Test Bank for Bontragers Textbook of
Radiographic Positioning and Related
Anatomy 10th Edition
Chapter 1: Terminology, Positioning, and Imaging Principles
1. The lowest level of structural organization in the human body is the _____ level.
A. Cellular
B. Chemical
C. Tissue
D. Organ
Answer: B. Chemical
Rationale: The chemical level represents the lowest level of structural organization,
involving atoms and molecules that combine to form cellular components. This progresses to
the cellular level, then tissue, organ, and system levels.
2. Which imaging principle refers to the degree of blackness on a radiographic image?
A. Contrast
B. Density
C. Detail
D. Distortion
Answer: B. Density
Rationale: Radiographic density refers to the degree of blackness or opacity on an image. It
is determined by the number of x-ray photons reaching the image receptor and is influenced by
mAs, kVp, and patient factors.
3. What type of tissue binds together and supports the various structures of the body?
A. Nervous tissue
B. Epithelial tissue
C. Connective tissue
D. Muscle tissue
Answer: C. Connective tissue
Rationale: Connective tissue serves to bind, support, protect, and connect various
structures of the body. It includes bone, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood tissue.
,4. The term "recumbent" describes a patient who is:
A. Standing upright
B. Lying down
C. Sitting upright
D. Leaning forward
Answer: B. Lying down
Rationale: Recumbent refers to a patient who is lying down in any position—supine (face
up), prone (face down), or on their side.
5. Which of the following describes the projection when the x-ray beam enters the posterior
surface and exits the anterior surface?
A. AP projection
B. PA projection
C. Lateral projection
D. Oblique projection
Answer: B. PA projection
Rationale: In a PA (posteroanterior) projection, the x-ray beam enters the posterior surface
and exits the anterior surface of the patient.
6. Which of the following are methods to reduce patient dose during radiographic
procedures? (Select All That Apply)
A. Use the shortest possible exposure time
B. Collimate to the area of interest
C. Use the highest possible kVp consistent with contrast needs
D. Avoid repeat radiographs
E. Use gonadal shielding when appropriate
Answer: A, B, C, D, E
Rationale: All listed methods are valid radiation protection practices. Short exposure times
reduce motion and dose, collimation limits the field size, high kVp with low mAs reduces skin
dose, avoiding repeats eliminates unnecessary exposure, and shielding protects radiosensitive
tissues.
7. What is the name of the plane that divides the body into equal right and left halves?
A. Sagittal plane
B. Midsagittal plane
C. Coronal plane
D. Transverse plane
,Answer: B. Midsagittal plane
Rationale: The midsagittal plane (also called the median plane) divides the body into equal
right and left halves. A sagittal plane divides the body into unequal right and left portions.
8. The central ray (CR) is defined as:
A. The edge of the x-ray beam
B. The center of the x-ray beam
C. The anode target area
D. The collimator light field
Answer: B. The center of the x-ray beam
Rationale: The central ray is the centermost portion of the x-ray beam that has the least
divergence and is used for centering the anatomy to the image receptor.
9. Which body habitus is characterized by a long, narrow thorax and a high, transverse
diaphragm?
A. Sthenic
B. Hyposthenic
C. Asthenic
D. Hypersthenic
Answer: D. Hypersthenic
Rationale: The hypersthenic body habitus is characterized by a short, wide thorax, a high
diaphragm, and a large abdominal cavity. The stomach is high and transverse.
10. What is the term used to describe the misrepresentation of the true size or shape of an
anatomic structure?
A. Density
B. Contrast
C. Distortion
D. Resolution
Answer: C. Distortion
Rationale: Distortion refers to the misrepresentation of the true size or shape of an
anatomic structure. It can be caused by object-image receptor distance (OID), source-image
receptor distance (SID), or angulation.
11. Which of the following are considered "cardinal principles" of radiation protection?
(Select All That Apply)
A. Time
B. Distance
, C. Shielding
D. Collimation
E. Grid ratio
Answer: A, B, C
Rationale: The three cardinal principles of radiation protection are time (minimize exposure
time), distance (maximize distance from the source), and shielding (use appropriate barriers).
Collimation reduces field size but is not one of the three cardinal principles.
12. A patient is lying on their abdomen with the x-ray beam entering the posterior surface.
What is this position called?
A. Supine
B. Prone
C. Recumbent
D. Decubitus
Answer: B. Prone
Rationale: Prone describes a patient lying face down on their abdomen. Supine is lying face
up. Decubitus refers to a patient lying on their side with a horizontal x-ray beam.
13. The acronym "SID" in radiography stands for:
A. Source-Image Distance
B. Standard Image Dimension
C. Source-Intensity Distance
D. Scatter-Image Density
Answer: A. Source-Image Distance
Rationale: SID stands for Source-Image Distance, which is the distance from the x-ray tube
focal spot to the image receptor. It is a critical factor affecting magnification and spatial
resolution.
14. Which of the following statements regarding image contrast is correct?
A. High contrast images have many shades of gray
B. Low contrast images have few shades of gray
C. High contrast images have few shades of gray
D. Contrast is not affected by kVp
Answer: C. High contrast images have few shades of gray
Rationale: High contrast (short-scale) images have few shades of gray and appear black and
white. Low contrast (long-scale) images have many shades of gray. High kVp produces low
contrast.
