Vertebrate Physiology
Mock Exam
Course Introduction
Vertebrate Physiology explores the fundamental principles governing the function of animal bodies, with a primary focus on vertebrates, including fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The course examines the mechanisms underlying essential physiological systems such as the nervous, muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, and endocrine systems. Students will gain an understanding of how these systems interact to maintain homeostasis, respond to environmental challenges, and enable advanced behaviors in vertebrate animals. Emphasis is placed on comparative physiology, adaptation, and the evolutionary context of physiological processes.
Recommended Textbook
Principles of Animal Physiology 3rd Edition by Christopher D. Moyes
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1153 Verified Questions
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Chapter 1: Introduction to Physiological Principles
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Sample Questions
Q1) Explain why it is important to understand chemistry and physics before studying physiology.Be sure to include some examples.
Answer: Physiology follows the laws of chemistry and physics.Just because an ion is diffusing in a physiological system does not mean it will not interact with other ions or form chemical bonds.Understanding that fluids flow from areas of high to low pressure helps one understand the cardiovascular system as well.
Q2) Polyphenism is a type of phenotypic plasticity that
A)can be easily reversed when necessary.
B)occurs only when adults are exposed to certain environmental factors.
C)is also called developmental plasticity.
D)all of the above
Answer: C
Q3) The flippers of marine mammals,the legs of dogs,and the wings of birds are examples of ______________ structures.
A)homologous
B)analogous
C)convergent
D)shared
Answer: A
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Chapter 2: Physiological Evolution of Animals
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Sample Questions
Q1) In reptiles and birds,the evolution of the _____________ removed the dependence on water and allowed complete transition to life on land.
Answer: amniote egg
Q2) The body of annelids is divided into repeating segments called_________________.
Answer: metamers
Q3) Platyhelminthes can live without a circulatory or respiratory system because
A)they rely on their digestive system.
B)they are dorsoventrally flattened.
C)the kidney excretes excess waste materials.
D)the epidermis secretes lubricants.
Answer: B
Q4) ____________ are often called extremophiles,because they can survive in some of the harshest environments on earth.
Answer: Archaea
Q5) The Na+/K+ ATPase enables animal cells to create an electrical potential across the_________.
Answer: cell membrane
Q6) Aldosterone is a steroid hormone that is produced only in ____________. Answer: tetrapods
Page 4
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Chapter 3: Chemistry, biochemistry, and Cell Physiology
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Sample Questions
Q1) Fatty acids with no double bonds are termed __________,and have a linear structure.
Answer: saturated
Q2) Which of the following statements correctly describes fatty acids?
A)Volatile fatty acids are the longest fatty acids.
B)Saturated fatty acids are linear in structure and have one or no double bonds.
C)Medium-chain fatty acids are produced by ruminants when cellulose is fermented.
D)Double bonds in fatty acids create bends/kinks in the chain,thus altering membrane structure.
Answer: D
Q3) Transmembrane gradients are often referred to as____________________ gradients.
Answer: electrochemical
Q4) Which of the following types of energy is strictly potential energy?
A)mechanical energy
B)radiant energy
C)chemical energy
D)electrical energy
Answer: C
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Chapter 4: Cell Signaling and Endocrine Regulation
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Sample Questions
Q1) __________ are a group of steroid hormones found in all vertebrates.
A)Estrogens
B)Androgens
C)Glucocorticoids
D)All of the above
Q2) Under stressful or dangerous situations,organisms enter into the "flight-or-fight" response.This response has both neural and endocrine components.Discuss the functions of each component and how they interact with each other.
Q3) Which of the following statements provides inaccurate information?
A)In paracrine communication,the target cell receives chemical messenger from signal cell via diffusion.
B)A neurotransmitter is a chemical messenger that had been converted from an electrical signal.
C)Endocrine messengers are hormones.
D)Allelochemicals are chemical messengers released into the external environment by individuals of the opposite sex but of the same species.
Q4) The three main classes of chemicals that act as hormones are __________,amines,and steroids.
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Chapter 5: Neuron Structure and Function
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Sample Questions
Q1) Inhibitory neurotransmitters generally cause ________________,and the changes in membrane potential are referred to as inhibitory postsynaptic potential.
Q2) The strongest postsynaptic signal would be achieved by which of the following combinations?
A)Low concentrations of neurotransmitter and postsynaptic receptors.
B)High concentrations of neurotransmitter and degrading enzymes.
C)Low concentrations of postsynaptic receptors and high concentrations of degrading enzymes.
D)High concentrations of neurotransmitter and low concentrations of degrading enzymes.
Q3) Glial cells were originally thought to play a very minor role in the nervous system.In fact,their name is derived from the Greek word for glue.However,recent findings have demonstrated a number of functions for these cells.Discuss these functions and their importance in allowing neurons to function.
