DC Medical Terminology & Anatomy 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The term 'bradycardia' is derived from the Greek root 'brady,' which means:
- Fast
- Slow (Correct answer)
- Irregular
- Absent
Correct answer: Slow
Brady means slow, so bradycardia refers to a heart rate below 60 beats per minute.
Question 2: The sinoatrial (SA) node is anatomically located in the:
- Left ventricle apex
- Interatrial septum
- Right atrium near the superior vena cava (Correct answer)
- Atrioventricular groove
Correct answer: Right atrium near the superior vena cava
The SA node is located in the posterior wall of the right atrium near the junction with the superior vena cava.
Question 3: Which medical term describes an abnormally fast heart rate exceeding 100 beats per minute?
- Tachycardia (Correct answer)
- Bradycardia
- Arrhythmia
- Fibrillation
Correct answer: Tachycardia
Tachycardia (from Greek 'tachys' meaning fast) describes a heart rate greater than 100 bpm.
Question 4: The interventricular septum separates the:
- Right and left atria
- Right and left ventricles (Correct answer)
- Atria from ventricles
- Aorta from pulmonary trunk
Correct answer: Right and left ventricles
The interventricular septum divides the heart into the right and left ventricles.
Question 5: The medical term 'asystole' literally means:
- Rapid contraction
- Without contraction (Correct answer)
- Irregular contraction
- Partial contraction
Correct answer: Without contraction
Asystole means absence of cardiac contraction; the prefix 'a-' means without and 'systole' means contraction.
Question 6: Which anatomical structure is known as the 'pacemaker' of the heart under normal conditions?
- AV node
- Bundle of His
- Purkinje fibers
- SA node (Correct answer)
Correct answer: SA node
The SA node fires spontaneously at 60–100 bpm and is the dominant pacemaker under normal conditions.
Question 7: The prefix 'myo-' as used in 'myocardium' refers to:
- Blood
- Nerve
- Muscle (Correct answer)
- Wall
Correct answer: Muscle
Myo- is derived from the Greek word for muscle, so myocardium means heart muscle.
DC Medical Terminology & Anatomy 2
The term 'bradycardia' is derived from the Greek root 'brady,' which means: