WGU D312 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION TEST 2026
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
◉ Axial skeleton. Answer: made up of the bones along the center, or
axis, of your body.
◉ Compact bone tissue. Answer: forms the extremely hard outside layer
of bones, gives bone its smooth, dense, solid appearance. It accounts for
about 80% of the total bone mass of the adult skeleton.
◉ Spongy bone tissue. Answer: fills part or all the interior of many
bones. They are porous like a sponge, containing an irregular network of
spaces, much less dense than compact bone. It has a greater surface area
than compact bone but makes up 20% of bone mass.
◉ Long bones. Answer: consist of a long shaft, are cylinder like in
cross-section, and are (usually) expanded at either end. Act as levers for
the skeletal muscles to act upon.
◉ Short bones. Answer: Equal in width and length. Mainly composed of
spongy bones surrounded by a thin layer of compact bone.
,◉ Flat bones. Answer: Smooth, with thin bones comprising two thin and
flat plates of compact bone, between which lies a layer of spongy bone.
◉ Irregular bones. Answer: Elaborate in shape and thus cannot be
classified into any of the other categories.
◉ Sesamoid bones. Answer: Small or bony nodules embedded in a
tendon where they pass over an angular structure, such as the knee,
hand, wrist, or foot.
◉ Joint. Answer: Where two bones come together. Divided into three
categories based on their range of movement: immovable, partly
movable, and movable.
◉ Cartilaginous joints. Answer: are connected by hyaline cartilage and
have no joint cavity. (Example: joints between adjacent vertebrae in the
spine)
◉ Fibrous joints. Answer: are connected by dense connective tissue and
have no joint cavity. (Examples: skull, rib cage)
◉ Synovial joints. Answer: have a fluid-filled cavity called a bursa that
surrounds and provides cushion for articulating bones. (Examples: hips,
knee joints)
,◉ Cartilage. Answer: The tough but flexible tissue that covers the ends
of the bones of movable joints and protects bones by preventing them
from rubbing against each other.
◉ Ligament. Answer: Connective tissue that binds one bone to another.
Helps hold structures together and allows for side-to-side stability.
◉ Tendon. Answer: a connective tissue that attaches muscle to bone.
Aids in the movement of the bone or structure.
◉ Skeletal Muscle. Answer: Voluntary movement, produces heat,
protects organs. Attached to bones and around entrance points to body
(e.g., mouth).
◉ Cardiac Muscle. Answer: Involuntary movement, contracts to pump
blood located in the heart only.
◉ Smooth Muscle. Answer: Involuntary movement, moves food,
involuntary control of respiration, moves secretions, regulates flow of
blood in arteries by contraction located in the walls of major organs and
passageways.
◉ Muscle contraction. Answer: The tightening or shortening of your
muscle.
, ◉ Muscle relaxation. Answer: Occurs when the muscle returns to its
normal state.
◉ Sliding filament theory. Answer: Describes the process of muscle
contraction and relaxation. When signaled by the brain, a skeletal muscle
contracts as the thin filaments, or fibers, are pulled and then slide past
the thick filaments within the fiber's sarcomeres.
◉ Sarcomeres. Answer: Small units of muscle tissue that shorten
(contract). They relax by returning to normal.
◉ Posture. Answer: A function of muscles to keep the body upright
when standing or sitting.
◉ Muscle movement. Answer: Controlled by sarcomeres, which help
muscles contract and relax.
◉ Nervous tissue. Answer: The nervous system is made up of a type of
specialized tissue. Consists of the brain, spinal cord and the nerves,
neurons and neuroglia. Responsible for control of the body and
communication.
◉ CNS (Central Nervous System). Answer: Includes the brain and the
spinal cord.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION TEST 2026
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
◉ Axial skeleton. Answer: made up of the bones along the center, or
axis, of your body.
◉ Compact bone tissue. Answer: forms the extremely hard outside layer
of bones, gives bone its smooth, dense, solid appearance. It accounts for
about 80% of the total bone mass of the adult skeleton.
◉ Spongy bone tissue. Answer: fills part or all the interior of many
bones. They are porous like a sponge, containing an irregular network of
spaces, much less dense than compact bone. It has a greater surface area
than compact bone but makes up 20% of bone mass.
◉ Long bones. Answer: consist of a long shaft, are cylinder like in
cross-section, and are (usually) expanded at either end. Act as levers for
the skeletal muscles to act upon.
◉ Short bones. Answer: Equal in width and length. Mainly composed of
spongy bones surrounded by a thin layer of compact bone.
,◉ Flat bones. Answer: Smooth, with thin bones comprising two thin and
flat plates of compact bone, between which lies a layer of spongy bone.
◉ Irregular bones. Answer: Elaborate in shape and thus cannot be
classified into any of the other categories.
◉ Sesamoid bones. Answer: Small or bony nodules embedded in a
tendon where they pass over an angular structure, such as the knee,
hand, wrist, or foot.
◉ Joint. Answer: Where two bones come together. Divided into three
categories based on their range of movement: immovable, partly
movable, and movable.
◉ Cartilaginous joints. Answer: are connected by hyaline cartilage and
have no joint cavity. (Example: joints between adjacent vertebrae in the
spine)
◉ Fibrous joints. Answer: are connected by dense connective tissue and
have no joint cavity. (Examples: skull, rib cage)
◉ Synovial joints. Answer: have a fluid-filled cavity called a bursa that
surrounds and provides cushion for articulating bones. (Examples: hips,
knee joints)
,◉ Cartilage. Answer: The tough but flexible tissue that covers the ends
of the bones of movable joints and protects bones by preventing them
from rubbing against each other.
◉ Ligament. Answer: Connective tissue that binds one bone to another.
Helps hold structures together and allows for side-to-side stability.
◉ Tendon. Answer: a connective tissue that attaches muscle to bone.
Aids in the movement of the bone or structure.
◉ Skeletal Muscle. Answer: Voluntary movement, produces heat,
protects organs. Attached to bones and around entrance points to body
(e.g., mouth).
◉ Cardiac Muscle. Answer: Involuntary movement, contracts to pump
blood located in the heart only.
◉ Smooth Muscle. Answer: Involuntary movement, moves food,
involuntary control of respiration, moves secretions, regulates flow of
blood in arteries by contraction located in the walls of major organs and
passageways.
◉ Muscle contraction. Answer: The tightening or shortening of your
muscle.
, ◉ Muscle relaxation. Answer: Occurs when the muscle returns to its
normal state.
◉ Sliding filament theory. Answer: Describes the process of muscle
contraction and relaxation. When signaled by the brain, a skeletal muscle
contracts as the thin filaments, or fibers, are pulled and then slide past
the thick filaments within the fiber's sarcomeres.
◉ Sarcomeres. Answer: Small units of muscle tissue that shorten
(contract). They relax by returning to normal.
◉ Posture. Answer: A function of muscles to keep the body upright
when standing or sitting.
◉ Muscle movement. Answer: Controlled by sarcomeres, which help
muscles contract and relax.
◉ Nervous tissue. Answer: The nervous system is made up of a type of
specialized tissue. Consists of the brain, spinal cord and the nerves,
neurons and neuroglia. Responsible for control of the body and
communication.
◉ CNS (Central Nervous System). Answer: Includes the brain and the
spinal cord.
