1. Connective tissues, although quite diverse in structure and location, do share a
common theme; the connection between other types of tissues. Although all of
the following seem to fit that criterion, one of the tissues listed is NOT a type of
connective tissue. Which one?
a. Blood
b. Muscle
c. Adipose tissue
d. Cartilage
The correct answer is b—
A. Answer a is incorrect. Blood is a type of connective tissue. It carries material
between the epithelial tissue of the respiratory system and the endothelium lining
the capillaries in the tissues.
The correct answer is b—Muscle
B. Answer b is correct. Muscle is not a type of connective tissue. Although muscles
do attach to bones (another type of connective tissue!) and some other tissues,
they are in their own group of tissues based on their contractility.
The correct answer is b—
C. Answer c is incorrect. Adipose tissue is a type of connective tissue. Adipose
tissue (fat) forms a connective layer between the skin and the connective tissue
and muscle underneath.
The correct answer is b—
D. Answer d is incorrect. Cartilage is a type of connective tissue. Cartilage forms at
joints between bones and in the nose and ears as well.
2. What do all the organs of the body have in common?
a. Each contains the same kinds of cells
b. Each is composed of several different kinds of tissue
c. Each is derived from ectoderm
d. Each can be considered part of the circulatory system
The correct answer is b—
A. Answer a is incorrect. By definition, the organ systems of the body (and their
organs) differ in the types of tissues they contain and therefore they cannot all
contain the same kinds of cells
The correct answer is b—Each is composed of several different kinds of tissue
B. Answer b is correct. That is the definition of an organ; several different types of
tissues with a common purpose. For example, the esophagus contains smooth
muscle, parasympathetic nervous system cells and epithelium united with the
common purpose of moving food from the mouth to the stomach.
The correct answer is b—
C. Answer C is incorrect. Ectoderm gives rise to only some of the organs in the body
(for example, the sense organs). The mesoderm and endoderm also give rise to
organs as well.
The correct answer is b—
D. Answer d is incorrect. The organs that constitute the circulatory system would
encompass only the blood vessels and heart. The other organs of the body,
although nourished by the circulatory system, are not considered to be part of it.
3. Which of the following cavities would contain your stomach?
a. Peritoneal
b. Pericardial
c. Pleural
d. Thoracic
The correct answer is a—Peritoneal
A. Answer a is correct. That is the proper term used to describe the area containing
the stomach, intestines, and liver.
The correct answer is a—
B. Answer b is incorrect. The term pericardial describes the membrane encompassing
the heart.
The correct answer is a—
C. Answer c is incorrect. The term pleural refers to the structures related to the lungs
within the thoracic or chest cavity.
The correct answer is a—
D. Answer d is incorrect. The thoracic (chest) cavity contains the heart and lungs not
the stomach.
4. Epithelial tissues do all of the following except—
a. form barriers or boundaries
b. absorb nutrients in the digestive tract
c. transmit information in the central nervous system
d. allow exchange of gases in the lung
The correct answer is c—
A. Answer a is incorrect. Forming barriers and boundaries is a normal function of
epithelial tissues.
The correct answer is c—
B. Answer b is incorrect. Epithelial cells in fact line the digestive tract and absorb
nutrients.
The correct answer is c—transmit information in the central nervous system
C. Answer c is correct. Epithelial cells do not transmit nerve impulses; that is the
function of neurons within the central nervous system.
The correct answer is c—
D. Answer d is incorrect. Epithelial cells line the respiratory tract and allow the
exchange of gases (CO2 and O2).
5. Endocrine and exocrine glands form from—
a. epithelial tissue
b. connective tissue
c. nervous tissue
d. muscle tissue
The correct answer is a—epithelial tissue
A. Answer a is correct. Epithelial tissues form endocrine and exocrine glands.
The correct answer is a—
B. Answer b is incorrect. Connective tissues include the blood cells; adipocytes;
chondrocytes (cartilage); and osteocytes (bone); both loose and dense types, but
none of these are glandular.
The correct answer is a—
C. Answer c is incorrect. Nervous tissues are composed of cells that either transmit
information or provide support to the transmitting neurons (neuroglia). Neither of
these types is glandular.
