ retention. Which gas law governs gas diffusion
across alveolar membranes?
a. Boyle’s law
b. Charles’ law
c. Fick’s law
