Can You Ace This 10th Grade Anatomy Test?

By: Zoe Samuel
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Can You Ace This 10th Grade Anatomy Test?
Image: Image Source/Image Source/GettyImages

About This Quiz

Students often complain that the subjects they have to study in high school won't be useful in life and are thus a waste of time. Teachers spend hours trying to explain the logic of studying subjects like chemistry, history or anatomy, listing the myriad professions that benefit from knowledge of these subjects. Still, many young people are not convinced, and they quickly forget the lessons learned.

Anatomy is a subject that, on its face, appears to be useful only to potential medical doctors. However, the truth is that knowledge of the human body is valuable in many other professions, and a general familiarity with human anatomy is useful to almost everyone. Artists need to know human anatomy to create images of humans in poses that are possible and realistic. Athletes find anatomical knowledge useful in building up their bodies for maximum efficiency. Even actors need to know how the body works to mimic the limp of an older person or the bouncy step of a youth. Of course, knowing a bit about anatomy allows anyone to understand their own body when they twist an ankle or sprain a wrist.

How well do you remember your anatomy lessons? It's time to put your knowledge to the test!

Veins
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How are veins different from arteries?
Veins are concerned with how they look.
Arteries like to spend their time painting.
Arteries kill; veins promote life.
Veins carry blood to the heart; arteries carry it away from the heart.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When the heart pumps blood, it's really only pumping blood away from the heart. This is a big job. Getting blood back to the heart is partially accomplished through this pressure and partially through muscle movements, which put pressure on blood vessels called veins, which push blood back to the heart.

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Layers
Benjamin Toth/DigitalVision Vectors/GettyImage
"Superficial" is a term used to describe something on the outer surface of the body. What word is used to describe what is within it?
Deep
Substructural
Interior
Within
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While many medical terms are derived from Greek or Latin, the term "deep" is in fact just an English word, derived from Old English. One organ may be described as "deep to" another.

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Skeleton
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What kind of skeleton does a human have?
Exoskeleton
Non-axial skeleton
Endoskeleton
Hydrostatic skeleton
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Humans have endoskeletons. An endoskeleton is made of hard compounds and is located within the body. This is the opposite of the exoskeleton, which is common in the insect world and is worn on the outside of the body. A hydrostatic skeleton is a flexible compartment inside the body that is filled with fluid, as with the red-knobbed sea star.

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Hand
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How many muscles are there in the palm of the human hand?
None
31
60
17
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There is a common misconception that the hand does not contain any muscles, but the truth is far more complicated. While the hand does contain many muscles, some actions of the hand are enabled by muscles in the arm, without which the hand could not grasp things.

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Scale
William Andrew/Photodisc/GettyImages
What is the largest organ of the human body?
The intestines
The lungs
The heart
The skin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The dermis, or skin, is the single largest organ human beings have. Skin isn't just larger in terms of area, as it covers almost the whole body, but it is also the largest organ by mass.

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Shoulder
RyanJLane/E+/GettyImages
Which of the following bones is considered part of the shoulder?
Humerus
Pubis
Scapula
Metatarsal
All of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Commonly called the shoulder blade, the scapula is a large bone on the posterior side of the human body, making up one half of the socket of the shoulder joint. The bone provides structural integrity for the joint and a foundation for attaching operational muscles.

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Arm
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The anterior compartment of the arm contains three major muscles. Which of the following is not one?
Biceps brachii
Deltoid
Coracobrachialis
Brachialis
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The deltoid is a muscle in the shoulder, not the upper arm. The biceps brachii is the muscle of the upper arm most people think of when they think of the upper arm. Coracobrachialis is the smallest of the three, attaching the arm to the chest, and the brachialis similarly attaches the lower part of the arm.

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Bones
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How many bones does the average human possess?
212
210
208
206
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Most adults have 206 bones, although the number may vary slightly, and it's a myth that women have two more ribs than men. This vast assortment of bones allows humans to do things many other animals cannot. Examples include performing complex tasks with an opposable thumb, swimming the breaststroke and dancing.

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Growth
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Which of the following is not a made-up bone?
Intercarpal
Palamatic
Radia
Talus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The talus is one of the bones in the ankle. More specifically, the talus is the bone right at the angle of the instep, allowing the graceful flexing of the ankle. It connects to the tibia and fibula in the leg.

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Artery
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To which blood vessel does the brachial artery attach?
Renal artery
Ulnar artery
Popliteal artery
Great saphenous vein
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The brachial artery is an artery in the arm, carrying blood from the heart toward the hand. As it travels down the arm, it connects to the ulnar artery, which leads from the elbow to the hand, transmitting the blood on the second half of its journey to the hand.

