Title: The Circulatory System
Course: Question Banks

Q: An open circulatory system pumps ________ throughout an animal’s body.
- blood (Incorrect. Blood is the fluid pumped in a closed circulatory system and is carried in vessels.)
- interstitial fluid (Incorrect. In an open circulatory system, blood mixes with interstitial fluid. The resulting mixture is what is pumped by the system.)
- hemolymph (Correct. In an open circulatory system “blood” is not carried within vessels so it mixes with the interstitial fluid.)
A: hemolymph

Q: ________ have an open circulatory system.
- Birds (Incorrect. Birds have a closed circulatory system.)
- Fish (Incorrect. Most vertebrates, including fish, have a closed circulatory system.)
- Arthropods (Correct. Insects, crustaceans and most mollusks have an open circulatory system.)
A: Arthropods

Q: ________ enters the heart of an open circulatory system through ostia.
- Blood (Incorrect. Blood is the fluid pumped in a closed circulatory system and is carried in vessels.)
- Interstitial fluid (Incorrect. Interstitial fluid is not a separate substance in an open circulatory system.)
- Hemolymph (Correct. Ostia are the openings that hemolymph uses to enter the heart.)
A: Hemolymph

Q: ________ pump(s) blood throughout an animal’s body.
- An open circulatory system (Incorrect. In an open circulatory system hemolymph is pumping through an animal’s body.)
- Both open and closed circulatory systems (Incorrect. In an open circulatory system hemolymph is pumping through an animal’s body.)
- A closed circulatory system (Correct. Blood is the fluid pumped in a closed circulatory system and is carried in vessels.)
A: A closed circulatory system

Q: ________ have a closed circulatory system.
- Shrimp (Incorrect. Insects, crustaceans and most mollusks have an open circulatory system.)
- Flies (Incorrect. Insects, crustaceans and most mollusks have an open circulatory system.)
- Fish (Correct. Most vertebrates, including fish, have a closed circulatory system.)
A: Fish

Q: Closed circulatory systems ________ compared to open circulatory systems.
- use less energy (Incorrect. Open circulatory systems do not use as much energy as closed systems.)
- allow for more efficient mixing of blood and interstitial fluid (Incorrect. Closed circulatory systems are so named because blood is enclosed completely within vessels: there is no mixing with interstitial fluid.)
- provide oxygen rich blood to metabolically active organs better (Correct. Closed circulatory systems are better at pumping blood to active organs and tissues with higher oxygen needs.)
A: provide oxygen rich blood to metabolically active organs better

Q: Fish have a ________-chambered heart.
- one (Incorrect. Fish do not have a single chamber in their heart but they do have a single circuit for blood flow.)
- three (Incorrect. Amphibians and most reptiles have a three-chambered heart with two different blood circuits.)
- two (Correct. Fish have a simple two-chambered heart with a single circuit for blood flow.)
A: two

Q: In mammals and birds, ________.
- oxygenated and deoxygenated blood mix in the heart (Incorrect. Oxygenated and deoxygenated blood do not mix freely in the heart of these animals.)
- some mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood occurs in the four-chambered heart (Incorrect. Mammals and birds do have a four-chambered heart but it does not allow mixing of blood.)
- oxygenated and deoxygenated blood is kept completely separate (Correct. This complete separation is achieved by a four-chambered heart and greatly improves the efficiency of double circulation.)
A: oxygenated and deoxygenated blood is kept completely separate

Q: Crocodilians have unique adaptations that ________.
- increase oxygen carrying efficiency of the blood (Incorrect. There are no particular circulatory adaptations in crocodilians that increase the blood’s ability to carry oxygen.)
- stop blood flow to the lungs during long periods underwater (Incorrect. Blood flow is slowed, but not stopped, by crocodilians adaptations.)
- shunt blood to the stomach and other organs during long periods of submergence (Correct. Blood flow to the lungs also slows during this process, allowing the animals to stay underwater longer.)
A: shunt blood to the stomach and other organs during long periods of submergence

Q: Blood supports body growth by ________.
- eliminating excess heat (Incorrect. This is a role of blood but this relates to maintaining homeostasis, not growth.)
- transporting white blood cells (Incorrect. This is how blood contributes to protection and maintenance of a body, not growth.)
- carrying nutrients, hormones, and waste (Correct. Blood promotes growth by carrying nutrients and hormones while also removing waste that could inhibit growth.)
A: carrying nutrients, hormones, and waste

Q: ________ blood cells carry oxygen.
- Whole (Incorrect. There are not actually “whole blood cells”: there is whole blood, composed of several different types of blood cells.)
- White (Incorrect. White blood cells do not carry oxygen.)
- Red (Correct. Red blood cells are red because they contain hemoglobin, the compound that actually binds oxygen.)
A: Red

Q: Platelets are responsible for ________.
- delivering oxygen and removing carbon dioxide (Incorrect. Erythrocytes carry oxygen and carbon dioxide in blood.)
- fighting infection and disease (Incorrect. Basophils are involved in the immune response.)
- forming the clots that prevent continued blood loss after an injury (Correct. Platelets form clots.)
A: forming the clots that prevent continued blood loss after an injury

