FREE USABO Anatomy and Physiology Questions and Answers

Question 1

A woman experiencing rickets is diagnosed with a deficiency of a particular vitamin and given a diet guideline. Which of the following food is most likely to help with the condition?

Accepted Answer

Oranges

Answer

Explanation:
Oranges are a good source of vitamin D, which is essential for bone health and can help improve the condition of rickets.

Question 2

As a winter intern at an animal development lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, you would like to investigate how different treatments may alter the outcomes of fertilization in sea urchins.

You would like to test different conditions in which fertilization is blocked in sea urchin eggs. All of the following conditions would result in unsuccessful fertilizations EXCEPT FOR:

Accepted Answer

When the sea urchin sperm treated with calcium ionophore interacts with the normal sea urchin egg from the same species with its egg jelly removed.

Answer

Explanation:
Treatment with a calcium ionophore disrupts calcium signaling, which is essential for sperm-egg fusion. Without proper calcium signaling, successful fertilization is unlikely to occur. Therefore, this condition would result in unsuccessful fertilization.

Question 3

As a winter intern at an animal development lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, you would like to investigate how different treatments may alter the outcomes of fertilization in sea urchins.

As a side project, you would also like to work on fertilization in mouse embryos using CRISPR/cas9 technology by conducting in vitro fertilization (IVF). At which phase of the embryo should you return the embryo to the mouse uterus?

Accepted Answer

8-cell stage

Answer

Explanation:
In mice, embryos are typically transferred back to the uterus at the 8-cell stage. At this stage, the embryo has undergone several cell divisions and consists of eight cells. This stage is optimal for transferring embryos back to the uterus because it allows for successful implantation and further development.

Question 4

By blindfolding fish, Brian Partridge and Tony Pitcher demonstrated in 1979 that schooling behavior is dependent not on vision, but instead on the proper functioning of a different organ: the lateral line. Given this knowledge, which of the following structures, when damaged, would lead to a loss in the ability for fish to school?

Accepted Answer

Cupula

Answer

Explanation:
Damage to the Cupula would disrupt the fish's ability to sense angular acceleration and changes in water movement, which are crucial for maintaining proper orientation within a school of fish.

Question 5

Which of the following is most accurate regarding the anatomy and physiology of the vertebrate vascular system?

Accepted Answer

Elastic fibers made of the protein elastin in the tunica media allow arteries to accommodate fluctuating blood pressures. They are almost absent in the tunica media of veins.

Answer

Explanation:
Elastic fibers in the tunica media of arteries allow them to stretch and recoil, accommodating the pulsatile flow of blood from the heart and helping maintain blood pressure. Veins, on the other hand, have thinner walls and do not require as much elasticity to handle blood flow, so elastic fibers are less abundant in their tunica media.

USABO - USA Biology Olympiad Practice Test

USABO - USA Biology Olympiad Practice Test

FREE USABO Anatomy and Physiology Questions and Answers