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Cells
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Which of the following is not a part of an animal cell?
Nuclear membrane
Cytoplasm
Centrioles
Vacumoles
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Animal cells are constructed of 13 major parts. Those parts are as follows: cell membrane, vesicles, nucleus, nuclear membrane, cytoplasm, nucleolus, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, ribosomes, mitochondria, centrioles, cytoskeleton and vacuoles.

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Spine
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The spine is one of the most important skeletal structures. Which of the following words has nothing to do with the spine?
Thoracic
Sacrum
Cervical
Ulna
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The ulna is one of the bones of the forearm, connecting from the elbow to the part of the hand closest to the little finger. The ulna is, conveniently, near the ulnar nerve, which controls the pinky and ring finger. If inflamed, it can cause hand pain.

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Body
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To which part of the body does the ilium belong?
The pelvis
The spine
The rib cage
The foot
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The ilium is the upper and largest part of the pelvis. Commonly referred to as the hip bone, the ilium and its surrounding anatomy is the reason for the iliac furrow, sometimes called Apollo's belt, which is a pair of muscle grooves possessed by muscular people.

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Leg
Lester V. Bergman/Corbis Documentary/GettyImages
Which of the following is a leg bone?
Navigular
Fibula
Pistiform
Ventricle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The only real bone in the above list, the fibula is not a bone used for telling little lies, but rather a bone in the leg. More specifically, the fibula is the smaller of the two bones of the lower leg, found on the lateral side of the leg.

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Anatomy
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In anatomy, orientation is key. Which of the following terms describes a body part that faces toward the middle?
Medial
Dorsal
Inner
Endo
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Derived from the Latin word "medius," meaning "middle," "medial" is the correct term for the inner side of a body part — the portion of one's knee closest to the other knee, for example. The opposite of medial is lateral, derived from the Latin for "to the side."

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Signpost
Aaron Foster/The Image Bank/GettyImages
Proximal and distal mean different things. How are they different?
Proximal means closer to the trunk of the body.
Distal means closer to the trunk of the body.
Proximal means closer to the head.
Distal means closer to the heart.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Derived from the Latin for "closest," the same root as the word "proximity," "proximal" is a term describing a part of the body closer to the trunk of the body. For example, the shoulder is the proximal end of the arm.

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Ear
John Lund/Stone/GettyImages
Human ears have several bones. Which of the following is not a bone in the human ear?
Malleus
Incus
Stapes
Puspus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The ossicles are three bones inside the human ear that allow us to perceive sounds. These bones are so small, their name literally translates to "tiny bones." There are three ossicles: the malleus (or hammer), the incus (or anvil) and the stapes (or stirrup).

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Lateral
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Can you say which of the following is not a type of lateral location in the human body?
Ipsilateral
Unilateral
Contralateral
Extralateral
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Contralateral means something is on the opposite side of a structure, while ipsilateral means something is on the same side. Unilateral means something is only on one side of the body. Bilateral means something is located on both sides of the body.

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Shark
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What do you think is the opposite of the term "ventral"?
Dorsal
Caudal
Rostral
Toastal
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The word "ventral" describes the "belly side" of the body. Its Latin root is the word "venter," which literally translates to "belly." Dorsal is the opposite of ventral, as it comes from "dorsum," which means "back."

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Skull
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How many bones are there in the human skull?
30
16
10
22
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The three bones in each human ear are not considered to be part of the skull, since they are not attached to it. The skull has eight bones that form the case around the brain and 14 bones that make up the face. X-rays of young people can determine when growth has stopped by looking for fusion between these mostly non-moving bones.

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Teeth
Sol de Zuasnabar Brebbia/Moment
How many more teeth do adults have than children?
12
Six
10
16
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Adults have 32 permanent teeth, including four wisdom teeth, whereas children have only 20 primary teeth. Children have 10 teeth on top and 10 on the bottom, which they will lose. Adults have 16 teeth on both their upper and lower jaws.

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Eye
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What task must the brain accomplish to interpret images transmitted from the eye?
Convert the image to color
Turn the image into ones and zeros
Rotate the image 90 degrees
Flip the image
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The way the human eye works involves passing light through both a lens and a tiny aperture. The result of this is that the image is flipped upside-down when it projects against the back of the eye, where rods and cones receive the image and transmit it to the brain.

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Blood Vessels
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In what part of the body is the basilar artery located?
The brain stem
The reproductive organs
The liver
The pancreas
None of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While it's not the only artery that supplies the brain with oxygen, the basilar artery is one of the most important. It is an extension of the vertebral arteries, and it in turn branches into smaller arteries that travel to different parts of the brain to supply oxygen.

