ACCRA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCES
END OF SECOND SEMESTER FULL-TIME EXAMINATION, 2019/2020 ACADEMIC
YEAR
COURSE CODE: MLB 106 COURSE TITLE: PHYSIOLOGY 1
TIME ALLOWED: 2 HOURS DATE:09/10/2020

ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS FOR 70 MARKS

Q1

(i) If a person whose alveolar membranes are thickened by disease has an alveolar PO2
of 100 mm Hg and an alveolar PCO2 of 40 mm Hg, which of the following values of
systemic arterial blood gases are most likely to exist?

a. PO2 = 105 mm Hg, PCO2 = 35 mm Hg

b. PO2 = 100 mm Hg, PCO2 = 40 mm Hg
c. PO2 = 80 mm Hg, PCO2 = 45 mm Hg
[1 MARK]
(ii) If the person is administered 100% O2,
(a) will the arterial PO2 increase, decrease, or remain the
same? [2 MARKS]
(P) Will the arterial PCO2 increase, decrease, or remain the [2 MARKS]
same?

(iii) Explain the reason behind your answers in (ii) above. [5 MARKS]

ANSWER

(i). b.PO2= 100mmHg , PCO2 = 40mmHg

Q3
(ii) .(a)Arterial pressure will increase.

(P) . arterial PCO2 will remain the same .

(iii). If the person is administered 100% O2, the alveolar PO2 will increases and the
arterial PO2 will also increases accordingly. Even though arterial PO2 does not equals
with alveolar PO2 , it is higher than when the person is breathing atmospheric air. Also,
arterial PCO2 will remains the same whether the person is administered 100% O2 or is
breathing atmospheric air. The alveolar PCO2 and thus the blood to alveolar PCO2
gradient are not changed by breathing 100% O2 because the PCO2 in atmospheric air
and 100% O2 are both essentially zero.

Q2

A classmate who has been standing still for several hours working on a laboratory
experiment suddenly faints.

(a) What is the probable explanation? [4 MARKS]

(b) What would you do if the person next to him tried to get him [2 MARKS]
up?
ANSWER

(a) .The classmate standing for several hours fainted because standing for long hours
will cause insufficient flow of venous blood into the heart from the legs and to the
brain. There are small valves in the veins in the legs that helps pull blood against
gravity to the heart. Therefore standing for long hours puts pressure on these veins
which blocks and start to pool blood in the veins. The pressure exerted on the veins
causes the the valves to become weak.

(b) . When the person falls unconsciously to the ground, he assumes a horizontal
position releasing the pressure on the valves in the lower extremities and causing
Q3
blood to flow back to the heart and also to the brain which improves cardiac output.
Therefore, trying to get him up will not be advised. However, the person next to him is
advised to leave him to recover fully.

Q3
A drug applied to a piece of excised arteriole causes the vessel to relax, but an isolated piece of arteriolar
muscle stripped from the other layers of the vessel fails to respond to the same drug. What is the probable
explanation? [2 MARKS]

ANSWER

The drug causes the vessel to relax because of the endothelial cells produces local vasoactive chemical
mediator to cause relaxation of the smooth muscle.

Q4
Considering the nature of negative-feedback control and the function of the respiratory system, what effect
do you predict that a decrease in CO2 in the internal environment would have on how rapidly and deeply a
person breathes? [5 MARKS]

ANSWER

Carbon dioxide diffuses from the pulmonary capillaries into the alveoli because there is high concentration
in the blood and low concentration in the lungs.
As carbon dioxide(CO2) levels rises, blood pH falls;this is picked up by the central chemo-receptors and
through negative feedback mechanism, signals are sent to alter breathing.The respiratory rate can be
increased or decreased to suit the amount of oxygen needed.To increase the respiratory rate, effectors in the
lungs are triggered to ventilate (inhale or exhale) faster,so carbon dioxide is removed and oxygen brought
into more quickly.At the same time,the brain sends message to the heart to beat faster, pumping oxygenated
blood to the cells more quickly.The depth of the breathing can also be altered so that the larger the volume of
air is taken into the lungs.
Also, respiratory acidosis is a condition that occurs when the lungs can’t remove enough carbon dioxide
produced by the body. Excess CO2 causes the pH of the blood and other bodily fluids to decrease, making
them too acidic. Normally the body is able to balance the ions that controls acidity. This balance is measured
on a pH scale from 0 to 14. Acidosis occurs when the pH of the blood falls below 7.35 (normal blood pH is
between 7.35 and 7.45)
Therefore, decrease in the CO2 in the internal environment, the heart will beat faster thereby increasing the
rate of breathing to allow oxygen into the lungs which will be used by the heart to pump oxygenated blood to
all part of the body cells.Also the person breathes deeply.
Q5

Delali A. has the “stomach flu” that is going around campus and has been vomiting profusely for the past 24
hours. Not only has she been unable to keep down fluids or food, but she also has lost the acidic digestive
juices secreted by the stomach that are normally reabsorbed back into the blood farther down the digestive
tract.

(a) In what ways might this condition threaten to disrupt homeostasis in Jennifer’s internal
environment? [2 MARKS]

ANSWER

Loss of fluid in Delali’s body will disrupt the maintenance of blood pressure and plasma volume.