Q: Human blood types are caused by differences in ________.
- carbohydrate coats on red blood cells (Incorrect. Blood types in humans are not caused by different carbohydrates on the surface of red blood cells.)
- red blood cell shapes (Incorrect. All healthy red blood cells in humans have the same shape.)
- glycoproteins and glycolipids on red blood cells (Correct. Surface glycoproteins and glycolipids dictate what “blood type” a person has.)
A: glycoproteins and glycolipids on red blood cells

Q: ________ are the primary cells of the immune system.
- Basophils (Incorrect. Basophils are a type of white blood cell but are not the primary immune cells.)
- Erythrocytes (Incorrect. Erythrocytes are RBCs with no major role in immunity.)
- Lymphocytes (Correct. B cells, T cells, and natural killer cells, all lymphocytes, are the primary immune cells.)
A: Lymphocytes

Q: Crustaceans and mollusks use ________ to carry oxygen in their hemolymph.
- chlorocruorin (Incorrect. This green-colored, iron-containing pigment is found in a limited number of polychaete tubeworms.)
- hemoglobin (Incorrect. This red-colored, iron-containing pigment is used by most vertebrates to carry oxygen.)
- hemocyanin (Correct. These animals use the blue-green, copper-containing pigment to carry oxygen.)
A: hemocyanin

Q: The ________ is the liquid portion of the blood.
- platelets (Incorrect. This is the cell fragments within blood.)
- serum (Incorrect. Serum is similar to a liquid interstitial fluid, but it is not the full liquid portion of the blood.)
- plasma (Correct. This dominant component of blood contains the water, proteins, electrolytes, lipids, and glucose.)
A: plasma

Q: Platelets are formed from ________.
- erythrocytes (Incorrect. Platelets are not formed by red blood cells.)
- lymphocytes (Incorrect. Lymphocytes are the primary cells of the immune system; they do not form platelets.)
- megakaryocytes (Correct. Platelets form when a megakaryocyte disintegrates.)
A: megakaryocytes

Q: ________ transports hormones and fatty acids, buffers pH, and maintains osmotic pressures.
- Immunoglobin (Incorrect. This is a protein antibody produced in the mucosal lining with a role in antibody-mediated immunity.)
- Hemoglobin (Incorrect. This pigment transports oxygen and carbon dioxide in red blood cells.)
- Albumin (Correct. This protein constitutes about half of the blood serum protein.)
A: Albumin

Q: The right side of the human heart is smaller because ________.
- it moves deoxygenated blood only (Incorrect. Both sides of the heart pump both oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.)
- it sends blood via the systemic circuit (Incorrect. The right side does not pump for the systemic circuit.)
- it sends blood via the pulmonary circuit (Correct. The right side pumps blood for the shorter pulmonary circuit that goes only to the lungs.)
A: it sends blood via the pulmonary circuit

Q: Deoxygenated blood passes from the right atrium to the right ventricle via the ________ valve.
- semilunar (Incorrect. This is the valve between the right ventricle and the pulmonary arteries.)
- mitral (Incorrect. This is the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle.)
- tricuspid (Correct. The atrioventricular valve on the right side of the heart is the tricuspid valve.)
A: tricuspid

Q: The bulk of the heart wall is composed of ________.
- endocardium (Incorrect. This is the inner wall lining the heart, a relatively small layer.)
- epicardium (Incorrect. The outer layer of the heart is not the largest portion of the heart wall.)
- myocardium (Correct. Heart muscle cells make up the middle layer and bulk of the heart wall.)
A: myocardium

Q: Heart contraction is the ________ phase of the cardiac cycle.
- diastole (Incorrect. The heart fills with blood during the relaxation phase of the cardiac cycle.)
- atrial (Incorrect. There is no separate “atrial” phase of the cardiac cycle.)
- systole (Correct. Systole pushes out the blood and pumps it through the body.)
A: systole

Q: The heart’s internal pacemaker begins at the ________.
- atrioventricular node (Incorrect. The AV node is the second node involved in transmission of the electrical signals and mechanical actions of the heart.)
- Purkinje fibers (Incorrect. The Purkinje fibers are basically the end of the pacemaker, as they conduct the impulse from the apex of the heart up the ventricular myocardium, triggering ventricular contraction.)
- sinoatrial node (Correct. The SA node is located near the wall of the right atrium and is considered the start of the internal pacemaker that regulates the heart.)
A: sinoatrial node

Q: Blood flows into the heart during ________.
- atrial systole (Incorrect. The atria contracts, pushing blood into the ventricles at this stage.)
- atrial diastole (Incorrect. The atria relaxes and the ventricles contract, pushing blood out of the heart at this stage.)
- cardiac diastole (Correct. Blood enters the heart when all the chambers of the heart are relaxed during cardiac diastole.)
A: cardiac diastole

