SCRN STUDY GUIDE: ANATOMY AND
PHYSIOLOGY. EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH 100% CORRECT ANSWERS |
LATEST VERSION 2025/2026.
What percentage of the body's oxygen supply and cardiac output does the brain use? -
ANS The brain uses 20% of the body's oxygen suppy and 15% of the body's cardiac output.
*brain cells do not store oxygen or glucose. The need a constant suppy of micronutrients from
arterial blood.
What is the normal blood flow to cerebral tissue? When does electrical failure occur? -
ANS Normal blood flow to the brain is 50-55ml/100/min
electrical failure occurs at 15-20ml/100/min
temporal lobe - ANS hearing, memory, learning, wernicke (receptive aphasia), visual and
auditory memories, behavioral elements
frontal lobe - ANS personality, affect, tact, inhibition, judgement, planning, motor strip body
parts, frontal eye fields- conjugate eye movements; pupil changes, extra pyramidal motor
control, motor speech-articulation, speed, and rhythm of speech, creative thought,abstract
thinking
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
,parietal lobe - ANS pain, temperature, light, touch, vibration, two point discrimination, visual
function, language, reading, internal stimuli, tactile sensation, and sensory comprehension
occipital lobe infarcts - ANS macular vision, broca's area (expressive aphasia), facial neurons
Cerebellum - ANS The cerebellum first receives information about an intended movement
then it sends information back to the motor cortex about the required direction, force, and
duration of the movement. It acts like an air traffic controller. The cerebellum can't initiate
movement but is responsible for unconscious coordination of movement. can cause lack of
coordination, clumsiness, shaking/tremors
* It is important to diagnose cerebellum infarcts early because swelling may cause brain stem
compression or hydrocephalous
Cerebrum - ANS grey matter: cognition and personality deficits
white matter (deep): regions of the brain cannot communicate with each other
What causes brain stem infarcts? - ANS usually related to basilar occlusion. This type of
infarct is serious or fatal. Survivors may be left in a vegatative state
What is the main cause of cell death? - ANS hypoxia or anoxia
What factors influence the rate and extent of penumbral tissue and infarcted tissue - ANS 1:
rate of onset
2: Duration of ischemia
3: Degree of collateral circulation perfusing the infarcted zone
4: functionality of systemic circulation
5: hematologic factors
6: metabolic factors
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
, What is an appoptic cell death pathway? - ANS programed cell death in the penumbral zone:
normal biologic function where cells are programmed to die in an organized fashion after
nearby cell death
What is a necrotic cell death pathway? - ANS loss of O2 and glucose and cellular electrolyte
exchange from a loss of atrial perfusion causes energy failure and rapid cytoskeletal
breakdown.
What is the ischemic cascade? - ANS lack of blood-infarct-edema-swelling-center of brain
shifts from midline-increased ICP-compression of neurons, nerve tracts, and cerebral arteries-
persistant edema-irreversable damage /death
neuron - ANS A: 1. Neuron consists of cell bodywith nucleus and 1 or more extensions
2. Dendrites receive nerve impulses from other neurons or sensory receptors
3. axons carry nerve impulses away from cell body to another neuron or effector organ
B: 1. stimulus affects the axon by changing the permeability of the axon positive ions
2. influx of posisitve ions reduces electrical potential across a segment of the membrane
3. This triggers a change in the adjacent segment of the axon like a chain reaction
4. when it gets to the presynaptic terminal a neurotransmitter is released
5. THe neurotransmitter crosses the synapse to interact with receptors on post synaptic cell
6. This opens ion specific channels in post synaptic cell, which changes the permeability for
positive ions.
7. the transient change is determined by the concentration of ions on either side of the cell
membrane
Maintaining these ion gradients requires a constant supply of glucose and O2
Stroke on a cellular level - ANS 1. lack of glucose and O2 deplete the cellular energy required
to maintain electrical potential.