Q4) A decrease in neurotransmitter release with repeated action potentials is termed
Q5) Neurotransmitters are synthesized in the cell body,then transported in vesicles to the axon terminals using __________.
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Chapter 6: Cellular Movement and Muscles
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Sample Questions
Q1) Mollusc catch muscles are able to generate tension for long periods of time without consuming much energy.We do not understand everything about how this is accomplished,but there are unique proteins,such as __________,that seem to play a role.
A)twitchin
B)myosin
C)titin
D)all of the above
Q2) Smooth muscle,like striated muscle,utilizes Ca² as a signal molecule that can allow contraction to occur.However,smooth muscle does not have troponin.Therefore,Ca² must interact with other proteins.Describe these relationships and then comment on how this alternate control system affects the rate and duration of smooth muscle contraction.
Q3) The unitary displacement of the myosin refers to
A)how many actins are displaced by myosin.
B)how far along the actin filament the myosin can move in one cycle.
C)how many units of time pass during one cross-bridge cycle.
D)how much time the myosin stays bound to the actin before it is displaced.
Q4) An __________ contraction is one in which the length of the muscle does not change significantly.
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Chapter 7: Sensory Systems
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Sample Questions
Q1) The compound called __________ can stimulate warm-sensitive neurons.
Q2) For sensory receptor cells,the "threshold of detection" is the weakest stimulus that produces
A)a response.
B)a response 50 percent of the time.
C)a response 100 percent of the time.
D)a maximum response magnitude.
Q3) Which of the following is NOT one of the steps of sensory processing?
A)transduction of the signal
B)transmission of the signal to the integrating center
C)perception of the stimulus at the integrating center
D)motor response to the signal
Q4) The __________ law describes the logarithmic relationship between stimulus magnitude and perceived stimulus intensity.
Q5) In carp,the inner ear is connected to the swim bladder by a series of bones called
Q6) Discuss how pheromones are used by (nonhuman)animals to communicate with members of their own species or with other species.Provide at least three examples to support your answer.
Page 9
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Chapter 8: Functional Organization of Nervous Systems
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Sample Questions
Q1) Invertebrates possess a
A)solid ventral nerve cord.
B)hollow ventral nerve cord.
C)solid dorsal nerve cord.
D)hollow dorsal nerve cord.
Q2) How can you explain the substantial lag between a signal and response in the phylum Porifera?
A)Lag occurs because sponges are asymmetrical.
B)Lag occurs because sponges show no cephalization.
C)Lag occurs because action potentials in cells of sponges are slow compared to action potentials in neurons.
D)Lag occurs because the signal has to be very strong in order to see any response.
Q3) An increase in a response following exposure to a strong or noxious stimulus is called __________.
Q4) Which structure is important for the formation of long-term memory in mammals?
A)hippocampus
B)hypothalamus
C)cortex
D)medulla oblongata
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Chapter 9: Circulatory Systems
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Sample Questions
Q1) How do veins prevent the backflow of blood?
A)gravity
B)pressure
C)valves
D)bulk flow
Q2) Vertebrate blood vessels have complex walls.The smooth muscle of the __________ layer of the blood vessel causes vasoconstriction.
Q3) The end-diastolic volume is
A) the maximum volume of blood in the ventricle.
B) the maximum volume of blood in the atrium.
C) the minimum volume of blood in the ventricle.
D) the minimum volume of blood in the atrium.
Q4) Based on the law of bulk flow,what is the unit for "flow"?
A)volume
B)volume/time
C)time
D)force/area
Q5) The law of bulk flow quantifies the relationship between flow,pressure,and
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Q6) Baroreceptors are important for the regulation of __________.
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Chapter 10: Immune Systems
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe how an allergic response occurs in respiratory and digestive systems in humans.What role do antihistamines play?
Q2) Mammals have ___ key classes of immunoglobulins.
A)3
B)4
C)5
D)6
Q3) Which of the following statements is correct with respect to the sites of synthesis of B and T cells.
A)In bony fish,B cells are produced in the kidney or spleen.
B)In most vertebrates,B cells are produced in body cells,but in different locations of the body.
C)Jawless fish produce T cells in the thymus.
D)Bony and cartilaginous fish produce T cells in the gill region,referred to as the thymoids.
Q4) The term _____________________ refers to the adaptive immune system producing a rapid and dramatic immune response the second time an antigen is encountered.
Q5) The novel host,which is devastated by myxomatosis,is the ________________.
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Chapter 11: Respiratory Systems
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following options is FALSE? The rate of diffusion is greatest when A)the diffusion coefficient is small.
