Nursing Elites

1. What is the primary function of the placenta during pregnancy?

• A. Produce insulin
• B. Facilitate gas exchange between mother and fetus
• C. Excrete waste products from the fetus
• D. All of the above

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The primary function of the placenta during pregnancy is to facilitate the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the mother and the fetus. This ensures that the fetus receives oxygen and eliminates carbon dioxide, supporting its growth and development. While the placenta also allows for the transfer of nutrients and waste products between the mother and the fetus, its main role is to ensure proper gas exchange. Therefore, choices A, C, and D are incorrect as the primary role of the placenta is not to produce insulin or excrete waste products from the fetus. Selecting the correct answer, choice B, highlights the crucial role of the placenta in providing oxygen to the fetus and removing carbon dioxide, which are essential for fetal well-being and development.

2. Melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color, is produced by

• A. Keratinocytes (These cells produce keratin)
• B. Melanocytes
• C. Sebocytes (These cells produce sebum)
• D. Langerhans cells (These cells are part of the immune system)

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Melanocytes are the cells responsible for producing melanin, the pigment that determines skin color. Melanin gives skin its color and protects it from the harmful effects of UV radiation. Keratinocytes produce keratin, a tough protein that forms the outer layer of the skin, hair, and nails. Sebocytes produce sebum, an oily substance that helps moisturize and protect the skin. Langerhans cells are a type of immune cell found in the skin that play a role in protecting against infections and foreign substances but do not produce melanin.

3. Blood type is a trait determined by multiple alleles, with IA coding for A blood, IB coding for B blood, and i coding for O blood being recessive. If an individual with A heterozygosity and an O individual have a child, what is the probability that the child will have A blood?

• A. 25%
• B. 50%
• C. 75%
• D. 100%

Correct answer: B

Rationale: When an A heterozygote individual (IAi) and an O individual (ii) have a child, there are four possible combinations of alleles that the child can inherit: IA from the A parent and i from the O parent; IA from the A parent and i from the O parent; i from the A parent and i from the O parent; i from the A parent and i from the O parent. Out of these combinations, 50% of the offspring will inherit the A allele from the A parent, resulting in A blood type. Therefore, the correct answer is 50%. Choice A is incorrect because the probability is not 25%. Choice C is incorrect as it overestimates the likelihood. Choice D is incorrect as it suggests a certainty which is not the case in genetics.

4. What are Merkel cells, located in the epidermis, specialized for?

• A. Melanin production
• B. Temperature sensation
• C. Touch perception
• D. Immune defense

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Merkel cells are specialized touch receptors located in the epidermis of the skin. Their primary function is to perceive light touch and pressure. They play a crucial role in the sensory perception of touch stimuli. Option A, melanin production, is incorrect because Merkel cells are not involved in producing melanin. Option B, temperature sensation, is incorrect as Merkel cells are not specialized for sensing temperature. Option D, immune defense, is also incorrect as Merkel cells do not have a role in immune defense mechanisms.

5. A ball is rolling across the floor and comes to a stop on its own. What force caused the ball to stop?

• A. Gravitational force
• B. Normal force from the floor
• C. Air resistance
• D. None of the above

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The force that caused the ball to stop rolling across the floor is air resistance. As the ball moves through the air, air resistance acts in the opposite direction of its motion, gradually slowing it down until it comes to a stop. In this scenario, the ball is not in contact with the floor, so the normal force from the floor does not play a role in stopping the ball. Gravitational force acts to pull objects towards the center of the Earth and would not directly stop the ball in this situation. Therefore, air resistance is the force that opposes the motion of the rolling ball and causes it to come to a stop.

Similar Questions