PSL 310 Exam 1 Latest Questions And
Answers Graded A+ 2026.
Organelles are not listed as one of the levels of organization of life. Can you put forth a logical
argument why they are not part of the hierarchy of life? - Answer Cells are the smallest unit
of life. Organelles are small, subunits of cells, so they themselves are not a part of the hierarchy
of life
In order to understand how a whole organism works, you need to understand each part of it
first - this is known as reductionism. Explain the organization of the cardiovascular system using
all levels of hierarchical organization. - Answer Atoms, molecules, cells, tissues, organs, organ
systems (cardiovascular system)
Two physiologists are using a reductionist view when studying the human body. One is studying
the skeletal system and another the cardiovascular system. What emergent properties (i.e.,
functions that are only present when both systems work together in an integrated fashion)
might both individuals be unable to identify in their respective systems? - Answer Both
individuals may be unable to identify the blood calcium homeostasis. They might also miss
hematopoiesis
How many layers will she cut through until serous fluid starts to ooze out? - Answer She will
cut through the pericardial sac, into the parietal pericardial membrane, which will then leak
serous fluid when cut (2 layers)
A cardiothoracic surgeon cracks open a patient's thoracic cavity. The surgeon needs access to
the heart and, therefore, needs to cut through the pericardial sac with her scalpel. List the
proper sequence of the pericardial layers she must cut through to get to the surface of the
heart. - Answer Pericardial sac, parietal pericardial membrane, visceral pericardial
membrane, heart
Many individuals erroneously say that the heart is located inside the pericardial cavity. How
would you correctly describe the heart in relation to the pericardial cavity? - Answer The
pericardial cavity surrounds the heart, but the heart is not inside the cavity
Three different cavities surround three major organs of the human body; the heart, the lungs,
and the viscera. What are these three cavities named? - Answer The heart is surrounded by
the pericardial cavity, the lungs are surrounded by the right and left pleural cavities, and the
viscera is surrounded by the peritoneal cavity
During general surgery, a hack surgeon made a mistake and cut a major mesentery. What future
complications may this patient experience if it's not repaired? - Answer This patient make
experience reduced peristalsis function, so they would struggle to absorb nutrients and oxygen
in the intestines. They would also have less support to their intestines
,What is a mesentery? - Answer A double layer of visceral peritoneum containing connective
tissue, nerve fibers, and arteries
Total body water in a female is approximately 30 liters. Where is most of this water located in
the female body? - Answer The intracellular compartment (inside cells)
What literally is extracellular fluid (ECF)? - Answer A mixture of ISF and IVF
What are the approximate volumes of each fluid compartment within the human body
(interstitial fluid (ISF), extracellular fluid (ECF), intracellular fluid (ICF), and intravascular fluid
(IVF))? - Answer ISF = ~ 26%
ECF = ~ 33%
ICF = ~ 67%
IVF = ~ 7%
Explain how the fluid compartments would change, in volume, if someone with hypertension
was directed by their physician to decrease their salt intake. - Answer There would be less
salt in the blood, so water in the blood would move into the other fluid compartments to dilute
the solutes present there
During high intensity exercise, you can easily lose 1 liter of water per hour of exercise. Let's say a
man lost 5 liters of water during a marathon workout. How many cups of water would he have
to drink to replace this volume of water lost (show your work)? - Answer 20 cups (1 cup =
0.25 L, so 5 liters = 20 cups)
A woman has the flu and loses 6% of her TBW. How many cups of water does she need to drink
to replace the volume of water lost (show your work)? - Answer 7.2 cups (30 x 0.06 = 1.8 L,
1.8 L / 0.25 L = 7.2 cups)
An alien was discovered to vasoconstrict in response to an increase in its body temperature. Is
this response human-like? What type of feedback does this represent and how do you know? -
Answer This response is not human like, we vasodilate in the heat to cool off. This represents
a negative feedback loop in humans because the skin is sending a signal to the brain, which is
resulting in a change to the body that works to bring the temperature back to a homeostatic
level. The alien is doing the opposite, so it is positive feedback
You spent the last 12 years living in Antarctica where the temperature ranges from -60ºF to