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Jawbone
Douglas Sacha/Moment/GettyImages
What bone meets the mandible to make the mouth work?
Lacrimal bone
Vomer
Maxilla
Zygomatic bone
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The face has a very complex arrangement of bones, and two of the most useful are the maxilla and the mandible. The mandible is the lower jaw bone, allowing movement of the lower mouth (and thus teeth) and opening of the mouth. The maxilla is the bone forming the upper portion of the jaw and mouth, to which the upper teeth are attached.

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Palm
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If the back of the hand is called the "dorsal" side, what is the palm side called?
Ventral
Palmar
Fingeral
Front
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Just in case you've become complacent about anatomical terminology, anatomists threw this particular curveball to keep you on your feet. "Palmar" derives from the Latin for "palm of the hand," which seems pretty straightforward, even though dorsal just means "back."

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Spinal XRay
Douglas Sacha/Moment/GettyImages
Which of the following terms for a specific vertebra is correct?
P1
L9
C13
T2
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Vertebrae are categorized into types, the three major ones being cervical vertebrae, thoracic vertebrae and lumbar vertebrae. These types of vertebrae are numbered; thus there would be a C1, T1 and L1. However as not all vertebrae exist in the same numbers, just because there is a T12 does not mean there is an L12 — and there is not.

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Extensor
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Which of the following is an extensor?
Triceps brachii
Biceps brachii
Pronator teres
Aorta
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The difference between an extensor muscle and a flexor muscle is that the extensor muscle's job is to open up the joint, while a flexor shortens itself when flexed, causing the joint to close. The triceps brachii are extensors, for example, while the biceps brachii are flexor muscles.

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Shake
Francesco Carta fotografo/Moment/GettyImages
What range of degrees is considered normal for human head rotation?
40-60
70 to 90
90 to 110
60 to 80
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The human head is expected to be able to rotate at least 60 to 80 degrees, on average. This allows it to turn to the side, While some people are genetically gifted or have remarkable flexibility, they are the exception, and restrictions on head movement involve skeletal construction.

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Leg Muscles
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Where is the rectus femoris located?
The front of the thigh
The back of the calf
The lower spine
The neck
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The rectus femoris is one of the larger extensor muscles of the leg, and it is also a flexor of the hip. Located on the ventral (front) side of the body, it is bilateral (one on each leg).

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Contrapposto
Wiki Commons by Metropolitan Museum of Art
What term describes a human body standing in such a way that neither the hips nor the shoulders are parallel to the floor, nor to each other?
Tribhanga
Venterior discaphony
Hiptacularshoulderrificness
Contrapposto
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

An anatomical term used in art, "contrapposto" comes to us from Italy. Roughly translated as "counterpoise," it describes a dynamic pose often seen in Greek, Roman and Renaissance statuary and paintings. The line of the shoulders tips one way, and the line of the hips tips the other way, creating balance.

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Hyperflex
John Lamb/DigitalVision/GettyImages
What is the term for when a person's joint is very flexible?
Double-jointed
Hypermobile
Hyperflexible
Dislocated
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While certain terms like "double-jointed" are popular in conversational English, they are not medical terms. "Double-jointed" implies that a joint works in two ways or that there is an extra joint — neither is true. The medical term is "hypermobility," which means the anatomy that typically restricts motion is a little more flexible.

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Nucleus
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What is the name of the "nucleus" within a cell's nucleus?
DNA
Nucleolus
Nucleosis
There is nothing else there.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Within a cell's nucleus there are several things, but the sort of "nucleus within the nucleus" is the nucleolus. The nucleolus is like the CPU of the cell. Comprised of proteins, DNA and RNA, it is the programming and decisionmaking structure of the cell. When it malfunctions, the body can become vulnerable to abnormalities like cancer.

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Hand Bones
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Where would one look for an intermediate phalanx?
Between the distal and proximal phalanges
In the hand
Near the metacarpals
All of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The bones of the fingers are called phalanges, and one such bone is called a phalanx. Phalanges are divided into three categories: proximal, intermediate and distal. The finger bone in the middle of the finger is the intermediate phalanx. The other phalanges are the distal (fingertip) and the proximal (upper finger, connecting to the knuckle).

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Muscles
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To what part of the body would one look for the occipitofrontalis muscle?
The wrist
The ankle
The groin
The head
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The occipitofrontalis muscle is a large muscle on the head, connecting the base of the skull in the back to the face, across the top of the head. The muscle's front end is at the brow, allowing various facial expressions involving the forehead and eyebrows.

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Ribs
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What is a possible health problem caused by cervical ribs?
Gleich's syndrome
Paroxysmal hand hematoma
Lenz microphthalmia syndrome
Thoracic outlet syndrome
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cervical ribs are extra ribs some people are born with, coming from the cervical spine. They aren't meant to be there and can cause thoracic outlet syndrome by squeezing blood vessels or nerves in the inner shoulder. This causes pain and numbness in the arms and hands.

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