NBDE part 1- physiology Exam 2025
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
Rods (photoreceptor) - ✔✔responsible for night vision. contain rhodopsin. Located
mostly at the periphery of the retina. Rods are more abundant and have higher
sensitivity/lower acuity compared to cones.
Cones (photoreceptor) - ✔✔responsible for day vision and color. Three types of color-
red, green, blue. located in the center of the retina, especially in the fovea (area where
visual acuity is the highest)
photopigments - ✔✔photopigments, such as rhodopsin, are made of an opsin (protein)
bound to a Retinal compound (responsible for color). Retinal is made from vitamin A
and that's why they say Vitamin A is good for vision.
lateral geniculate nucleus - ✔✔a relay center in the thalamus for the visual pathway.
optic nerves travel via the geniculocalcarine tract to the occipital cortex.
myopia - ✔✔nearsightedness. can see close things fine. eyeball is too long.
hyperopia - ✔✔farsightedness. can see far things fine. eyeball is too short.
astigmatism - ✔✔curvature of the lens is not uniform
presbyopia - ✔✔loss of lens elasticity with advancing age. eye cannot focus sharply on
nearby objects.
rickets - ✔✔softening and weakening of bones in children (vitamin D deficiency)
Osteomalacia - ✔✔softening and weakening of bones in adults (vitamin D deficiency).
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY EMILLY CHARLOTTE, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, Vitamin E - ✔✔antioxidant. least toxic of the fat soluble vitamins. deficiency in vitamin
E causes neurologic dysfunction in premature infants. almonds and spinach are a
source of vitamin E.
Von Ebner's Glands - ✔✔Minor glands associated with circumvallate taste buds and
that have serous secretions. (Von Ebner is serious). These glands also secrete lingual
lipase which helps with lipid hydrolysis, essential for taste.
Ageusia - ✔✔Complete loss of taste
Dysgeusia - ✔✔Disturbed sense of taste.
Is taste ipsilateral or contralateral? - ✔✔IPSILATERAL
anosmia - ✔✔absence of smell.
This can be from a common cold or allergic reaction or possibly from kallman
syndrome, a condition characterized by delayed or absent puberty and impaired sense
of smell.
hyposmia - ✔✔diminished smell
dysosmia - ✔✔distorted smell
myosin - ✔✔thick filaments.
light meromyosin- makes up the rod like backbone of myosin filaments.
heavy meromyosin- forms the shorter cross bridges which bind to actin during
contraction.
skeletal muscle unique features - ✔✔multinucleated and nucelus at periphery
cardiac muscle features - ✔✔single nucleated and nucleus located centrally. contraction
is intrinsically controlled. Cardiac muscle does have syncytium.
cardiac muscle cells do not undergo mitosis, so injury results in fibrosis with loss of
function at the site.
Calcium channels are regulated by cAMP protein kinases.
Smooth Muscle unique features - ✔✔Has no striations. Nucleation is single and in the
center. Contraction by action potentials and hormones. In a syncytium. Smooth muscle
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY EMILLY CHARLOTTE, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
Rods (photoreceptor) - ✔✔responsible for night vision. contain rhodopsin. Located
mostly at the periphery of the retina. Rods are more abundant and have higher
sensitivity/lower acuity compared to cones.
Cones (photoreceptor) - ✔✔responsible for day vision and color. Three types of color-
red, green, blue. located in the center of the retina, especially in the fovea (area where
visual acuity is the highest)
photopigments - ✔✔photopigments, such as rhodopsin, are made of an opsin (protein)
bound to a Retinal compound (responsible for color). Retinal is made from vitamin A
and that's why they say Vitamin A is good for vision.
lateral geniculate nucleus - ✔✔a relay center in the thalamus for the visual pathway.
optic nerves travel via the geniculocalcarine tract to the occipital cortex.
myopia - ✔✔nearsightedness. can see close things fine. eyeball is too long.
hyperopia - ✔✔farsightedness. can see far things fine. eyeball is too short.
astigmatism - ✔✔curvature of the lens is not uniform
presbyopia - ✔✔loss of lens elasticity with advancing age. eye cannot focus sharply on
nearby objects.
rickets - ✔✔softening and weakening of bones in children (vitamin D deficiency)
Osteomalacia - ✔✔softening and weakening of bones in adults (vitamin D deficiency).
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY EMILLY CHARLOTTE, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, Vitamin E - ✔✔antioxidant. least toxic of the fat soluble vitamins. deficiency in vitamin
E causes neurologic dysfunction in premature infants. almonds and spinach are a
source of vitamin E.
Von Ebner's Glands - ✔✔Minor glands associated with circumvallate taste buds and
that have serous secretions. (Von Ebner is serious). These glands also secrete lingual
lipase which helps with lipid hydrolysis, essential for taste.
Ageusia - ✔✔Complete loss of taste
Dysgeusia - ✔✔Disturbed sense of taste.
Is taste ipsilateral or contralateral? - ✔✔IPSILATERAL
anosmia - ✔✔absence of smell.
This can be from a common cold or allergic reaction or possibly from kallman
syndrome, a condition characterized by delayed or absent puberty and impaired sense
of smell.
hyposmia - ✔✔diminished smell
dysosmia - ✔✔distorted smell
myosin - ✔✔thick filaments.
light meromyosin- makes up the rod like backbone of myosin filaments.
heavy meromyosin- forms the shorter cross bridges which bind to actin during
contraction.
skeletal muscle unique features - ✔✔multinucleated and nucelus at periphery
cardiac muscle features - ✔✔single nucleated and nucleus located centrally. contraction
is intrinsically controlled. Cardiac muscle does have syncytium.
cardiac muscle cells do not undergo mitosis, so injury results in fibrosis with loss of
function at the site.
Calcium channels are regulated by cAMP protein kinases.
Smooth Muscle unique features - ✔✔Has no striations. Nucleation is single and in the
center. Contraction by action potentials and hormones. In a syncytium. Smooth muscle
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY EMILLY CHARLOTTE, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