The correct answer is a—
D. Answer d is incorrect. Muscle cells have a single function—contraction.
6. Connective tissues include a diverse group of cells yet they all share—
a. cuboidal shape
b. the ability to produce hormones
c. the ability to contract
d. the presence of an extracellular matrix
The correct answer is d—
A. Answer a is incorrect. Connective tissues are quite diverse, and their cells have a
variety of shapes; from the round red blood cell through the irregular shapes of
leukocytes and chondrocytes.
The correct answer is d—
B. Answer b is incorrect. Hormones are produced by endocrine cells, which are not a
type of connective tissue.
The correct answer is d—
C. Answer c is incorrect. Muscle tissues share the common ability to contract, not
connective tissues.
The correct answer is d—the presence of an extracellular matrix
D. Answer d is correct. Connective tissues, by definition, connect structures. This
requires the presence of an extracellular matrix that serves as a link between
substances.
7. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the linings of joints
within the body. The cells that line these joints, and whose destruction causes the
symptoms of arthritis, are known as—
a. osteocytes
b. erythrocytes
c. chondrocytes
d. thrombocytes
The correct answer is c—
A. Answer a is not correct. Although osteocytes form bone tissue, they do not form
the lining of joints.
The correct answer is c—
B. Answer b is incorrect. Erythrocytes are red blood cells; they do not line the joints.
The correct answer is c—chondrocytes
C. Answer c is correct. Cartilage is composed of chondrocytes. These cells line the
joints and provide cushioning which prevents one bone from scraping against
another.
The correct answer is c—
D. Answer d is incorrect. Thrombocytes are a type of blood cell; they do not line
joints.
8. Skeletal muscle cells differ from the “typical” mammalian cell in that they—
a. contain multiple nuclei
b. have mitochondria
c. have no plasma membrane
d. are not derived from embryonic tissue
The correct answer is a—contain multiple nuclei
A. Answer a is correct. Unlike other cells in the body, skeletal muscle cells tend to
have more than one nucleus due to their growth pattern (growth without cell
division).
The correct answer is a—
B. Answer b is incorrect. Mammalian cells, as eukaryotes, have mitochondria.
The correct answer is a—
C. Answer c is incorrect. By definition, a cell is separated from the outside world by
its plasma membrane. All mammalian cells have a plasma membrane
The correct answer is a—
D. Answer d is incorrect. All cells in the mammalian body are derived from
embryonic tissue (endo-, meso-, and ectoderm).
9. Examples of smooth muscle sites include—
a. lining of blood vessels
b. iris of the eye
c. wall of the digestive tract
d. all of the above
The correct answer is d—
A. Answer a is incorrect. It is only one of three possible correct choices.
The correct answer is d—
B. Answer b is incorrect. It is only one of three possible correct choices.
The correct answer is d—
C. Answer c is incorrect. It is only one of three possible correct choices.
The correct answer is d—all of the above
D. Answer d is correct. All of the above are places in the body that contain smooth
muscle.
10. Suppose that a strange alien virus arrives on Earth. This virus causes damage to
the nervous system by attacking the structures of neurons. Which of the
following structures would be immune from attack?
a. Axon
b. Dendrite
c. Neuroglia
d. All of the above would be attacked by the virus
The correct answer is c—
A. Answer a is incorrect. An axon is a structure found in neurons and therefore
would be susceptible to the virus.
The correct answer is c—
B. Answer b is incorrect. Dendrites are a part of neurons and therefore would be
susceptible to the virus.
The correct answer is c—Neuroglia
C. Answer c is correct. Neuroglia are the cells that support and insulate neurons in
the central nervous system. However, they are not neurons and therefore should
be immune to the virus.
The correct answer is c—
D. Answer d is incorrect. Only axons and dendrites would be attacked by the virus.
As separate cells, the neuroglia would be immune to infection.
11. The function of neuroglia is to—
a. carry messages from the PNS to the CNS
b. support and protect neurons
c. stimulate muscle contraction
d. store memories
The correct answer is b—
A. Answer a is incorrect. Neuroglia do not carry messages.
The correct answer is b—support and protect neurons
B. Answer b is correct. Neuroglia are the cells that support and insulate neurons in
the central nervous system.
The correct answer is b—
C. Answer c is incorrect. Neuroglia do not carry messages and therefore are
incapable of stimulating other cells.
The correct answer is b—
D. Answer d is incorrect. Even though neuroglia play a vital role in maintaining the
health of the nervous system, there is no evidence to suggest that they have the
ability to store information.
