RIO BIO 202 COMPREHENSIVE EXAM 2025/2026
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔uvula - ✔✔pendulum; during swallowing, moves superiorly along with soft palate to
prevent food from entering nasal cavity (closes off nasopharynx)
**This is why when we laugh with liquid in our mouth, this closing action can fail and we
get it up our nose)
✔✔pharyngeal tonsil (adenoids) - ✔✔high on posterior wall of nasopharynx;
trap and destroys pathogens entering the nasopharynx in air;
✔✔pharyngotympanic (auditory) tubes - ✔✔drain the middle ear cavities and allow
middle ear pressure to equalize with atmospheric pressure
✔✔tubal tonsil - ✔✔a ridge of pharyngeal mucosa
✔✔oropharynx - ✔✔inhaled air and swallowed food pass through it; the middle part of
the pharynx (throat) behind the mouth. It includes the following: Back one-third of the
tongue. Soft palate. Side and back walls of the throat.
✔✔isthmus of the fauces - ✔✔a part of the oropharynx directly behind the mouth cavity,
bounded superiorly by the soft palate, laterally by the palatoglossal arches, and
inferiorly by the tongue
✔✔palatine tonsils - ✔✔lie in lateral walls of the fauces
✔✔lingual tonsil - ✔✔covers base of tongue
✔✔laryngopharynx - ✔✔serves a passageway for food and air;
lined with stratified squamous epithelium;
extends from epiglottis to larynx, where the respiratory and digestive pathways diverge
✔✔esophagus - ✔✔conducts food and fluids to the stomach
✔✔what happens during swallowing? - ✔✔food has the "right of way," and air passage
temporarily stops
✔✔larynx - ✔✔the VOICE BOX;
continuous with trachea
✔✔3 main functions of the larynx - ✔✔1. provide patent (open) airway
2. act as a switching mechanism to route air and food into the proper channels
3. voice production (houses the vocal cords)
,✔✔thyroid cartilage - ✔✔large, shield-shaped; formed by fusion of two cartilage plates
✔✔except for the epiglottis, all laryngeal cartilages are ________ cartilages. -
✔✔hyaline
✔✔laryngeal prominence - ✔✔externally marked as the Adam's Apple
✔✔why is the thyroid cartilage typically larger in males than females? - ✔✔because
male sex hormones stimulate its growth during puberty
✔✔cricoid cartilage - ✔✔inferior to thyroid cartilage;
ring-shaped;
perched atop and anchored to the trachea inferiorly
✔✔What forms part of the lateral and posterior walls of larynx? - ✔✔3 pairs of small
cartilages:
arytenoid
cuneiform
corniculate cartilages
✔✔arytenoid cartilage - ✔✔anchors the vocal chords
✔✔epiglottis - ✔✔composed of elastic cartilage and is almost entirely covered by a
taste-bud containing mucosa;
extends from posterior aspect of tongue to its anchoring point on the anterior rim of the
thyroid cartilage
✔✔what initiates the cough reflex? - ✔✔when anything other than air enters the larynx
(because this protective reflex does not work when we are unconscious, it is never a
good idea to administer liquids when attempting to revive an unconscious person)
✔✔vocal ligaments - ✔✔attach the arytenoid cartilage to the thyroid cartilage;
composed of elastic fibers; form the core of the mucosal folds called the vocal folds, or
true vocal cords
✔✔vocal folds (true vocal cords) - ✔✔mucosal folds formed by the vocal ligaments;
appear pearly white because they lack blood vessels;
vibrate to produce sound as air rushes up from the lungs
✔✔glottis - ✔✔the vocal folds and the medial opening between them through which are
passes
, ✔✔vestibular folds (false vocal cords) - ✔✔similar to vocal folds; play NO part in sound
production, but help to close the glottis when we swallow
✔✔Mucus is continuously moved _______ from lungs. - ✔✔away
✔✔how is our voice/speech produced? - ✔✔involves the intermittent release of expired
air and the opening and closing of the glottis
✔✔what changes pitch of our voice sounds? - ✔✔the length and tension on the vocal
cords; the tenser the cords, the faster they vibrate and the higher the pitch
✔✔The glottis is _______ when we produce DEEP tones and ________ to a slit for
HIGH-PITCHED sounds. - ✔✔wide; narrows
✔✔what causes a boy's voice to deepen with puberty? - ✔✔as a boy's larynx enlarges
during puberty, his true vocal cords become longer and thicker. Because this causes
them to vibrate more slowly, his voice becomes deeper. The "cracks" often heard are a
result of not yet being able to learn how to control his newly enlarged vocal cords
✔✔What does loudness of the voice depend on? - ✔✔the force with which the
airstream rushes across the vocal cords; the greater the force, the stronger the vibration
and the louder the sound. Vocal cords do not move at all when we whisper
✔✔laryngitis - ✔✔inflammation of the vocal cords
✔✔nose - ✔✔jutting external portion supported by bone and cartilage; internal nasal
cavity divided by midline nasal septum and lined with mucosa
✔✔function of nose - ✔✔produces mucus; filters, warms and moistens incoming air,
resonance chamber for speech
✔✔function of roof of nasal cavity contains olfactory epithelium - ✔✔receptors for sense
of smell
✔✔function of paranasal sinuses around nasal cavity - ✔✔same as for nasal cavity;
also lightens skull
✔✔function of pharynx - ✔✔passageway for air and food
✔✔function of larynx - ✔✔air passageway; prevents food from entering lower
respiratory tract
✔✔function of trachea - ✔✔air passageway; cleans, warms, and moistens incoming air
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔uvula - ✔✔pendulum; during swallowing, moves superiorly along with soft palate to
prevent food from entering nasal cavity (closes off nasopharynx)
**This is why when we laugh with liquid in our mouth, this closing action can fail and we
get it up our nose)
✔✔pharyngeal tonsil (adenoids) - ✔✔high on posterior wall of nasopharynx;
trap and destroys pathogens entering the nasopharynx in air;
✔✔pharyngotympanic (auditory) tubes - ✔✔drain the middle ear cavities and allow
middle ear pressure to equalize with atmospheric pressure
✔✔tubal tonsil - ✔✔a ridge of pharyngeal mucosa
✔✔oropharynx - ✔✔inhaled air and swallowed food pass through it; the middle part of
the pharynx (throat) behind the mouth. It includes the following: Back one-third of the
tongue. Soft palate. Side and back walls of the throat.
