WGU D312 – Anatomy & Physiology I Oa Exam 1
2026/2027 | Practice Questions And Answers (Verified
Answers) | Exam Prep | Comprehensive Exam Guide
2026&2027
1. Which statement best describes the primary focus of anatomy?
A. The chemical reactions occurring within cells
B. The structures of the body and their relationships
C. The mechanisms that maintain blood pressure
D. The processes responsible for energy production
Anatomy is the study of body structures and the relationships among those structures.
Physiology focuses primarily on how those structures function.
2. A student observes that damage to the walls of a blood vessel causes blood to leak into
surrounding tissue. Which level of organization is being directly examined?
A. Tissue
B. Organ system
C. Organism
D. Chemical
Blood vessel walls contain organized groups of cells forming tissues. Damage to these
organized cellular structures is therefore being examined at the tissue level.
3. Which anatomical position is used as the standard reference position for describing
directional relationships?
A. Standing upright with arms at the sides and palms facing forward
B. Standing upright with palms facing backward
C. Lying supine with arms crossed over the chest
D. Standing with the feet together and elbows flexed
The standard anatomical position places the body standing upright, facing forward, with
arms at the sides and palms facing anteriorly.
4. A physician describes the wrist as distal to the elbow. What does this statement mean?
A. The wrist is closer to the body's midline
B. The wrist is farther from the point of attachment of the limb
C. The wrist is located toward the body's posterior surface
D. The wrist is closer to the trunk
Distal means farther from the point of attachment or origin of a limb, whereas proximal
means closer to that point.
,5. Which plane divides the body into anterior and posterior portions?
A. Transverse plane
B. Midsagittal plane
C. Frontal plane
D. Oblique plane
The frontal, or coronal, plane divides the body into anterior and posterior portions.
6. A CT image divides the body into superior and inferior portions. Which anatomical
plane produced this division?
A. Sagittal
B. Frontal
C. Median
D. Transverse
A transverse plane cuts horizontally through the body, producing superior and inferior
portions.
7. Which directional term describes a structure located closer to the body's midline?
A. Medial
B. Lateral
C. Distal
D. Superficial
Medial describes a structure closer to the body's midline, while lateral describes a structure
farther from the midline.
8. Which body cavity contains the heart?
A. Abdominal cavity
B. Cranial cavity
C. Thoracic cavity
D. Pelvic cavity
The heart is located within the thoracic cavity, specifically within the mediastinum between
the lungs.
9. Which membrane directly covers the surface of the lungs?
A. Pericardium
B. Visceral pleura
C. Parietal pericardium
D. Peritoneum
The visceral pleura directly covers the lungs, while the parietal pleura lines the inner surface
of the thoracic cavity.
,10. Which structure separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominopelvic cavity?
A. Sternum
B. Pericardium
C. Diaphragm
D. Mediastinum
The muscular diaphragm forms the floor of the thoracic cavity and separates it from the
abdominopelvic cavity.
11. Which characteristic is essential for maintaining homeostasis?
A. Elimination of all changes in the internal environment
B. Maintenance of relatively stable internal conditions
C. Prevention of all external environmental influences
D. Continuous increase in metabolic activity
Homeostasis involves maintaining relatively stable internal conditions despite changes in the
internal or external environment.
12. A person's body temperature rises during exercise. Sweating increases and promotes
heat loss, causing temperature to move toward its normal range. Which mechanism is
demonstrated?
A. Positive feedback
B. Feedforward inhibition
C. Negative feedback
D. Cellular adaptation
Negative feedback counteracts an initial change and moves a physiological variable toward
its normal range.
13. Which example represents positive feedback?
A. Regulation of blood glucose
B. Regulation of body temperature
C. Control of blood calcium
D. Uterine contractions during childbirth
During childbirth, uterine contractions stimulate additional oxytocin release, which intensifies
contractions. This amplifies the original response and represents positive feedback.
14. Which sequence correctly represents the basic components of a homeostatic control
system?
A. Receptor, control center, effector
B. Effector, receptor, control center
C. Control center, receptor, stimulus
D. Stimulus, effector, receptor
, A receptor detects a change, the control center processes the information, and an effector
produces the appropriate response.
15. Which organ system is primarily responsible for transporting oxygen, nutrients,
hormones, and metabolic wastes throughout the body?
A. Respiratory system
B. Cardiovascular system
C. Lymphatic system
D. Digestive system
The cardiovascular system circulates blood, allowing gases, nutrients, hormones, wastes, and
other substances to be transported throughout the body.
16. Which chemical element is the most abundant element in the human body by mass?
A. Carbon
B. Nitrogen
C. Oxygen
D. Calcium
Oxygen is the most abundant element in the human body by mass, largely because it is a
major component of water and many organic molecules.
17. An atom has six protons and six electrons. What is its net electrical charge?
A. +6
B. +1
C. −6
D. 0
Equal numbers of positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons cancel each
other, giving the atom a net charge of zero.
18. Which particle determines the atomic number of an element?
A. Proton
B. Neutron
C. Electron
D. Isotope
The atomic number equals the number of protons in an atom's nucleus and identifies the
element.
