Certified Surgical Technologist Anatomy and Physiology Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which cranial nerve is solely responsible for the sense of smell and is designated as CN I?
- Optic Nerve (CN II)
- Olfactory Nerve (CN I) (Correct answer)
- Trigeminal Nerve (CN V)
- Facial Nerve (CN VII)
Correct answer: Olfactory Nerve (CN I)
The Olfactory Nerve, or Cranial Nerve I (CN I), is a sensory nerve that transmits information relating to the sense of smell from the nasal cavity to the brain.
Question 2: During a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the surgeon's primary goal is to safely dissect the triangle of Calot. Which two structures must be identified, ligated, and divided to remove the gallbladder?
- Cystic duct and common bile duct
- Common hepatic duct and cystic artery
- Cystic duct and cystic artery (Correct answer)
- Right hepatic artery and common bile duct
Correct answer: Cystic duct and cystic artery
In a cholecystectomy, the two structures that are carefully identified within the triangle of Calot before being ligated (clipped) and divided are the cystic duct, which drains bile from the gallbladder, and the cystic artery, which supplies blood to the gallbladder.
Question 3: A patient is undergoing a repair of the rotator cuff. Which of the following muscles is NOT part of this functional group?
- Supraspinatus
- Teres minor
- Subscapularis
- Teres major (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Teres major
The rotator cuff is composed of four muscles: the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis (often remembered by the acronym SITS). The teres major is located near the rotator cuff muscles but is not part of the functional group; it works to adduct and medially rotate the humerus.
Question 4: Deoxygenated blood returning from the systemic circuit first enters which chamber of the heart?
- Left atrium
- Right ventricle
- Left ventricle
- Right atrium (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Right atrium
Deoxygenated blood from the body returns to the heart via the superior and inferior vena cava, which empty directly into the right atrium. From the right atrium, it passes to the right ventricle and then to the lungs for oxygenation.
Question 5: During a total thyroidectomy, the surgeon must carefully dissect the superior pole of the thyroid to ligate the superior thyroid artery. This maneuver places which of the following nerves at the highest risk of injury?
- Recurrent laryngeal nerve
- Hypoglossal nerve
- External branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (Correct answer)
- Vagus nerve
Correct answer: External branch of the superior laryngeal nerve
The external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (EBSLN) is in close proximity to the superior thyroid artery and vein. During dissection and ligation of these vessels at the superior pole of the thyroid, the EBSLN is at significant risk for injury, which can affect the patient's ability to produce high-pitched sounds.
Question 6: When making a midline abdominal incision, the surgeon incises through multiple layers to enter the peritoneal cavity. Which of the following lists the layers in the correct order from superficial to deep?
- Skin, transversalis fascia, subcutaneous fat, peritoneum
- Skin, rectus sheath, subcutaneous fat, peritoneum
- Skin, subcutaneous fat, linea alba, transversalis fascia, peritoneum (Correct answer)
- Skin, external oblique muscle, internal oblique muscle, peritoneum
Correct answer: Skin, subcutaneous fat, linea alba, transversalis fascia, peritoneum
A midline incision follows the linea alba. The correct sequence of layers from superficial to deep is: skin, subcutaneous fat (Camper's and Scarpa's fasciae), linea alba (which is the fused aponeuroses of the abdominal muscles), transversalis fascia, extraperitoneal fat, and finally the parietal peritoneum.
Certified Surgical Technologist Anatomy and Physiology Questions and Answers
Which cranial nerve is solely responsible for the sense of smell and is designated as CN I?