Nursing Elites

1. Which of the following structures prevents food from entering the windpipe?

• A. Pharynx
• B. Esophagus
• C. Larynx
• D. Epiglottis

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The epiglottis is the structure that prevents food from entering the windpipe by covering the trachea during swallowing. When food is swallowed, the epiglottis folds over the opening of the trachea to ensure that food goes down the esophagus and not into the airway. The pharynx is a shared pathway for both food and air, leading to the esophagus and larynx respectively. The esophagus is the muscular tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. The larynx is responsible for producing sound and protecting the airway during swallowing, but the epiglottis is specifically designed to prevent food from entering the windpipe.

2. Which valve prevents blood from entering the left atrium when the ventricles contract?

• A. Pulmonary valve
• B. Tricuspid valve
• C. Mitral valve
• D. Aortic valve

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is the mitral valve, also known as the bicuspid valve. The mitral valve prevents blood from flowing back into the left atrium during ventricular contraction. The tricuspid valve is located between the right atrium and right ventricle, the pulmonary valve is between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery, and the aortic valve is situated between the left ventricle and the aorta. Therefore, choices A, B, and D are incorrect as they are not related to preventing blood from entering the left atrium during ventricular contraction.

3. Which of the following blood vessels carries oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the left atrium of the heart?

• A. Pulmonary artery
• B. Pulmonary vein
• C. Aorta
• D. Inferior vena cava

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Pulmonary vein. The pulmonary vein carries oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the left atrium of the heart. This oxygenated blood is then pumped out to the rest of the body. The pulmonary artery, choice A, carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs for oxygenation. The aorta, choice C, is responsible for carrying oxygenated blood from the heart to the body's tissues. Choice D, the inferior vena cava, transports deoxygenated blood from the lower body back to the heart.

4. When unpolarized light passes through a polarizing filter, the intensity of the transmitted light is:

• A. Completely absorbed
• B. Reduced by half
• C. Unaffected
• D. Doubled

Correct answer: B

Rationale: When unpolarized light passes through a polarizing filter, the filter only allows light waves oscillating in a specific direction to pass through while blocking light waves oscillating in other directions. Since unpolarized light consists of light waves oscillating in all possible directions, when it passes through a polarizing filter, only half of the light waves (those oscillating in the direction allowed by the filter) are transmitted. As a result, the intensity of the transmitted light is reduced by half. Choice A is incorrect because the light is not completely absorbed; choice C is incorrect because the polarizing filter affects the transmitted light; and choice D is incorrect because the intensity does not double, but rather decreases by half due to the selective transmission of light waves in a specific direction by the polarizing filter.

5. What are the microscopic units responsible for muscle contraction called?

• A. Neurons
• B. Myofibrils
• C. Tendons
• D. Sarcomeres

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Sarcomeres are the fundamental contractile units of skeletal muscles and are responsible for muscle contraction. They consist of actin and myosin filaments that slide past each other during muscle contraction. Neurons are responsible for transmitting signals to and from muscles but are not directly involved in muscle contraction. Myofibrils are composed of sarcomeres and are the structures within muscle cells where muscle contractions take place. Tendons are connective tissues that attach muscles to bones and are not directly involved in muscle contraction.

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