APHY 201 - Advanced Human Physiology
APHY 201 Latest Final Exam 2025/2026
Must Know To Pass Ivy Tech Community
College 200 questions
Where do we find smooth muscle?
Smooth muscle can be found in vascular, gastrointestinal, urinary, respiratory, reproductive, and ocular.
What factors affect force of contraction? What is tetanus?
Tetanus is maximal contraction. The tension generated by a muscle fiber is directly proportional to the
number of cross bridges formed between the thick and thin filaments.
Isotonic contractions
An isotonic contraction is when tension rises, until muscle length changes, then remains constant.
Examples are lifting an object, walking, and running.
Isometric contractions
An isometric contraction is when muscle length does not change, and tension never exceeds loads.
Example is postural muscle contractions.
What are the characteristics of smooth muscle that make it different than skeletal or cardiac muscle?
Skeletal muscle is voluntary and striated, cardiac muscle is involuntary and striated, and smooth is
involuntary and non-striated.
What are the two types of smooth muscle? What makes them different?
Phasic smooth muscles and tonic smooth muscles.
Tonic means that muscle contains mostly slow-contraction, long durability fibers.
Phasic means that muscle contains mostly quick contraction, hi-power, short-durability fibers.
,APHY 201 - Advanced Human Physiology
Explain the steps of smooth muscle contraction
1. Intracellular Ca2+ concentrations increase when Ca2+ enters cell and is released from sarcoplasmic
reticulum.
2. Ca2+ binds to calmodulin.
3. Ca2+ calmodulin activates myosin light chain kinase.
4. MLCK phosphorylates light chains in myosin heads and increases myosin ATPase activity.
5. Active myosin cross bridges slide along actin and create muscle tension.
Where is cardiac muscle found?
Specialized muscle in the heart, electrically linked fibers and intercalculated disks. Under sympathetic
and parasympathetic control, and hormonal control.
Circulations of the cardiovascular system
The pulmonary circulation is a short loop from the heart to the lungs and back again.
The systemic circulation carries blood from the heart to all the other parts of the body and back again.
How do pressure, volume, flow and resistance affect movement of blood?
If resistance increases, either pressure must increase to maintain flow, or flow rate must reduce to
maintain pressure.
Describe the action of cardiac valves
The valves prevent the backward flow of blood. They act as one-way inlets of blood on one side of a
ventricle and one-way outlets of blood on the other side of a ventricle.
Know the pathway of the blood through the heart, including all chambers, valves and vessels.
1. Superior vena cava 2. Inferior vena cava 3. Right atrium 4. Tricuspid valve 5. Right ventricle 6.
Pulmonary valve 7. Pulmonary arteries 8. Pulmonary veins 9. Left atrium 10. Bicuspid valve 11. Left
ventricle 12. Aortic valve 13. Aorta
, APHY 201 - Advanced Human Physiology
Explain the steps of cardiac muscle contraction.
1. Depolarization and calcium ion release 2. Actin and myosin cross-bridge formation 3. Sliding
mechanism of actin and myosin filaments 4. Sarcomere shortening (muscle contraction)
How are cardiac muscle action potentials different than action potentials in neurons?
Cardiac muscle action potentials duration is longer than action potentials in neurons
What is the cardiac conduction system?
The cardiac conduction system is a network of specialized muscle cells is found in the hearts walls. These
muscle cells send signals to the rest of the heart muscle causing a contraction.
What are the parts of the cardiac conduction system?
The main part of the system is the SA node, AV node, bundle of HIS, bundle branches, and Purkinje
fibers.
Describe what is happening during the major components of an EKG and how it relates to the cardiac
cycle.
An EKG is a graphical representation of the heart's electrical exertion during the cardiac cycle. An EKG is
a test that measures the electrical signals that control heart rhythm.
What is the sliding filament theory?
Myosin breaks down ATP. The energy rotates the myosin head that binds weakly to actin down the
molecule. Head of myosin is cocked ready for the next power stroke. ATP must bind to myosin to release
myosin from actin.