Radiographic Positioning and Related
Anatomy 10th Edition
Chapter 1: Terminology, Positioning, and Imaging Principles
1. The lowest level of structural organization in the human body is the _____ level.
A. Cellular
B. Chemical
C. Tissue
D. Organ
Answer: B. Chemical
Rationale: The chemical level represents the lowest level of structural organization,
involving atoms and molecules that combine to form cellular components. This progresses to
the cellular level, then tissue, organ, and system levels.
2. Which imaging principle refers to the degree of blackness on a radiographic image?
A. Contrast
B. Density
C. Detail
D. Distortion
Answer: B. Density
Rationale: Radiographic density refers to the degree of blackness or opacity on an image. It
is determined by the number of x-ray photons reaching the image receptor and is influenced by
mAs, kVp, and patient factors.
3. What type of tissue binds together and supports the various structures of the body?
A. Nervous tissue
B. Epithelial tissue
C. Connective tissue
D. Muscle tissue
Answer: C. Connective tissue
Rationale: Connective tissue serves to bind, support, protect, and connect various
structures of the body. It includes bone, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood tissue.
,4. The term "recumbent" describes a patient who is:
A. Standing upright
B. Lying down
C. Sitting upright
D. Leaning forward
Answer: B. Lying down
Rationale: Recumbent refers to a patient who is lying down in any position—supine (face
up), prone (face down), or on their side.
5. Which of the following describes the projection when the x-ray beam enters the posterior
surface and exits the anterior surface?
A. AP projection
B. PA projection
C. Lateral projection
D. Oblique projection
Answer: B. PA projection
Rationale: In a PA (posteroanterior) projection, the x-ray beam enters the posterior surface
and exits the anterior surface of the patient.
6. Which of the following are methods to reduce patient dose during radiographic
procedures? (Select All That Apply)
A. Use the shortest possible exposure time
B. Collimate to the area of interest
C. Use the highest possible kVp consistent with contrast needs
D. Avoid repeat radiographs
E. Use gonadal shielding when appropriate
Answer: A, B, C, D, E
Rationale: All listed methods are valid radiation protection practices. Short exposure times
reduce motion and dose, collimation limits the field size, high kVp with low mAs reduces skin
dose, avoiding repeats eliminates unnecessary exposure, and shielding protects radiosensitive
tissues.
7. What is the name of the plane that divides the body into equal right and left halves?
A. Sagittal plane
B. Midsagittal plane
C. Coronal plane
D. Transverse plane
,Answer: B. Midsagittal plane
Rationale: The midsagittal plane (also called the median plane) divides the body into equal
right and left halves. A sagittal plane divides the body into unequal right and left portions.
8. The central ray (CR) is defined as:
A. The edge of the x-ray beam
B. The center of the x-ray beam
C. The anode target area
D. The collimator light field
Answer: B. The center of the x-ray beam
Rationale: The central ray is the centermost portion of the x-ray beam that has the least
divergence and is used for centering the anatomy to the image receptor.
9. Which body habitus is characterized by a long, narrow thorax and a high, transverse
diaphragm?
A. Sthenic
B. Hyposthenic
C. Asthenic
D. Hypersthenic
Answer: D. Hypersthenic
Rationale: The hypersthenic body habitus is characterized by a short, wide thorax, a high
diaphragm, and a large abdominal cavity. The stomach is high and transverse.
10. What is the term used to describe the misrepresentation of the true size or shape of an
anatomic structure?
A. Density
B. Contrast
C. Distortion
D. Resolution
Answer: C. Distortion
Rationale: Distortion refers to the misrepresentation of the true size or shape of an
anatomic structure. It can be caused by object-image receptor distance (OID), source-image
receptor distance (SID), or angulation.
11. Which of the following are considered "cardinal principles" of radiation protection?
(Select All That Apply)
A. Time
B. Distance
, C. Shielding
D. Collimation
E. Grid ratio
Answer: A, B, C
Rationale: The three cardinal principles of radiation protection are time (minimize exposure
time), distance (maximize distance from the source), and shielding (use appropriate barriers).
Collimation reduces field size but is not one of the three cardinal principles.
12. A patient is lying on their abdomen with the x-ray beam entering the posterior surface.
What is this position called?
A. Supine
B. Prone
C. Recumbent
D. Decubitus
Answer: B. Prone
Rationale: Prone describes a patient lying face down on their abdomen. Supine is lying face
up. Decubitus refers to a patient lying on their side with a horizontal x-ray beam.
13. The acronym "SID" in radiography stands for:
A. Source-Image Distance
B. Standard Image Dimension
C. Source-Intensity Distance
D. Scatter-Image Density
Answer: A. Source-Image Distance
Rationale: SID stands for Source-Image Distance, which is the distance from the x-ray tube
focal spot to the image receptor. It is a critical factor affecting magnification and spatial
resolution.
14. Which of the following statements regarding image contrast is correct?
A. High contrast images have many shades of gray
B. Low contrast images have few shades of gray
C. High contrast images have few shades of gray
D. Contrast is not affected by kVp
Answer: C. High contrast images have few shades of gray
Rationale: High contrast (short-scale) images have few shades of gray and appear black and
white. Low contrast (long-scale) images have many shades of gray. High kVp produces low
contrast.