2. This makes the brain tissue "leaky" and cells lose ATP and potassium, which is needed for
energy exchange
3 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
PHYSIOLOGY. EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH 100% CORRECT ANSWERS |
LATEST VERSION 2025/2026.
What percentage of the body's oxygen supply and cardiac output does the brain use? -
ANS The brain uses 20% of the body's oxygen suppy and 15% of the body's cardiac output.
*brain cells do not store oxygen or glucose. The need a constant suppy of micronutrients from
arterial blood.
What is the normal blood flow to cerebral tissue? When does electrical failure occur? -
ANS Normal blood flow to the brain is 50-55ml/100/min
electrical failure occurs at 15-20ml/100/min
temporal lobe - ANS hearing, memory, learning, wernicke (receptive aphasia), visual and
auditory memories, behavioral elements
frontal lobe - ANS personality, affect, tact, inhibition, judgement, planning, motor strip body
parts, frontal eye fields- conjugate eye movements; pupil changes, extra pyramidal motor
control, motor speech-articulation, speed, and rhythm of speech, creative thought,abstract
thinking
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
,parietal lobe - ANS pain, temperature, light, touch, vibration, two point discrimination, visual
function, language, reading, internal stimuli, tactile sensation, and sensory comprehension
occipital lobe infarcts - ANS macular vision, broca's area (expressive aphasia), facial neurons
Cerebellum - ANS The cerebellum first receives information about an intended movement
then it sends information back to the motor cortex about the required direction, force, and
duration of the movement. It acts like an air traffic controller. The cerebellum can't initiate
movement but is responsible for unconscious coordination of movement. can cause lack of
coordination, clumsiness, shaking/tremors
* It is important to diagnose cerebellum infarcts early because swelling may cause brain stem
compression or hydrocephalous
Cerebrum - ANS grey matter: cognition and personality deficits
white matter (deep): regions of the brain cannot communicate with each other
What causes brain stem infarcts? - ANS usually related to basilar occlusion. This type of
infarct is serious or fatal. Survivors may be left in a vegatative state
What is the main cause of cell death? - ANS hypoxia or anoxia
What factors influence the rate and extent of penumbral tissue and infarcted tissue - ANS 1:
rate of onset
2: Duration of ischemia
3: Degree of collateral circulation perfusing the infarcted zone
4: functionality of systemic circulation
5: hematologic factors
6: metabolic factors
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
, What is an appoptic cell death pathway? - ANS programed cell death in the penumbral zone:
normal biologic function where cells are programmed to die in an organized fashion after
nearby cell death
What is a necrotic cell death pathway? - ANS loss of O2 and glucose and cellular electrolyte
exchange from a loss of atrial perfusion causes energy failure and rapid cytoskeletal
breakdown.
What is the ischemic cascade? - ANS lack of blood-infarct-edema-swelling-center of brain
shifts from midline-increased ICP-compression of neurons, nerve tracts, and cerebral arteries-
persistant edema-irreversable damage /death
neuron - ANS A: 1. Neuron consists of cell bodywith nucleus and 1 or more extensions
2. Dendrites receive nerve impulses from other neurons or sensory receptors
3. axons carry nerve impulses away from cell body to another neuron or effector organ
B: 1. stimulus affects the axon by changing the permeability of the axon positive ions
2. influx of posisitve ions reduces electrical potential across a segment of the membrane
3. This triggers a change in the adjacent segment of the axon like a chain reaction
4. when it gets to the presynaptic terminal a neurotransmitter is released
5. THe neurotransmitter crosses the synapse to interact with receptors on post synaptic cell
6. This opens ion specific channels in post synaptic cell, which changes the permeability for
positive ions.
7. the transient change is determined by the concentration of ions on either side of the cell
membrane
Maintaining these ion gradients requires a constant supply of glucose and O2
Stroke on a cellular level - ANS 1. lack of glucose and O2 deplete the cellular energy required
to maintain electrical potential.
2. This makes the brain tissue "leaky" and cells lose ATP and potassium, which is needed for
energy exchange
3 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