What is troponin and tropomyosin?
APHY 201 Latest Final Exam 2025/2026
Must Know To Pass Ivy Tech Community
College 200 questions
Where do we find smooth muscle?
Smooth muscle can be found in vascular, gastrointestinal, urinary, respiratory, reproductive, and ocular.
What factors affect force of contraction? What is tetanus?
Tetanus is maximal contraction. The tension generated by a muscle fiber is directly proportional to the
number of cross bridges formed between the thick and thin filaments.
Isotonic contractions
An isotonic contraction is when tension rises, until muscle length changes, then remains constant.
Examples are lifting an object, walking, and running.
Isometric contractions
An isometric contraction is when muscle length does not change, and tension never exceeds loads.
Example is postural muscle contractions.
What are the characteristics of smooth muscle that make it different than skeletal or cardiac muscle?
Skeletal muscle is voluntary and striated, cardiac muscle is involuntary and striated, and smooth is
involuntary and non-striated.
What are the two types of smooth muscle? What makes them different?
Phasic smooth muscles and tonic smooth muscles.
Tonic means that muscle contains mostly slow-contraction, long durability fibers.
Phasic means that muscle contains mostly quick contraction, hi-power, short-durability fibers.
,APHY 201 - Advanced Human Physiology
Explain the steps of smooth muscle contraction
1. Intracellular Ca2+ concentrations increase when Ca2+ enters cell and is released from sarcoplasmic
reticulum.
2. Ca2+ binds to calmodulin.
3. Ca2+ calmodulin activates myosin light chain kinase.
4. MLCK phosphorylates light chains in myosin heads and increases myosin ATPase activity.
5. Active myosin cross bridges slide along actin and create muscle tension.
Where is cardiac muscle found?
Specialized muscle in the heart, electrically linked fibers and intercalculated disks. Under sympathetic
and parasympathetic control, and hormonal control.
Circulations of the cardiovascular system
The pulmonary circulation is a short loop from the heart to the lungs and back again.
The systemic circulation carries blood from the heart to all the other parts of the body and back again.
How do pressure, volume, flow and resistance affect movement of blood?
If resistance increases, either pressure must increase to maintain flow, or flow rate must reduce to
maintain pressure.
Describe the action of cardiac valves
The valves prevent the backward flow of blood. They act as one-way inlets of blood on one side of a
ventricle and one-way outlets of blood on the other side of a ventricle.
Know the pathway of the blood through the heart, including all chambers, valves and vessels.
1. Superior vena cava 2. Inferior vena cava 3. Right atrium 4. Tricuspid valve 5. Right ventricle 6.
Pulmonary valve 7. Pulmonary arteries 8. Pulmonary veins 9. Left atrium 10. Bicuspid valve 11. Left
ventricle 12. Aortic valve 13. Aorta
, APHY 201 - Advanced Human Physiology
Explain the steps of cardiac muscle contraction.
1. Depolarization and calcium ion release 2. Actin and myosin cross-bridge formation 3. Sliding
mechanism of actin and myosin filaments 4. Sarcomere shortening (muscle contraction)
How are cardiac muscle action potentials different than action potentials in neurons?
Cardiac muscle action potentials duration is longer than action potentials in neurons
What is the cardiac conduction system?
The cardiac conduction system is a network of specialized muscle cells is found in the hearts walls. These
muscle cells send signals to the rest of the heart muscle causing a contraction.
What are the parts of the cardiac conduction system?
The main part of the system is the SA node, AV node, bundle of HIS, bundle branches, and Purkinje
fibers.
Describe what is happening during the major components of an EKG and how it relates to the cardiac
cycle.
An EKG is a graphical representation of the heart's electrical exertion during the cardiac cycle. An EKG is
a test that measures the electrical signals that control heart rhythm.
What is the sliding filament theory?
Myosin breaks down ATP. The energy rotates the myosin head that binds weakly to actin down the
molecule. Head of myosin is cocked ready for the next power stroke. ATP must bind to myosin to release
myosin from actin.
What is troponin and tropomyosin?
