Page 1 of 157
HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY CUMULATIVE FINAL
TEST BANK EXAM 2026 QUESTIONS LATEST
VERSION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Human physiology cumulative Final test bank
1. Which of these is NOT one of the four general categories of cells that make up the
human body?
A. epithelial cells
B. collagen cells
C. connective tissue cell
D. neuron
E. muscle cell
b
2. Physiology is the study of
A. How two organisms interact
B. How organisms function
C. The spread of diseases
D. The structure of the body
b
3. The study of disease states in the body is called
A. Pathophysiology
B. Anatomy
C. Homeostasis
D. Biology
E. Histology
a
4. Which is NOT a connective tissue cell?
A. bone cells
B. skeletal muscle cells
C. blood cells
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D. fat cells
E. cartilage cells
b
5. What is the principal function performed by epithelial cells?
A. fat storage
B. anchoring body structures
C. forming boundaries between body compartments
D. generating movement
E. transmitting electrical signals
c
6. The cell type that is specialized to communicate with other cells and control their
activities is
A. Epithelial cells
B. Muscle cells
C. Connective tissue cells
D. Nerve cells
d
7. What is the term for the developmental process that leads to specialized cell types?
A. genomics
B. differentiation
C. homeostasis
D. positive feedback
E. acclimatization
b
8. Which best describes the extracellular matrix?
A. It is found just inside the cell membrane in all tissues, it sends branching collagen
fibers between cells to connect them, and it transmits chemical information from the
interior of one cell to the interior of adjacent cells.
B. It is a tissue having more than the four general cell types, it transports proteins and
polysaccharides between body compartments, and it is the route by which chemical
signals like hormones reach all parts of the body.
C. It covers the body's surface, it contains connective and muscle tissue, and it helps
generate movement.
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D. It surrounds cells, it contains proteins, polysaccharides and minerals, it provides a
scaffold for cell attachment, and it transmits chemical messengers to cells.
d
9. If a person begins to sweat upon entering a hot room but continued sweating is able
to keep the body temperature constant, which of these best describes her condition?
A. She is in an equilibrium state.
B. She is not using energy to maintain a constant temperature.
C. She is in a steady state
D. She is using a positive feedback mechanism.
c
10. Which concept is the defining feature of the discipline of physiology?
A. descent with modification
B. homeostasis
C. evolution
D. dimorphism
E. differentiation
b
11. Describing a physiological variable as "homeostatic," means that it
A. has varied from the normal value, and will remain constant at the new value.
B. never varies from an exact set point value.
C. is in an equilibrium state that requires no energy input to stay at the normal value.
D. is in a state of dynamic constancy that is regulated to remain near a stable set point
value.
E. has no normal range, but will just change to match the outside environmental
conditions.
d
12. Which of the following situations best represents a homeostatic mechanism?
A. A person who becomes very nervous begins to sweat profusely.
B. After going outside on a hot day, the core body temperature increases.
C. Increasing the size of fast food restaurant portions causes body weight to increase.
D. After eating a large batch of salty popcorn, levels of salt in the urine increase.
E. As age increases, the amount of calcium in bones tends to decrease.
d
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13. What term is used to describe the steady state value for any variable that the body
attempts to maintain?
A. Set point
B. Equilibrium potential
C. Error signal
D. Reflex arc
E. Median value
a
14. Which of components of a general reflex arc are listed in the order information
typically flows through them following a stimulus?
A. effector, afferent pathway, integrating center, efferent pathway, receptor
B. effector, efferent pathway, integrating center, afferent pathway, receptor
C. integrating center, receptor, afferent pathway, efferent pathway, effector
D. receptor, efferent pathway, integrating center, afferent pathway, effector
E. receptor, afferent pathway, integrating center, efferent pathway, effector
e
15. Feedforward regulatory processes
A. work in anticipation of changes in regulated variables.
B. are identical to positive feedback processes
C. Lead to instability of the regulated variable
D. Maximize fluctuations in the regulated variable
E. tend to force physiological variables away from their set point.
a
16. Which situation describes a feedforward mechanism?
A. Blood glucose returns toward normal an hour after a meal.
B. The smell of rotten food on a plate triggers the vomit reflex.
C. A drop in core body temperature triggers shivering.
D. An increase in core body temperature stimulates sweating
E. Food in the stomach triggers the production of stomach acid.
b
17. What is the general purpose of positive feedback mechanisms?
A. to maintain a constant internal environment
B. to anticipate changes in the environment
C. to return a variable toward the set point
HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY CUMULATIVE FINAL
TEST BANK EXAM 2026 QUESTIONS LATEST
VERSION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Human physiology cumulative Final test bank
1. Which of these is NOT one of the four general categories of cells that make up the
human body?