10ºF. You travel to Florida for spring break. As soon as you step out of the airport you instantly
feel a heat wave of the 90ºF weather and your skin feels hot. Your body senses this change and
sends signals to your brain, nerve cells and skin. In attempts to get your body temperature back
to normal, you notice your forehead is wet with sweat. What process is your body going
, through to prevent you from overheating? - Answer This is a negative feedback process,
where your body is realizing that it has started signs of overheating, and is acting quickly to
prevent this from happening fully
In response to an acute hyperglycemic episode (blood glucose >100 mg/dl), what is the sensory
information? - Answer The sensory information is glucose
What is the receptor? (hyperglycemia) - Answer The receptor is the pancreatic beta cell
What is the control center? (hyperglycemia) - Answer The control center is also the
pancreatic beta cell
What is the afferent information? (hyperglycemia) - Answer The afferent information is
downstream signaling pathways in the beta cell (allows glucose to enter the cell)
What is the efferent information? (hyperglycemia) - Answer The efferent information is
insulin
What are the effector cells? (hyperglycemia) - Answer The effector cells are fat cells
(adipose), liver cells (hepatocytes), and skeletal muscle cells (myocytes)
What do each of these effector cells do to drop blood glucose cells? (hyperglycemia) - Answer
Adipocytes remove glucose from the blood and converts it to fat to form triglycerides
(lipogenesis); hepatocytes remove glucose from the blood and stores is as glycogen
(glycogenesis); myocytes remove glucose from the blood and stores as glycogen (glycogenesis)
Which of these cells are insulin-sensitive that require insulin stimulation for them to uptake
glucose? (hyperglycemia) - Answer Adipocytes and skeletal muscle cells
How do these cells uptake glucose from the ISF? (hyperglycemia) - Answer These cells uptake
glucose from the ISF by facilitated diffusion with glucose transporters
In response to an acute hypoglycemic episode (blood glucose <70 mg/dl), what is the sensory
information? - Answer The sensory information is glucose
What is the receptor? (hypoglycemia) - Answer The receptor is the pancreatic alpha cell
What is the control center? (hypoglycemia) - Answer The control center is the pancreatic
alpha cell
Answers Graded A+ 2026.
Organelles are not listed as one of the levels of organization of life. Can you put forth a logical
argument why they are not part of the hierarchy of life? - Answer Cells are the smallest unit
of life. Organelles are small, subunits of cells, so they themselves are not a part of the hierarchy
of life
In order to understand how a whole organism works, you need to understand each part of it
first - this is known as reductionism. Explain the organization of the cardiovascular system using
all levels of hierarchical organization. - Answer Atoms, molecules, cells, tissues, organs, organ
systems (cardiovascular system)
Two physiologists are using a reductionist view when studying the human body. One is studying
the skeletal system and another the cardiovascular system. What emergent properties (i.e.,
functions that are only present when both systems work together in an integrated fashion)
might both individuals be unable to identify in their respective systems? - Answer Both
individuals may be unable to identify the blood calcium homeostasis. They might also miss
hematopoiesis
How many layers will she cut through until serous fluid starts to ooze out? - Answer She will
cut through the pericardial sac, into the parietal pericardial membrane, which will then leak
serous fluid when cut (2 layers)
A cardiothoracic surgeon cracks open a patient's thoracic cavity. The surgeon needs access to
the heart and, therefore, needs to cut through the pericardial sac with her scalpel. List the
proper sequence of the pericardial layers she must cut through to get to the surface of the
heart. - Answer Pericardial sac, parietal pericardial membrane, visceral pericardial
membrane, heart
Many individuals erroneously say that the heart is located inside the pericardial cavity. How
would you correctly describe the heart in relation to the pericardial cavity? - Answer The
pericardial cavity surrounds the heart, but the heart is not inside the cavity
Three different cavities surround three major organs of the human body; the heart, the lungs,
and the viscera. What are these three cavities named? - Answer The heart is surrounded by
the pericardial cavity, the lungs are surrounded by the right and left pleural cavities, and the
viscera is surrounded by the peritoneal cavity
During general surgery, a hack surgeon made a mistake and cut a major mesentery. What future