✔✔isthmus of the fauces - ✔✔a part of the oropharynx directly behind the mouth cavity,
bounded superiorly by the soft palate, laterally by the palatoglossal arches, and
inferiorly by the tongue
✔✔palatine tonsils - ✔✔lie in lateral walls of the fauces
✔✔lingual tonsil - ✔✔covers base of tongue
✔✔laryngopharynx - ✔✔serves a passageway for food and air;
lined with stratified squamous epithelium;
extends from epiglottis to larynx, where the respiratory and digestive pathways diverge
✔✔esophagus - ✔✔conducts food and fluids to the stomach
✔✔what happens during swallowing? - ✔✔food has the "right of way," and air passage
temporarily stops
✔✔larynx - ✔✔the VOICE BOX;
continuous with trachea
✔✔3 main functions of the larynx - ✔✔1. provide patent (open) airway
2. act as a switching mechanism to route air and food into the proper channels
3. voice production (houses the vocal cords)
,✔✔thyroid cartilage - ✔✔large, shield-shaped; formed by fusion of two cartilage plates
✔✔except for the epiglottis, all laryngeal cartilages are ________ cartilages. -
✔✔hyaline
✔✔laryngeal prominence - ✔✔externally marked as the Adam's Apple
✔✔why is the thyroid cartilage typically larger in males than females? - ✔✔because
male sex hormones stimulate its growth during puberty
✔✔cricoid cartilage - ✔✔inferior to thyroid cartilage;
ring-shaped;
perched atop and anchored to the trachea inferiorly
✔✔What forms part of the lateral and posterior walls of larynx? - ✔✔3 pairs of small
cartilages:
arytenoid
cuneiform
corniculate cartilages
✔✔arytenoid cartilage - ✔✔anchors the vocal chords
✔✔epiglottis - ✔✔composed of elastic cartilage and is almost entirely covered by a
taste-bud containing mucosa;
extends from posterior aspect of tongue to its anchoring point on the anterior rim of the
thyroid cartilage
✔✔what initiates the cough reflex? - ✔✔when anything other than air enters the larynx
(because this protective reflex does not work when we are unconscious, it is never a
good idea to administer liquids when attempting to revive an unconscious person)
✔✔vocal ligaments - ✔✔attach the arytenoid cartilage to the thyroid cartilage;
composed of elastic fibers; form the core of the mucosal folds called the vocal folds, or
true vocal cords
✔✔vocal folds (true vocal cords) - ✔✔mucosal folds formed by the vocal ligaments;
appear pearly white because they lack blood vessels;
vibrate to produce sound as air rushes up from the lungs
✔✔glottis - ✔✔the vocal folds and the medial opening between them through which are
passes
, ✔✔vestibular folds (false vocal cords) - ✔✔similar to vocal folds; play NO part in sound
production, but help to close the glottis when we swallow
✔✔Mucus is continuously moved _______ from lungs. - ✔✔away
✔✔how is our voice/speech produced? - ✔✔involves the intermittent release of expired
air and the opening and closing of the glottis
✔✔what changes pitch of our voice sounds? - ✔✔the length and tension on the vocal
cords; the tenser the cords, the faster they vibrate and the higher the pitch
✔✔The glottis is _______ when we produce DEEP tones and ________ to a slit for
HIGH-PITCHED sounds. - ✔✔wide; narrows
✔✔what causes a boy's voice to deepen with puberty? - ✔✔as a boy's larynx enlarges
during puberty, his true vocal cords become longer and thicker. Because this causes
them to vibrate more slowly, his voice becomes deeper. The "cracks" often heard are a
result of not yet being able to learn how to control his newly enlarged vocal cords
✔✔What does loudness of the voice depend on? - ✔✔the force with which the
airstream rushes across the vocal cords; the greater the force, the stronger the vibration
and the louder the sound. Vocal cords do not move at all when we whisper
✔✔laryngitis - ✔✔inflammation of the vocal cords
✔✔nose - ✔✔jutting external portion supported by bone and cartilage; internal nasal
cavity divided by midline nasal septum and lined with mucosa
✔✔function of nose - ✔✔produces mucus; filters, warms and moistens incoming air,
resonance chamber for speech
✔✔function of roof of nasal cavity contains olfactory epithelium - ✔✔receptors for sense
of smell
✔✔function of paranasal sinuses around nasal cavity - ✔✔same as for nasal cavity;
also lightens skull
✔✔function of pharynx - ✔✔passageway for air and food
✔✔function of larynx - ✔✔air passageway; prevents food from entering lower
respiratory tract
✔✔function of trachea - ✔✔air passageway; cleans, warms, and moistens incoming air
