BIOL 252 Module 5 Exam 2026 | Questions with
Answers & Explanations | Human Anatomy &
Physiology II w/Lab | Portage Learning | Latest Update
📝 Description
Complete BIOL 252 Module 5 Exam preparation guide containing 150 multiple-choice
practice questions with detailed explanations. Updated for the 2026 Portage Learning
Human Anatomy & Physiology II w/Lab curriculum.
This comprehensive study resource covers all essential topics from the Module 5 Exam
on the Respiratory System:
✅ Respiratory Anatomy & Histology – Upper and lower respiratory tract structures,
nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, Type I and Type II
alveolar cells, respiratory membrane, surfactant production
✅ Pulmonary Ventilation – Boyle's Law (P₁V₁ = P₂V₂), inspiration vs. expiration
mechanics, diaphragm contraction, intrapulmonary and intrapleural pressures,
pneumothorax
✅ Lung Volumes & Capacities – Tidal volume (500 mL), inspiratory reserve volume,
expiratory reserve volume, residual volume, vital capacity, functional residual capacity,
total lung capacity
✅ Gas Exchange & Transport – External vs. internal respiration, Dalton's Law of partial
pressures, alveolar PO₂ (100 mmHg) and PCO₂ (40 mmHg), venous blood PO₂ (40
mmHg) and PCO₂ (45 mmHg)
✅ Oxygen Transport – Hemoglobin binding (~98% bound, ~2% dissolved),
oxyhemoglobin, Bohr effect, oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve
✅ Carbon Dioxide Transport – Bicarbonate ions (~70%), carbaminohemoglobin (~23%),
dissolved CO₂ (~7%), carbonic anhydrase, chloride shift, Haldane effect
✅ Respiratory Regulation – Medulla oblongata (DRG controls inspiration, VRG controls
forced breathing), pons (apneustic and pneumotaxic centers), central
,📚 Section 1: Overview of the Respiratory System (Questions 1–15)
1. What is the primary function of the respiratory system in maintaining
homeostasis?
A) Produce digestive enzymes
B) Exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide between the body and environment
C) Produce red blood cells
D) Regulate blood glucose
Answer: B
Explanation: The respiratory system maintains homeostasis by exchanging gases between
the body and the external environment—supplying oxygen (O₂) to the blood and removing
carbon dioxide (CO₂), a waste product of cellular metabolism . Gas exchange occurs in the
alveoli of the lungs.
2. Which process describes the movement of air into and out of the lungs?
A) External respiration
B) Internal respiration
C) Pulmonary ventilation
, D) Cellular respiration
Answer: C
Explanation: Pulmonary ventilation is the process of moving air into (inhalation) and out of
(exhalation) the lungs. Inhalation brings oxygen-rich air into the lungs, while exhalation
removes carbon dioxide-rich air .
3. Aerobic metabolism requires oxygen to produce:
A) Glucose
B) ATP (adenosine triphosphate)
C) Carbon dioxide
D) Lactic acid
Answer: B
Explanation: Aerobic metabolism is the process of using oxygen to produce ATP, the
energy currency of the cell. Oxidative phosphorylation is the specific process requiring
oxygen to produce ATP .
4. The waste product of cellular respiration that serves as the main driver of
breathing is:
A) Oxygen
B) Nitrogen
C) Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
, D) Water vapor
Answer: C
Explanation: Carbon dioxide is the waste product of cellular respiration and the main driver
of breathing. Rising CO₂ levels stimulate the respiratory centers to increase ventilation .
5. Hypoxia is defined as:
A) Complete absence of oxygen in tissues
B) Low oxygen levels in tissues
C) High oxygen levels in tissues
D) Low carbon dioxide levels in blood
Answer: B
Explanation: Hypoxia refers to low oxygen levels in tissues. Anoxia, in contrast, is the
complete absence of oxygen. Both conditions can result from respiratory impairment .