(b) What body systems respond to resist these changes? [10 MARKS]

ANSWER

The endocrine system and nervous system,circulatory system,urinary system, and respiratory system.

Q6
A solution may have the same osmolarity as normal body fluids yet it may not be isotonic. Explain why.
[6 MARKS]

ANSWER

Normal body fluid may not be isotonic because its non penetrating concentration may be less than the non
penetrating concentration in the cell.

Q7
(Choose all options that apply). Which of the following methods of transport is being used to transfer the
substance into the cell in the accompanying graph?
 X sell} plnlpCBInleowlul<D£C
susMqncnuollcoJcsuoo
Concentration of substance
in the extracellular fluid
(moles x 104)
a. diffusion down a concentration gradient
b. osmosis
c. facilitated diffusion
d. active transport
e. vesicular transport
f. It is impossible to tell with the information provided.
[1 MARK]
ANSWER
d . Active transport
Q8
Olestra, a synthetic fat substitute, consists of a six-carbon backbone with six fatty acids attached to it. Olestra
is neither digested nor absorbed.

(a) Explain why olestra would not be absorbed. [3 MARKS]

ANSWER

Olestra is a synthetic sucrose that can not be absorbed because Olestra contains eight hydrocarbon chains
attached to sucrose unlike fat which has only three chains attached to its glycerol molecule. However, to
digest fats, lipase removes the hydrocarbon chain from the glycerol molecule and emulsify with bile and
then absorbed into the blood. Olestra is not absorbed because lipase is unable to remove all the hydrocarbon
chains from the sucrose.

(b) What effect could consumption olestra have on the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins?
[2 MARKS]
ANSWER
It will interfere with fat soluble vitamins when present in small intestine for absorption.

Q9
Insulin is a peptide hormone that is lacking from the body in some forms of diabetes mellitus. Why do people
with this type of diabetes inject insulin rather than consuming an insulin pill? [5 MARKS]

ANSWER

Insulin can not be consumed or given orally because ingested through the mouth, digestive juices in the
stomach will act on it and digest it. Insulin is also a poly peptide protein and therefore will not function
effectively when broken down in the process of digestion into a single peptide chain.Therefore, it is injected
intravenously or subcutaneously which diffuses into the blood stream and regulate glucose as fast as
possible.

Q10

Mucus production in the conducting zone is essential to trap foreign particles and keep them from entering
the lungs. Mucus production increases, however, when a person has a cold or other type of respiratory tract
infection.

i. What benefit does increase mucus production provide during such infections? [2 MARKS]

ANSWER

Increase in mucus production during respiratory infections helps in clearing trapped foreign substances to
prevent them from getting into the lungs.

ii. Why it is more difficult to breathe when we have a cold?

[2 MARKS]
ANSWER
Breathing becomes difficult because there is an irritation of the substance trapped by the mucus, thereby
excreting more mucus and obstructing the air passage in the nose and sinus passage.This makes breathing
difficult.
Yes, hyperventilation contribute mainly to increase in oxygen requirement by cells during exercise
because during exercise, the heart beats faster to pump oxygenated blood to all parts of the body. Therefore
increasing the rate at which exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide occurs.

QU

The flow rule states that (substances) gases or liquids flow from a region of higher pressure to a region of
lower pressure. This can be applied to any section of the respiratory tract. Use this information to explain
why the Heimlich maneuver (a sharp compression of the abdominal cavity just below the diaphragm) can
dislodge food or other objects lodged in the trachea of a choking person. [5 MARKS]

ANSWER

Heimlich maneuver or abdominal thrusts lift your diaphragm and expel air from your lungs. This causes the
foreign object to be expelled from your airway. According to the flow rule, substances such as gases or
liquids flow from a region of higher pressure to a region of lower pressure. However, in the process of
performing abdominal thrust for an individual,you will have to place your hands around the person’s waist
and press, push inward and upward at the same time . This will intend cause the diaphragm to rise and
increase pressure in the lungs which will forcefully expel the air in it through the air way, clearing the food
substance out of the trachea.

QJ2
Does hyperventilation contribute mainly to the increase in oxygen requirement by cells during exercise?

[2 MARKS ]

ANSWER

Yes, hyperventilation contribute mainly to increase in oxygen requirement by cells during exercise because during exercise, the heart
beats faster to pump oxygenated blood to all parts of the body. Therefore increasing the rate at which exchange of oxygen and carbon
dioxide occurs.

Q13

Gawugah B. experiences a sharp pain in his upper right abdomen after eating a high-fat meal. Also, he
has noted that his feces are grayish white instead of brown.

(a) What is the most likely cause of his symptoms? [2 MARKS]

ANSWER

Gallstone pancreatitis

(b) Explain why each of these symptoms occurs with this condition. [5 MARKS]

ANSWER

Gallstones are caused in the gallbladder located below the liver in the upper right part of the
abdomen. Gawugah B.’s stool becomes greyish white because the gallstones block the bile
ducts from producing the bile pigments thereby causing the stool to look greyish white.

Also, he feels pain in his upper right abdomen because the stones move from the gallbladder to
the opening of the small intestine causing severe pain when the fats gets to the small intestine
after eating.