MCAT Biology : Biology

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for MCAT Biology

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Example Questions

Example Question #323 : Systems Biology And Tissue Types

The surface of which lymphoid organ is covered with stratified squamous epithelium and located at the entrance to the oropharynx?

Possible Answers:

Tonsils

Lymph nodes

Adenoids

Spleen

Thymus

Correct answer:

Tonsils

Explanation:

The surface of each tonsil is covered with stratified squamous epithelium, which forms deep crypts that detect and respond to pathogens entering the body. The tonsils are located on either side of the throat at the back of the tongue.

Adenoids are lymphoid tissue located in the nasopharynx, in the midline at the back of the throat. The spleen is in the upper left quadrant of the abdomen. The spleen has a smooth surface, as it is covered by an outer capsule of connective tissue. The thymus is in the mediastinum between the lungs. The thymus is composed of two lobes containing multiple lobules divided into an outer cortex and an inner medulla. The thymus is the site of T-cell differentiation. Lymph nodes filter lymph and remove foreign particles. Lymph nodes are located throughout the body, and are concentrated in the neck, axilla, and groin. 

Example Question #324 : Systems Biology And Tissue Types

What lymphoid organ is one of the primary sites of cancer metastasis?

Possible Answers:

Thymus

Spleen

Tonsils

Adenoids

Lymph nodes

Correct answer:

Lymph nodes

Explanation:

Lymph nodes function to drain lymph. As lymph carries interstitial fluid, it also carries pathogens and cancer cells. Malignant cells may spread through the lymphatic circulation.

Tonsils and adenoids are collections of lymphoid tissue in the pharynx that filter microbes that enter through the mouth and nose. They enlarge during infectious processes. The spleen filters blood, exposing it to macrophages and lymphocytes that destroy foreign particles and aged blood cells. The thymus is the primary site for T-cell differentiation. The mature T-cells leave the thymus and travel to the spleen, lymph nodes, and other lymphoid tissue where they control cell-mediated immune responses. 

Example Question #11 : Lymphatic System

The lymphoid tissues are responsible for creating, storing, and processing lymphocytes, which are essentially the effector cells of the immune system. Which of the following is a lymphoid structure that is also responsible for recycling old red blood cells? 

Possible Answers:

Thymus 

Appendix

Spleen

Bone marrow

Liver

Correct answer:

Spleen

Explanation:

The spleen is a lymphoid structure that contains resident lymphocytes that produce antiobodies, as well as T-cells that are released into the bloodstream. It also contains resident macrophages, which are responsible for removing and degrading microbes and worn-out red blood cells. 

Example Question #12 : Lymphatic System

Destruction of the lymph nodes would most likely affect the immune system in which way?

Possible Answers:

Inability to bind antibodies to an antigen

Inability to initiate and sustain an inflammatory response at the site of infection

Inability to produce killer T cells

Inability to carry out a second response to an antigen significantly shorter in duration than the first

Correct answer:

Inability to carry out a second response to an antigen significantly shorter in duration than the first

Explanation:

The secondary response of the immune system is significantly shorter in duration due to the storage of memory cells after the initial infection has been combated. During the primary infection, a B-cell will bind with an antigen. Once this occurs, the B-cells will begin to divide rapidly into plasma cells and memory cells. Plasma cells release high quantities of antibodies, which are integral in combating the infection. Memory cells are stored in lymph nodes so that if the same antigen is ever encountered again, it can be quickly dealt with by a fast-responding production of the correct form of plasma cell. If lymph nodes were destroyed, memory cells would not be able to mount this quick secondary response.

Example Question #13 : Lymphatic System

Which of the following is not a function of the lymphatic system?

Possible Answers:

Present antigens to B-cells

Produce B-cells

Synthesize red blood cells

Drain interstitial fluid

Correct answer:

Synthesize red blood cells

Explanation:

The lymphatic system has many purposes, including draining the 10% of interstitial fluid that is not reabsorbed by the capillaries, housing the lymph nodes that produce B-cells, and serving as a migration site for macrophages that present antigens to B-cells to initiate an immune system reaction.

The bone marrow is responsible for producing red blood cells, and for allowing B-cells to mature.

Example Question #2 : Other Lymphatic Physiology

Which of the following is not a purpose of the lymphatic system?