6. Which structures are components of the upper respiratory system?
A) Larynx, trachea, bronchi
B) Nose, nasal cavity, sinuses, pharynx
C) Bronchioles, alveoli
D) Trachea, lungs, pleurae
Answers & Explanations | Human Anatomy &
Physiology II w/Lab | Portage Learning | Latest Update
📝 Description
Complete BIOL 252 Module 5 Exam preparation guide containing 150 multiple-choice
practice questions with detailed explanations. Updated for the 2026 Portage Learning
Human Anatomy & Physiology II w/Lab curriculum.
This comprehensive study resource covers all essential topics from the Module 5 Exam
on the Respiratory System:
✅ Respiratory Anatomy & Histology – Upper and lower respiratory tract structures,
nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, Type I and Type II
alveolar cells, respiratory membrane, surfactant production
✅ Pulmonary Ventilation – Boyle's Law (P₁V₁ = P₂V₂), inspiration vs. expiration
mechanics, diaphragm contraction, intrapulmonary and intrapleural pressures,
pneumothorax
✅ Lung Volumes & Capacities – Tidal volume (500 mL), inspiratory reserve volume,
expiratory reserve volume, residual volume, vital capacity, functional residual capacity,
total lung capacity
✅ Gas Exchange & Transport – External vs. internal respiration, Dalton's Law of partial
pressures, alveolar PO₂ (100 mmHg) and PCO₂ (40 mmHg), venous blood PO₂ (40
mmHg) and PCO₂ (45 mmHg)
✅ Oxygen Transport – Hemoglobin binding (~98% bound, ~2% dissolved),
oxyhemoglobin, Bohr effect, oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve
✅ Carbon Dioxide Transport – Bicarbonate ions (~70%), carbaminohemoglobin (~23%),
dissolved CO₂ (~7%), carbonic anhydrase, chloride shift, Haldane effect
✅ Respiratory Regulation – Medulla oblongata (DRG controls inspiration, VRG controls
forced breathing), pons (apneustic and pneumotaxic centers), central
,📚 Section 1: Overview of the Respiratory System (Questions 1–15)
1. What is the primary function of the respiratory system in maintaining
homeostasis?
A) Produce digestive enzymes
B) Exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide between the body and environment
C) Produce red blood cells
D) Regulate blood glucose
Answer: B
Explanation: The respiratory system maintains homeostasis by exchanging gases between
the body and the external environment—supplying oxygen (O₂) to the blood and removing
carbon dioxide (CO₂), a waste product of cellular metabolism . Gas exchange occurs in the
alveoli of the lungs.
2. Which process describes the movement of air into and out of the lungs?
A) External respiration
B) Internal respiration
C) Pulmonary ventilation
, D) Cellular respiration
Answer: C
Explanation: Pulmonary ventilation is the process of moving air into (inhalation) and out of
(exhalation) the lungs. Inhalation brings oxygen-rich air into the lungs, while exhalation
removes carbon dioxide-rich air .
3. Aerobic metabolism requires oxygen to produce:
A) Glucose
B) ATP (adenosine triphosphate)
C) Carbon dioxide
D) Lactic acid
Answer: B
Explanation: Aerobic metabolism is the process of using oxygen to produce ATP, the
energy currency of the cell. Oxidative phosphorylation is the specific process requiring
oxygen to produce ATP .
4. The waste product of cellular respiration that serves as the main driver of
breathing is:
A) Oxygen
B) Nitrogen
C) Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
, D) Water vapor
Answer: C
Explanation: Carbon dioxide is the waste product of cellular respiration and the main driver
of breathing. Rising CO₂ levels stimulate the respiratory centers to increase ventilation .
5. Hypoxia is defined as:
A) Complete absence of oxygen in tissues
B) Low oxygen levels in tissues
C) High oxygen levels in tissues
D) Low carbon dioxide levels in blood
Answer: B
Explanation: Hypoxia refers to low oxygen levels in tissues. Anoxia, in contrast, is the
complete absence of oxygen. Both conditions can result from respiratory impairment .
6. Which structures are components of the upper respiratory system?
A) Larynx, trachea, bronchi
B) Nose, nasal cavity, sinuses, pharynx
C) Bronchioles, alveoli
D) Trachea, lungs, pleurae