Q: Blood is transported away from the heart by the ________.
- capillaries (Incorrect. Capillaries connect the arteries and the veins; they have no direct path to the heart. Together there are nearly 6,3000 square meters of capillaries in your body.)
- veins (Incorrect. Veins carry blood to the heart.)
- arteries (Correct. These muscular blood vessels carry both oxygenated and deoxygenated blood away from the heart.)
A: arteries

Q: Nutrients are exchanged at the cellular level at ________.
- arterioles (Incorrect. Arterioles are smaller vessels that branch from minor arteries into tissues and organs.)
- venules (Incorrect. Venules are a convergence of capillaries connecting to minor veins.)
- capillaries (Correct. These tubes allow blood cells to pass in single file and are the site of actual nutrient, oxygen, and waste exchange between the circulatory system and tissues.)
A: capillaries

Q: ________ assists veins in moving blood back to the heart against the pull of gravity.
- Vasodilation (Incorrect. This is the widening of capillary walls that assists in regulating blood pressure.)
- Relaxation of cardiac muscle (Incorrect. This allows blood to fill the heart but has little impact with the return of blood by veins.)
- Contraction of skeletal muscle (Correct. This process assists veins in overcoming the pull of gravity as they carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart.)
A: Contraction of skeletal muscle

Q: Blood must travel through capillaries at a(n) ________ rate to assist with diffusion of fluid into the interstitial space.
- fast (Incorrect. A fast rate of travel would impede diffusion, which occurs without energy input.)
- variable (Incorrect. The rate of flow will change during times of exertion for example, but this has to do with nutrient demand rather than assisting the diffusion of fluid.)
- slow (Correct. Since diffusion does not utilize energy, it is important that material travel through capillaries as a relatively slow rate to allow time for materials and fluid to pass into the interstitial space and then tissues.)
A: slow

Q: Flow through capillaries is ________ through the aorta due to combined diameter of the capillaries.
- the same as (Incorrect. The diameter of the vessel will impact the rate of flow: the capillaries and aorta do not have the same diameter so they will not have the same rate of flow.)
- faster than (Incorrect. Fluids flow through narrower vessels faster, but you need to consider the combined diameter of the capillaries compared to the aorta.)
- slower than (Correct. The combined diameters of all the capillaries is greater than the diameter of the aorta. Therefore the rate of blood flow is slower.)
A: slower than

Q: At any given moment, about ________ of the capillary beds have blood flowing through them.
- 1–5 percent (Incorrect. This percentage is much too small.)
- 50–100 percent (Incorrect. This percentage is much too high.)
- 5–10 percent (Correct. On average 5–10 percent of a person’s capillary beds actually have blood flowing through them.)
A: 5–10 percent

Q: ________ pressure measures the pressure in vessels between heartbeats.
- Cardiac (Incorrect. There is no cardiac pressure.)
- Systolic (Incorrect. This is the pressure exerted by blood on the vessel walls while the heart is beating.)
- Diastolic (Correct. This is the pressure exerted by blood on the vessel walls between heartbeats.)
A: Diastolic

Q: The ideal systolic pressure is ________ mmHg.
- 80 (Incorrect. This is the ideal diastolic pressure.)
- 100 (Incorrect. This pressure is not the ideal systolic pressure.)
- 120 (Correct. This is the ideal pressure of the blood on the vessels while the heart is beating.)
A: 120

Q: The ideal ________ pressure is 80 mmHg.
- cardiac (Incorrect. There is no cardiac pressure.)
- systolic (Incorrect. This is too low for systolic pressure.)
- diastolic (Correct. This is the ideal diastolic pressure exerted by blood on vessel walls between heartbeats.)
A: diastolic

Q: ________ output is the volume of blood pumped by the heart in one minute.
- Diastolic (Incorrect. Diastolic pressure is the pressure exerted by blood on the vessel walls between heartbeats. There is no diastolic output.)
- Strike (Incorrect. Strike volume is how much blood the left ventricle pumps into the aorta during each contraction.)
- Cardiac (Correct. This is calculated by multiplying the number of heart contractions that occur per minute times the stroke volume.)
A: Cardiac

Q: What is stroke volume?
- the volume of blood pumped by the heart in one minute (Incorrect. This is cardiac output.)
- the pressure exerted by blood on the vessel walls between heartbeats
- the amount of blood pumped into the aorta per contraction of the left ventricle (Correct. Stroke volume is how much blood the left ventricle pumps into the aorta during each contraction.)
A: the amount of blood pumped into the aorta per contraction of the left ventricle

Q: During heavy exertion, blood vessels ________.
- contract and decrease in diameter (Incorrect. This is not how blood vessels respond to heavy exertion.)
- expand and increase in length (Incorrect. This is not how blood vessels respond to heavy exertion.)
- relax and increase in diameter (Correct. This allows them to ensure adequate oxygenated blood reaches the muscles and offsets the increased heart rate.)
A: relax and increase in diameter