A. epithelial cells
B. collagen cells
C. connective tissue cell
D. neuron
E. muscle cell
b
2. Physiology is the study of
A. How two organisms interact
B. How organisms function
C. The spread of diseases
D. The structure of the body
b
3. The study of disease states in the body is called
A. Pathophysiology
B. Anatomy
C. Homeostasis
D. Biology
E. Histology
a
4. Which is NOT a connective tissue cell?
A. bone cells
B. skeletal muscle cells
C. blood cells
, Page 2 of 157
D. fat cells
E. cartilage cells
b
5. What is the principal function performed by epithelial cells?
A. fat storage
B. anchoring body structures
C. forming boundaries between body compartments
D. generating movement
E. transmitting electrical signals
c
6. The cell type that is specialized to communicate with other cells and control their
activities is
A. Epithelial cells
B. Muscle cells
C. Connective tissue cells
D. Nerve cells
d
7. What is the term for the developmental process that leads to specialized cell types?
A. genomics
B. differentiation
C. homeostasis
D. positive feedback
E. acclimatization
b
8. Which best describes the extracellular matrix?
A. It is found just inside the cell membrane in all tissues, it sends branching collagen
fibers between cells to connect them, and it transmits chemical information from the
interior of one cell to the interior of adjacent cells.
B. It is a tissue having more than the four general cell types, it transports proteins and
polysaccharides between body compartments, and it is the route by which chemical
signals like hormones reach all parts of the body.
C. It covers the body's surface, it contains connective and muscle tissue, and it helps
generate movement.
, Page 3 of 157
D. It surrounds cells, it contains proteins, polysaccharides and minerals, it provides a
scaffold for cell attachment, and it transmits chemical messengers to cells.
d
9. If a person begins to sweat upon entering a hot room but continued sweating is able
to keep the body temperature constant, which of these best describes her condition?
A. She is in an equilibrium state.
B. She is not using energy to maintain a constant temperature.
C. She is in a steady state
D. She is using a positive feedback mechanism.
c
10. Which concept is the defining feature of the discipline of physiology?
A. descent with modification
B. homeostasis
C. evolution
D. dimorphism
E. differentiation
b
11. Describing a physiological variable as "homeostatic," means that it
A. has varied from the normal value, and will remain constant at the new value.
B. never varies from an exact set point value.
C. is in an equilibrium state that requires no energy input to stay at the normal value.
D. is in a state of dynamic constancy that is regulated to remain near a stable set point
value.
E. has no normal range, but will just change to match the outside environmental
conditions.
d
12. Which of the following situations best represents a homeostatic mechanism?
A. A person who becomes very nervous begins to sweat profusely.
B. After going outside on a hot day, the core body temperature increases.
C. Increasing the size of fast food restaurant portions causes body weight to increase.
D. After eating a large batch of salty popcorn, levels of salt in the urine increase.
E. As age increases, the amount of calcium in bones tends to decrease.
d
, Page 4 of 157
13. What term is used to describe the steady state value for any variable that the body
attempts to maintain?
A. Set point
B. Equilibrium potential
C. Error signal
D. Reflex arc
E. Median value
a
14. Which of components of a general reflex arc are listed in the order information
typically flows through them following a stimulus?
A. effector, afferent pathway, integrating center, efferent pathway, receptor
B. effector, efferent pathway, integrating center, afferent pathway, receptor
C. integrating center, receptor, afferent pathway, efferent pathway, effector
D. receptor, efferent pathway, integrating center, afferent pathway, effector
E. receptor, afferent pathway, integrating center, efferent pathway, effector
e
15. Feedforward regulatory processes
A. work in anticipation of changes in regulated variables.
B. are identical to positive feedback processes
C. Lead to instability of the regulated variable
D. Maximize fluctuations in the regulated variable
E. tend to force physiological variables away from their set point.
a
16. Which situation describes a feedforward mechanism?
A. Blood glucose returns toward normal an hour after a meal.
B. The smell of rotten food on a plate triggers the vomit reflex.
C. A drop in core body temperature triggers shivering.
D. An increase in core body temperature stimulates sweating
E. Food in the stomach triggers the production of stomach acid.
b
17. What is the general purpose of positive feedback mechanisms?
A. to maintain a constant internal environment
B. to anticipate changes in the environment
C. to return a variable toward the set point