19. Two atoms of the same element have different numbers of neutrons. These atoms are
called:
A. Ions
B. Isotopes
2026/2027 | Practice Questions And Answers (Verified
Answers) | Exam Prep | Comprehensive Exam Guide
2026&2027
1. Which statement best describes the primary focus of anatomy?
A. The chemical reactions occurring within cells
B. The structures of the body and their relationships
C. The mechanisms that maintain blood pressure
D. The processes responsible for energy production
Anatomy is the study of body structures and the relationships among those structures.
Physiology focuses primarily on how those structures function.
2. A student observes that damage to the walls of a blood vessel causes blood to leak into
surrounding tissue. Which level of organization is being directly examined?
A. Tissue
B. Organ system
C. Organism
D. Chemical
Blood vessel walls contain organized groups of cells forming tissues. Damage to these
organized cellular structures is therefore being examined at the tissue level.
3. Which anatomical position is used as the standard reference position for describing
directional relationships?
A. Standing upright with arms at the sides and palms facing forward
B. Standing upright with palms facing backward
C. Lying supine with arms crossed over the chest
D. Standing with the feet together and elbows flexed
The standard anatomical position places the body standing upright, facing forward, with
arms at the sides and palms facing anteriorly.
4. A physician describes the wrist as distal to the elbow. What does this statement mean?
A. The wrist is closer to the body's midline
B. The wrist is farther from the point of attachment of the limb
C. The wrist is located toward the body's posterior surface
D. The wrist is closer to the trunk
Distal means farther from the point of attachment or origin of a limb, whereas proximal
means closer to that point.
,5. Which plane divides the body into anterior and posterior portions?
A. Transverse plane
B. Midsagittal plane
C. Frontal plane
D. Oblique plane
The frontal, or coronal, plane divides the body into anterior and posterior portions.
6. A CT image divides the body into superior and inferior portions. Which anatomical
plane produced this division?
A. Sagittal
B. Frontal
C. Median
D. Transverse
A transverse plane cuts horizontally through the body, producing superior and inferior
portions.
7. Which directional term describes a structure located closer to the body's midline?
A. Medial
B. Lateral
C. Distal
D. Superficial
Medial describes a structure closer to the body's midline, while lateral describes a structure
farther from the midline.
8. Which body cavity contains the heart?
A. Abdominal cavity
B. Cranial cavity
C. Thoracic cavity
D. Pelvic cavity
The heart is located within the thoracic cavity, specifically within the mediastinum between
the lungs.
9. Which membrane directly covers the surface of the lungs?
A. Pericardium
B. Visceral pleura
C. Parietal pericardium
D. Peritoneum
The visceral pleura directly covers the lungs, while the parietal pleura lines the inner surface
of the thoracic cavity.
,10. Which structure separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominopelvic cavity?
A. Sternum
B. Pericardium
C. Diaphragm
D. Mediastinum
The muscular diaphragm forms the floor of the thoracic cavity and separates it from the
abdominopelvic cavity.
11. Which characteristic is essential for maintaining homeostasis?
A. Elimination of all changes in the internal environment
B. Maintenance of relatively stable internal conditions
C. Prevention of all external environmental influences
D. Continuous increase in metabolic activity
Homeostasis involves maintaining relatively stable internal conditions despite changes in the
internal or external environment.
12. A person's body temperature rises during exercise. Sweating increases and promotes
heat loss, causing temperature to move toward its normal range. Which mechanism is
demonstrated?
A. Positive feedback
B. Feedforward inhibition
C. Negative feedback
D. Cellular adaptation
Negative feedback counteracts an initial change and moves a physiological variable toward
its normal range.
13. Which example represents positive feedback?
A. Regulation of blood glucose
B. Regulation of body temperature
C. Control of blood calcium
D. Uterine contractions during childbirth
During childbirth, uterine contractions stimulate additional oxytocin release, which intensifies
contractions. This amplifies the original response and represents positive feedback.
14. Which sequence correctly represents the basic components of a homeostatic control
system?
A. Receptor, control center, effector
B. Effector, receptor, control center
C. Control center, receptor, stimulus
D. Stimulus, effector, receptor
, A receptor detects a change, the control center processes the information, and an effector
produces the appropriate response.
15. Which organ system is primarily responsible for transporting oxygen, nutrients,
hormones, and metabolic wastes throughout the body?
A. Respiratory system
B. Cardiovascular system
C. Lymphatic system
D. Digestive system
The cardiovascular system circulates blood, allowing gases, nutrients, hormones, wastes, and
other substances to be transported throughout the body.
16. Which chemical element is the most abundant element in the human body by mass?
A. Carbon
B. Nitrogen
C. Oxygen
D. Calcium
Oxygen is the most abundant element in the human body by mass, largely because it is a
major component of water and many organic molecules.
17. An atom has six protons and six electrons. What is its net electrical charge?
A. +6
B. +1
C. −6
D. 0
Equal numbers of positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons cancel each
other, giving the atom a net charge of zero.
18. Which particle determines the atomic number of an element?
A. Proton
B. Neutron
C. Electron
D. Isotope
The atomic number equals the number of protons in an atom's nucleus and identifies the
element.
19. Two atoms of the same element have different numbers of neutrons. These atoms are
called:
A. Ions
B. Isotopes
