NHI Anatomy and Medical Terminology Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient presents with a laceration on the outer side of their thigh, far from the body's midline. Which directional term accurately describes the location of the wound?
- Proximal
- Medial
- Lateral (Correct answer)
- Superior
Correct answer: Lateral
The term 'lateral' refers to a position away from the midline of the body. 'Medial' means toward the midline, 'proximal' means closer to the trunk, and 'superior' means toward the head. Since the wound is on the outer side of the thigh, 'lateral' is the correct descriptive term.
Question 2: Which of the following major organs are housed within the thoracic cavity?
- The brain and spinal cord
- The stomach, liver, and intestines
- The kidneys and bladder
- The heart and lungs (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The heart and lungs
The thoracic cavity, also known as the chest cavity, is enclosed by the ribs and contains the heart, lungs, esophagus, and trachea, among other structures. The brain and spinal cord are in the dorsal cavity, while the other organs listed are primarily in the abdominopelvic cavity.
Question 3: A patient's chart indicates a diagnosis of 'nephritis.' The suffix '-itis' signifies what condition?
- Surgical removal
- Inflammation (Correct answer)
- Enlargement
- Painful condition
Correct answer: Inflammation
The suffix '-itis' is a standard medical term used to denote inflammation of an organ or tissue. For example, appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix, and nephritis is inflammation of the kidneys.
Question 4: An MRI is ordered to be performed in a way that will divide the patient's body into superior and inferior sections. Which anatomical plane will be used for this imaging?
- Sagittal plane
- Coronal plane
- Oblique plane
- Transverse plane (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Transverse plane
The transverse (or axial) plane is a horizontal plane that divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) parts. The sagittal plane divides the body into left and right parts, and the coronal plane divides it into anterior and posterior parts.
Question 5: A healthcare professional is reviewing an x-ray report that mentions a fracture of the femur. This injury affects which part of the patient's body?
- Thigh (Correct answer)
- Upper arm
- Shin
- Forearm
Correct answer: Thigh
The femur is the long bone located in the upper leg, commonly known as the thigh bone. It is the longest and strongest bone in the human body, extending from the hip to the knee.
Question 6: A patient is diagnosed with hepatitis. Based on the combining form 'hepat/o', which organ is primarily affected?
- Heart
- Kidney
- Stomach
- Liver (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Liver
The combining form 'hepat/o' is derived from the Greek word for liver. Therefore, medical terms containing 'hepat/o', such as hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) or hepatomegaly (enlargement of the liver), relate to the liver.
A patient presents with a laceration on the outer side of their thigh, far from the body's midline.
Which directional term accurately describes the location of the wound?