PHYS 261 HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY MIDTERM
EXAM COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND ACCURATE
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ Which is greater: blood pressure when the peripheral vessels
constrict or dilate? Answer: Blood pressure when the peripheral
vessels constrict.
◉ What does the P wave of an ECG correspond to? Answer:
Depolarization of the atria.
◉ What reflex complements a withdrawal reflex? Answer: Crossed
extensor reflex.
◉ What happens when your instructor announces a pop quiz?
Answer: Increased sympathetic signaling and increased cardiac
output.
◉ What protein is activated by the Ca2+-calmodulin complex?
Answer: Myosin light chain kinase.
,◉ When is end-systolic volume (ESV) greatest? Answer: When
parasympathetic stimulation of the heart is increased.
◉ What is one repeating unit of the striated muscle banding pattern
called? Answer: Sarcomere.
◉ What initiates the contraction cycle in muscle fibers? Answer: The
rise in Ca2+ released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR).
◉ What is stroke volume (SV)? Answer: The volume of blood
pumped out of the heart from one ventricle during one contraction.
◉ What causes the rapid depolarization phase of myocardial
contractile cells? Answer: Na+ only.
◉ What is end-diastolic volume (EDV)? Answer: The volume of
blood in the ventricle available to be pumped out during one
contraction.
◉ What is end-systolic volume (ESV)? Answer: The volume of blood
left in the ventricle after it contracts.
◉ What happens when calcium binds to troponin? Answer:
Tropomyosin is pulled away from the myosin-binding site on actin.
, ◉ What is the driving force for blood flow? Answer: Pressure
gradient.
◉ Which condition would NOT cause an increase in blood pressure?
Answer: A decrease in cardiac output.
◉ What does the QRS complex represent? Answer: Ventricular
depolarization.
◉ How is cardiac output calculated? Answer: The product of heart
rate and stroke volume.
◉ What is the importance of the plateau phase of the action
potential of myocardial cells? Answer: Preventing tetanus.
◉ What happens to arterial blood pressure if cardiac output
increases and resistance in arterioles does NOT change? Answer: It
increases.
◉ What changes the conformation of the dihydropyridine (DHP)
receptor? Answer: The action potential traveling along the t-tubule.
EXAM COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND ACCURATE
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ Which is greater: blood pressure when the peripheral vessels
constrict or dilate? Answer: Blood pressure when the peripheral
vessels constrict.
◉ What does the P wave of an ECG correspond to? Answer:
Depolarization of the atria.
◉ What reflex complements a withdrawal reflex? Answer: Crossed
extensor reflex.
◉ What happens when your instructor announces a pop quiz?
Answer: Increased sympathetic signaling and increased cardiac
output.
◉ What protein is activated by the Ca2+-calmodulin complex?
Answer: Myosin light chain kinase.
,◉ When is end-systolic volume (ESV) greatest? Answer: When
parasympathetic stimulation of the heart is increased.
◉ What is one repeating unit of the striated muscle banding pattern
called? Answer: Sarcomere.
◉ What initiates the contraction cycle in muscle fibers? Answer: The
rise in Ca2+ released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR).
◉ What is stroke volume (SV)? Answer: The volume of blood
pumped out of the heart from one ventricle during one contraction.
◉ What causes the rapid depolarization phase of myocardial
contractile cells? Answer: Na+ only.
◉ What is end-diastolic volume (EDV)? Answer: The volume of
blood in the ventricle available to be pumped out during one
contraction.
◉ What is end-systolic volume (ESV)? Answer: The volume of blood
left in the ventricle after it contracts.
◉ What happens when calcium binds to troponin? Answer:
Tropomyosin is pulled away from the myosin-binding site on actin.
, ◉ What is the driving force for blood flow? Answer: Pressure
gradient.
◉ Which condition would NOT cause an increase in blood pressure?
Answer: A decrease in cardiac output.
◉ What does the QRS complex represent? Answer: Ventricular
depolarization.
◉ How is cardiac output calculated? Answer: The product of heart
rate and stroke volume.
◉ What is the importance of the plateau phase of the action
potential of myocardial cells? Answer: Preventing tetanus.
◉ What happens to arterial blood pressure if cardiac output
increases and resistance in arterioles does NOT change? Answer: It
increases.
◉ What changes the conformation of the dihydropyridine (DHP)
receptor? Answer: The action potential traveling along the t-tubule.