12. Systems involved in communication and integration of information include all of
the following except—
a. the nervous system
b. the immune system
c. the endocrine system
d. the sensory system
The correct answer is b—
A. Answer a is incorrect. Communication and integration of information are normal
functions of the nervous system.
The correct answer is b—the immune system
B. Answer b is correct. The function of the immune system is the defense of the body
against pathogens, not communication and integration of information.
The correct answer is b—
C. Answer c is incorrect. Communication and integration of information are normal
functions of the endocrine system.
The correct answer is b—
D. Answer d is incorrect. Communication and integration of information are normal
functions of the sensory system.
13. Another way to describe the functions of the digestive, respiratory, and
circulatory systems is as the ____________ systems
a. defense
b. communication and integration
c. support and movement
d. regulation and maintenance
The correct answer is d—
A. Answer a is incorrect. The system that serves in defense is the immune system.
The correct answer is d—
B. Answer b is incorrect. The nervous, endocrine, and sensory systems are primarily
responsible for communication and integration.
The correct answer is d—
C. Answer c is incorrect. The musculoskeletal system is primarily responsible for
support and movement.
The correct answer is d—regulation and maintenance
D. Answer d is correct. The digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems are
responsible for bringing required materials (nutrients, oxygen) into the body and
distributing it as needed to the tissues.
14. Homeostasis—
a. is a dynamic process
b. describes the maintenance of the internal environment of the body
c. is essential to life
d. all of the above
The correct answer is d—
A. Answer a is incorrect. It is only one of three correct answers for this question.
The correct answer is d—
B. Answer b is incorrect. It is only one of three correct answers for this question.
The correct answer is d—
C. Answer c is incorrect. It is only one of three correct answers for this question.
The correct answer is d—all of the above
D. Answer d is correct. It encompasses all three of the correct responses.
15. Which of the following scenarios correctly describes positive feedback?
a. If the temperature increases in your room, your furnace increases its
output of warm air.
b. If you drink too much water, you produce more urine.
c. If the price of gasoline increases, drivers decrease the length of their trips.
d. If you feel cold, you start to shiver.
The correct answer is a—If the temperature increases in your room, your furnace
increases its output of warm air.
A. Answer a is correct. It correctly describes positive feedback: a stimulus
(increasing room temperature) generates a response (furnace activity), that
increases the stimulus (the room becomes even warmer).
The correct answer is a—
B. Answer b is incorrect. Negative feedback occurs when the stimulus generates a
response that destroys the stimulus. In this case, too much water in the body
causes an increase in urine production, which decreases the amount of water in
the body.
The correct answer is a—
C. Answer c is incorrect. The stimulus (high gasoline prices) creates a response
(decrease in the number of miles driven) that should decrease the stimulus; this
would be a negative feedback system.
The correct answer is a—
D. Answer d is incorrect. The stimulus (low body temperature) creates a response
(shivering) that removes the stimulus (your body temperature increases); this is a
negative feedback system.
Challenge Questions
1. Suppose that you discover a new disease that affects nutrient absorption in the gut
as well as causing problems with the skin. Is it possible that one disease could
involve the same tissues? How could this occur?
Answer—Yes, both the gut and the skin include epithelial tissue. A disease that affects
epithelial cells could affect both the digestive system and the skin. For example, cystic
fibrosis affects the ion transport system in epithelial membranes. It is manifested in the
lungs, gut, and sweat glands.
2. Which organ systems are involved in regulation and maintenance? Why do you
think they are linked together in this way?
Answer—The digestive, circulatory, and respiratory systems are grouped together
because they all provide necessary nutrients for the body. The digestive system is
responsible for the acquisition of nutrients from food; the respiratory system provides
oxygen and removes waste (carbon monoxide). The circulatory system transports
nutrients to the cells of the body and removes metabolic wastes.
3. We have all experienced hunger pangs. Is hunger a positive or negative feedback
stimulus? Describe the steps involved in the response to this stimulus.
Answer—Hunger is a negative feedback stimulus. Hunger stimulates an individual to
eat which in turn causes a feeling of fullness that removes hunger. Hunger is the
stimulus; eating is the response that removes the stimulus.
4. Why is homeostasis described as a dynamic process?
Answer—The internal environment is constantly changing. As you move through your
day, muscle activity raises your body temperature, but when you sit down to eat or rest,
your temperature cools. The body must constantly adjust to changes in activity or the
environment.