Possible Answers:

Filter blood

Regulate body temperature

Remove fluid from interstitial space

Transport lymph back to the heart

Bring interstitial fluid back to systemic circulation

Correct answer:

Regulate body temperature

Explanation:

The lymphatic system carries lymph, which is a colorless fluid containing white blood cells, to help the body remove excess interstitial fluid. Fluids from the blood leak out of the gaps between capillary epithelium and must be returned to circulation to prevent accumulation. The lymphatic system collects this fluid and passes it through lymph nodes, which house lymphocytes that screen the fluids for foreign antigens. The lymphatic vessels then carry the fluids to the heart, releasing the lymph back into circulation via the right atrium.

Example Question #14 : Lymphatic System

Which of the following is not a function of the lymphatic system?

Possible Answers:

It helps transport fats to the veins of the neck

It screens the blood for microbes

It provides the maturation site for T-cells

It detoxifies the blood

It filters excess interstitial fluid

Correct answer:

It detoxifies the blood

Explanation:

The liver is primarily responsible for the detoxification of the blood.

All other listed options are the primary roles of the lymphatic system. Digested fats are emulsified in the small intestine, then transported via lymph (rather than blood). They enter the blood stream through the subclavian vein. The lymph also contains a large number of lymphocytes, or white blood cells, which can screen for microbes. Excess interstitial fluid is transferred to the lymph via leaky capillaries. The thymus, a primary lymphoid organ, is responsible for T-cell maturation.

Example Question #21 : Lymphatic System

Type 1 diabetes is a well-understood autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases result from an immune system-mediated attack on one’s own body tissues. In normal development, an organ called the thymus introduces immune cells to the body’s normal proteins. This process is called negative selection, as those immune cells that recognize normal proteins are deleted. If cells evade this process, those that recognize normal proteins enter into circulation, where they can attack body tissues. The thymus is also important for activating T-cells that recognize foreign proteins.

As the figure below shows, immune cells typically originate in the bone marrow.  Some immune cells, called T-cells, then go to the thymus for negative selection. Those that survive negative selection, enter into general circulation to fight infection. Other cells, called B-cells, directly enter general circulation from the bone marrow. It is a breakdown in this carefully orchestrated process that leads to autoimmune disease, such as type 1 diabetes.

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B-cells are primarily activated in lymph nodes, similar in some respects to T-cell activation in the thymus. Which of the following is true of the lymphatic system?

I. It drains excess fluid from interstitial spaces

II. It has one-way valves similar to those in veins

III. It is actively pumped by skeletal muscle contraction

Possible Answers:

II and III

I and III

I, II, and III

II, only

I and II

Correct answer:

I, II, and III

Explanation:

All of these statements are true of the lymphatic system. Without a dedicated pump of its own, it relies on skeletal muscle contraction in adjacent muscles and the presence of one-way valves to remove excess interstitial fluid and bring it to lymph nodes, where the immune system can be activated.

Example Question #341 : Biology

Which of the following is NOT a function of the lymphatic system?

Possible Answers:

Returning interstitial fluid back to the blood stream

Storage of memory B-cells

Transport of digested fats to the blood stream

Secretion of aminopeptidase into the small intestine

Correct answer:

Secretion of aminopeptidase into the small intestine

Explanation:

The lymphatic system is important for the return of interstitial fluid back into the blood stream. Fluids that escape vessels and capillaries that would otherwise remain between tissue are returned to the bloodstream by the lymphatic system. Also, lymph nodes play a key role in the immune system, as they are storage centers for memory cells that have been produced as a result of an antigen binding to a B-cell during a primary response. Finally, the lymphatic system is also involved in the transport of insoluble formations of fats called chylomicrons to the blood stream. The lymphatic system plays no role in the secretion of aminopeptidase; therefore, that is the correct answer.

Example Question #342 : Biology

All of the following are functions of the lymphatic system except for which answer choice?

Possible Answers:

Delivers water soluble nutrients from the gut to systemic circulation

Delivers antigens and microbes to lymph nodes, where they can be detected by immune cells

Delivers extracellular fluid back to systemic circulation

Delivers fat soluble nutrients in the form of chylomicrons from the gut to systemic circulation

Correct answer:

Delivers water soluble nutrients from the gut to systemic circulation

Explanation:

Water-soluble nutrients are generally absorbed directly into the blood stream via various mechanisms, including but not limited to facilitated diffusion and active transport. Long-chain fatty acids, cholesterol, triglycerides, and large-fat soluble drugs are packaged into chylomicrons and taken up by the lymphatics in the gut before they are delivered to systemic circulation.

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