complications may this patient experience if it's not repaired? - Answer This patient make
experience reduced peristalsis function, so they would struggle to absorb nutrients and oxygen
in the intestines. They would also have less support to their intestines
,What is a mesentery? - Answer A double layer of visceral peritoneum containing connective
tissue, nerve fibers, and arteries
Total body water in a female is approximately 30 liters. Where is most of this water located in
the female body? - Answer The intracellular compartment (inside cells)
What literally is extracellular fluid (ECF)? - Answer A mixture of ISF and IVF
What are the approximate volumes of each fluid compartment within the human body
(interstitial fluid (ISF), extracellular fluid (ECF), intracellular fluid (ICF), and intravascular fluid
(IVF))? - Answer ISF = ~ 26%
ECF = ~ 33%
ICF = ~ 67%
IVF = ~ 7%
Explain how the fluid compartments would change, in volume, if someone with hypertension
was directed by their physician to decrease their salt intake. - Answer There would be less
salt in the blood, so water in the blood would move into the other fluid compartments to dilute
the solutes present there
During high intensity exercise, you can easily lose 1 liter of water per hour of exercise. Let's say a
man lost 5 liters of water during a marathon workout. How many cups of water would he have
to drink to replace this volume of water lost (show your work)? - Answer 20 cups (1 cup =
0.25 L, so 5 liters = 20 cups)
A woman has the flu and loses 6% of her TBW. How many cups of water does she need to drink
to replace the volume of water lost (show your work)? - Answer 7.2 cups (30 x 0.06 = 1.8 L,
1.8 L / 0.25 L = 7.2 cups)
An alien was discovered to vasoconstrict in response to an increase in its body temperature. Is
this response human-like? What type of feedback does this represent and how do you know? -
Answer This response is not human like, we vasodilate in the heat to cool off. This represents
a negative feedback loop in humans because the skin is sending a signal to the brain, which is
resulting in a change to the body that works to bring the temperature back to a homeostatic
level. The alien is doing the opposite, so it is positive feedback
You spent the last 12 years living in Antarctica where the temperature ranges from -60ºF to
10ºF. You travel to Florida for spring break. As soon as you step out of the airport you instantly
feel a heat wave of the 90ºF weather and your skin feels hot. Your body senses this change and
sends signals to your brain, nerve cells and skin. In attempts to get your body temperature back
to normal, you notice your forehead is wet with sweat. What process is your body going
, through to prevent you from overheating? - Answer This is a negative feedback process,
where your body is realizing that it has started signs of overheating, and is acting quickly to
prevent this from happening fully
In response to an acute hyperglycemic episode (blood glucose >100 mg/dl), what is the sensory
information? - Answer The sensory information is glucose
What is the receptor? (hyperglycemia) - Answer The receptor is the pancreatic beta cell
What is the control center? (hyperglycemia) - Answer The control center is also the
pancreatic beta cell
What is the afferent information? (hyperglycemia) - Answer The afferent information is
downstream signaling pathways in the beta cell (allows glucose to enter the cell)
What is the efferent information? (hyperglycemia) - Answer The efferent information is
insulin
What are the effector cells? (hyperglycemia) - Answer The effector cells are fat cells
(adipose), liver cells (hepatocytes), and skeletal muscle cells (myocytes)
What do each of these effector cells do to drop blood glucose cells? (hyperglycemia) - Answer
Adipocytes remove glucose from the blood and converts it to fat to form triglycerides
(lipogenesis); hepatocytes remove glucose from the blood and stores is as glycogen
(glycogenesis); myocytes remove glucose from the blood and stores as glycogen (glycogenesis)
Which of these cells are insulin-sensitive that require insulin stimulation for them to uptake
glucose? (hyperglycemia) - Answer Adipocytes and skeletal muscle cells
How do these cells uptake glucose from the ISF? (hyperglycemia) - Answer These cells uptake
glucose from the ISF by facilitated diffusion with glucose transporters
In response to an acute hypoglycemic episode (blood glucose <70 mg/dl), what is the sensory
information? - Answer The sensory information is glucose
What is the receptor? (hypoglycemia) - Answer The receptor is the pancreatic alpha cell
What is the control center? (hypoglycemia) - Answer The control center is the pancreatic
alpha cell
