The grey rami communicantes associated with the thoracic spinal nerves (i.e., T1-T12) contain which one of the following types of nerve fibers?
Preganglionic sympathetic axons
Postganglionic sympathetic axons
Preganglionic parasympathetic axons
Postganglionic parasympathetic axons
The thoracic cardiac nerves:
Contain postganglionic parasympathetic axons from neurons located in T1-T4 ganglia
Contain postganglionic sympathetic axons from neurons located in T1-T4 ganglia
Contain preganglionic sympathetic axons from neurons located in T1-T4 ganglia
Contain preganglionic sympathetic axons from neurons located in T5-T9 ganglia
A 45-year-old woman is admitted to the hospital with edema (swelling) of the lower limbs. Ultrasound reveals an incompetent tricuspid valve. Into which area will regurgitation of blood (i.e., retrograde flow) occur in this patient?
Ascending aorta
Left ventricle
Pulmonary trunk
Right atrium
A 42-year-old woman is admitted to the hospital with dyspnea (i.e., difficulty breathing). Imaging reveals severe mitral valve prolapse. Which structure normally prevents prolapse of the mitral valve cusps into the left atrium during ventricular contraction?
Chordae tendineae
Crista terminalis
Fibrous skeleton
Pectinate muscles
Trabeculae carneae
A 39-year-old man is admitted to the hospital with a complaint of severe retrosternal pain that radiates to the left shoulder, which is relieved by leaning forward. Auscultation reveals a pericardial friction rub, leading to a diagnosis of pericarditis (i.e., inflammation of the pericardium). Which of the following nerves is transmitting the pain?
greater sphlancnic
intercostal
phrenic
thoracic cardiac
vagus
Which of the following is the correct pathway for blood flow through the heart?
Oxygen poor blood from body - Left Atrium - Mitral Valve - Left Ventricle - Pulmonary Veins – Lungs - Pulmonary Veins - Right Atrium - Tricuspid Valve - Right Ventricle - Aorta
Oxygen poor blood from body - Right Atrium - Tricuspid Valve - Right Ventricle - pulmonary arteries – Lungs - Pulmonary Veins - Left Atrium - Mitral Valve - Left Ventricle - Aorta
Oxygen poor blood from body - Right Atrium - Mitral Valve - Right Ventricle - Pulmonary Arteries – Lungs - Pulmonary Veins - Left Atrium - Tricuspid Valve - Left Ventricle - Aorta
Oxygen poor blood from body - Right Atrium - Tricuspid Valve - Right Ventricle - Pulmonary Veins – Lungs - Pulmonary Arteries - Left Atrium - Mitral Valve - Left Ventricle – Aorta
The thoracic duct usually drains into which location?
The junction between the left internal jugular and left subclavian veins (i.e. the left venous angle)
The junction between the accessory hemiazygos and left brachiocephalic veins
The junction between the azygos vein and the superior vena cava
The junction between the right internal jugular and right subclavian veins (i.e. the right venous angle)
A 69-year-old man presents with dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) to solids and vomiting. Endoscopy reveals a distal esophageal cancer and biopsy confirms adenocarcinoma. Following a radical esophagectomy, the surgeon is concerned with a possible iatrogenic injury to the thoracic duct. Drainage of lymph from which of the following regions would be affected in this patient if the thoracic duct was damaged?
right breast
right leg
right side of head
right upper limb
A fracture of the cervical spinal column at C6 results in the loss of spinal cord function below the C6 spinal cord segment. Which of the following statements is correct?
Forced expiration will be largely unaffected.
Inspiration at rest will be largely unaffected.
The patient will require a ventilator to breathe.
There will be no effect on breathing mechanics at rest or during exertion.
Pleurisy is an inflammatory condition that results in adhesions forming between the visceral and parietal layers of pleura. This results in sharp, painful sensations from the thoracic wall during breathing that are carried by somatic afferents traveling in which nerves?
Dorsal rami of thoracic spinal nerves
Intercostal nerves
Sympathetic chain
Vagus nerves
A 14-year-old girl is brought to the emergency department after being thrown from her horse. She is experiencing intense chest pain and shortness of breath. Imaging reveals a broken left sixth rib and a pneumothorax; the broken rib punctured her lung. Disruption of which tissue layer allows air from the lung to enter the pleural cavity?
end-thoracic fascia
internal intercostal muscles
parietal pleura
visceral pleura
The nasal conchae create turbulent air flow during inspiration. This turbulence:
cools air
Decreases air flow to olfactory region.
Decreases the humidity of the air.
Improves trapping of particulate matter by mucous.
The greatest density of olfactory nerve endings are in the mucosa covering which of the following structures?
Inferior margin of the nasal septum
Inferior nasal concha
Nasal vestibule
D Superior nasal concha
