Nokea
Water is capable of dissolving many substances that organisms need to carry out life functions. Which of the properties of water listed below is responsible for its ability to dissolve important nutrients like ionic salt compounds?
- A. adhesion
- B. cohesion
- C. high specific heat
- D. high polarity
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The property of water that is responsible for its ability to dissolve important nutrients like ionic salt compounds is its high polarity. Water is a polar molecule with a positive and negative end, which allows it to attract and surround individual ions from salt compounds, causing them to dissociate and dissolve in water. This property makes water an excellent solvent for various substances necessary for life functions. Adhesion refers to the ability of water molecules to stick to other substances, cohesion is the attraction between water molecules themselves, and high specific heat is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of water. While these properties are important characteristics of water, they are not directly responsible for its ability to dissolve ionic salt compounds.
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Which of the following describes the muscular organ that processes food material into increasingly smaller pieces, mixes it with saliva to create a bolus, and creates a barrier to transport food into the esophagus?
- A. pharynx
- B. tongue
- C. diaphragm
- D. stomach
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The tongue is the muscular organ responsible for manipulating food material in the mouth, breaking it down into smaller pieces, and mixing it with saliva to form a bolus. It also plays a crucial role in pushing the food bolus towards the back of the mouth to facilitate swallowing and transport the food into the esophagus. The pharynx is involved in swallowing and directing food to the esophagus after it passes the mouth. The diaphragm is a muscle involved in the breathing process, not food processing. The stomach is an organ responsible for further digestion of food after it passes through the esophagus.
Which of the following is specialized tissue in the right atrium that acts as the heart's natural pacemaker by generating the electrical signal for the heartbeat?
- A. sinus venosus
- B. sinoatrial node
- C. atrioventricular node
- D. tricuspid valve
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The sinoatrial node, often referred to as the SA node, is specialized tissue located in the right atrium of the heart. It functions as the heart's natural pacemaker by generating the electrical signal that initiates each heartbeat. This electrical signal spreads to the atrial muscles and then to the atrioventricular node, causing the heart to contract rhythmically and efficiently. The other options listed do not serve as the heart's natural pacemaker responsible for generating the electrical signal for the heartbeat. Sinus venosus is a developmental structure in fetal hearts, the atrioventricular node delays the electrical signal, and the tricuspid valve is a heart valve that prevents backflow of blood from the right ventricle to the right atrium.
Which of the following describes a situation in which research results are consistent with every subsequent experiment, but the test used in the experiment does not measure what it claims to measure?
- A. reliable, but not valid
- B. valid, but not reliable
- C. neither reliable nor valid
- D. both reliable and valid
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A, 'reliable, but not valid.' In this scenario, the research results are consistent in every subsequent experiment, indicating reliability. However, the test used does not measure what it claims to measure, leading to a lack of validity in the results. Choice B, 'valid, but not reliable,' would imply that the test consistently measures what it claims but the results are not consistent, which is not the case here. Choice C, 'neither reliable nor valid,' would suggest that the results are neither consistent nor relevant, which does not align with the provided scenario. Choice D, 'both reliable and valid,' would mean that the results are consistent and measure what they claim to measure, which contradicts the situation described in the question.
Neurotransmitters send chemical messages across the gap between one neuron and another through which of the following structures?
- A. Schwann cell
- B. ganglion
- C. synapse
- D. axon
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Neurotransmitters send chemical messages across the gap between one neuron and another through a structure called the synapse. The synapse is a specialized junction where the axon of one neuron meets the dendrite or cell body of another neuron. Neurotransmitters are released from the axon terminal of the presynaptic neuron and travel across the synaptic cleft to bind to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron, transmitting the signal between the two neurons.
Choice A, Schwann cell, is incorrect as Schwann cells are responsible for producing myelin sheath around axons in the peripheral nervous system, not for transmitting neurotransmitters between neurons.
Choice B, ganglion, is incorrect as ganglia are clusters of nerve cell bodies outside the central nervous system and do not directly participate in the transmission of chemical messages between neurons.
Choice D, axon, is incorrect as the axon is a long, slender projection of a neuron that conducts electrical impulses away from the cell body and towards the axon terminals, where neurotransmitters are released into the synapse, but it is not the structure across which neurotransmitters travel to communicate between neurons.
What term describes a series of muscle contractions that transports food down the digestive tract in a wave-like fashion?
- A. digestion
- B. deglutition
- C. defecation
- D. peristalsis
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Peristalsis is the correct term for the series of muscle contractions that move food down the digestive tract in a wave-like manner. This process helps propel food through the esophagus, stomach, and intestines, facilitating digestion and nutrient absorption. Digestion (Choice A) refers to the breakdown of food into smaller components, deglutition (Choice B) is the act of swallowing, and defecation (Choice C) is the elimination of waste from the body. Therefore, peristalsis is the most appropriate term to describe the described muscle contractions in the digestive system.