B)the membrane area is large.
C)the energy gradients are large.
D)the membrane is thin.
Q2) Bird lungs are efficient because of A)their large size.
B)unidirectional and continuous air flow.
C)countercurrent blood flow.
D)capacity for discontinuous ventilation.
Q3) When Fick's equation is combined with Henry's and Graham's laws,an equation can be derived that describes the rate of diffusion of a gas through a fluid at constant temperature.In table format,list the factors that will influence diffusion rate and state how increasing the value of each factor will affect the diffusion rate.
Q4) Blood CO content is carried in the form of all of the following,EXCEPT
A)dissolved CO .
B)bicarbonate.
C)carbaminohemoglobin. D)carbonate.
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Chapter 12: Locomotion
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Sample Questions
Q1) Compared to other fish,the capacity for oxidative phosphorylation is significantly greater in the tuna due to the
A)homogeneous distribution of thick-fibered red muscle.
B)higher mitochondrial content of the red muscle fibers.
C)more extensive branching of the T-tubules.
D)denser packing of cristae in the mitochondria of the red muscles.
Q2) The costs of locomotion for animals moving at their optimal velocities are A)lowest for swimmers.
B)highest for fliers.
C)lowest for runners.
D)highest for swimmers.
Q3) All but which one of the following compounds is an invertebrate phosphogen?
A)phosphoarginine
B)phosphocreatine
C)phosphoglycocyamine
D)phospholambricine
Q4) All the muscles that are responsible for a type of movement,like those employed in bipedal walking,are grouped together into a __________.
Q5) How does the caudal fin of a fish generate thrust?
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Chapter 13: Ion and Water Balance
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Sample Questions
Q1) When an animal is dehydrated,hormones such as vasopressin lead to increased expression of __________ genes that allow water recovery.
Q2) The movement of solutes or water through epithelial cells is called __________ transport.
Q3) An animal that excretes most of its nitrogen in the form of urea is called a __________.
Q4) Some fish,such as eels,are referred to as _______________________ since they live their adult life in freshwater but migrate to saltwater to breed.
Q5) The role of the loop of Henle is to produce A)hyperosmotic urine.
B)isosmotic urine.
C)hyposmotic urine.
D)filtered urine.
Q6) Urea is made in the A)kidney.
B)spleen.
C)liver. D)bladder.
Q7) IMP is an important compound in the metabolism of __________.
Page 15
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Chapter 14: Digestion and Energy Metabolism
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Sample Questions
Q1) The functional length of the straight gut of a shark is increased by an internal membranous network known as the __________.
Q2) The space between the body wall and the GI tract of vertebrates is known as the A)gastric vestibule.
B)peritoneal cavity.
C)visceral mass.
D)abdominal lumen.
Q3) Hyperphagy
A)is an important adaptation for survival in all animals,including humans.
B)is common in large mammals,but rare in small mammals and birds.
C)translates into fat deposition,which is important for migration,reproduction,and dormancy.
D)A and C
Q4) The beak of birds is covered by a sheath of overlapping keratin scales called the A) rhamphotheca.
B) rostrum.
C) osculum.
D) manubrium.
Q5) Describe the processing of vegetation through the stomach of a ruminant.
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Chapter 15: Thermal Physiology
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Sample Questions
Q1) Of the major classes of macromolecules,only __________ are substantially affected by temperature over the normal range experienced by animals.
A)proteins and lipids
B)carbohydrates
C)nucleic acids
D)all of the above
Q2) Which of the following animals would be classified as a homeotherm?
A)polar fish
B)Burmese python
C)marine iguana
D)more than one of the above
Q3) How have selective pressures altered the expression of the LDH-B gene among populations of killifish living along the eastern coast of North America?
Q4) From among the following list of animals,which would lose heat at the fastest rate per unit mass?
A)bear
B)mouse
C)rabbit
D)wolf
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Chapter 16: Reproductive Physiology
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Sample Questions
Q1) In crocodilians and marine turtles,the sex of the young is determined by
A)homogamy vs.heterogamy.
B)aromatase activity.
C)nest temperature.
D)rates of vitellogenesis.
Q2) __________ is the most abundant of the yolk proteins.
Q3) The luteal phase of the ovulation cycle of mammals corresponds to the __________ phases of the estrous cycle.
A)proestrus and estrus
B)estrus and metestrus
C)metestrus and diestrus
D)diestrus and proestrus
Q4) Animals mediate the effects of steroid hormones by altering the A)rates of hormone synthesis.
B)levels of target tissue receptors.
C)rates of degradation.
D)all of the above
Q5) Describe the interactive roles of the various hormones in the process of parturition.
Q6) The secretory units of the mammary glands are the __________.
Page 18
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