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🫀 10 questions · answers and rationales · free

TEAS anatomy and physiology practice questions

Anatomy and physiology is the biggest science sub-area on the ATI TEAS 7 (18 scored items). Try these free A&P questions on body systems, directions and planes, with the answer and a full rationale for each.

Tap an answer to check it, or open "Show the answer and rationale" under each question.

Question 1 of 10 · Human Anatomy and Physiology

Which structure separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominopelvic cavity?

  1. Mediastinum
  2. Diaphragm
  3. Pelvic brim
  4. Peritoneum
Show the answer and rationale

Answer: B

The dome-shaped diaphragm muscle forms the floor of the thoracic cavity. The mediastinum is a region inside the thorax, the peritoneum lines the abdominopelvic cavity, and the pelvic brim marks the boundary between the abdominal and pelvic portions.

📚 Learn it: Body orientation: anatomical position, planes, directions, cavities and regions

Question 2 of 10 · Human Anatomy and Physiology

Which structure is located in the dorsal body cavity?

  1. Stomach
  2. Heart
  3. Spinal cord
  4. Urinary bladder
Show the answer and rationale

Answer: C

The dorsal cavity has two parts: the cranial cavity, holding the brain, and the vertebral canal, holding the spinal cord. The heart is in the thoracic cavity, and the stomach and bladder are in the abdominopelvic cavity; all three are ventral.

📚 Learn it: Body orientation: anatomical position, planes, directions, cavities and regions

Question 3 of 10 · Human Anatomy and Physiology

Which neurotransmitter is released at the neuromuscular junction to stimulate a skeletal muscle fiber?

  1. Serotonin
  2. Dopamine
  3. Acetylcholine
  4. Norepinephrine
Show the answer and rationale

Answer: C

Motor neurons release acetylcholine, which binds receptors on the muscle fiber and starts an action potential. Dopamine and serotonin act mainly in the brain, and norepinephrine is the main sympathetic neurotransmitter at many organs.

📚 Learn it: Muscular system: muscle types, sliding filaments and muscle pairs

Question 4 of 10 · Human Anatomy and Physiology

Inside a skeletal muscle fiber, calcium needed for contraction is stored mainly in which structure?

  1. Mitochondria
  2. Sarcoplasmic reticulum
  3. Nucleus
  4. Sarcolemma
Show the answer and rationale

Answer: B

The sarcoplasmic reticulum is a specialized smooth endoplasmic reticulum that stores calcium and releases it when the fiber is stimulated. Mitochondria make ATP, the nucleus holds DNA, and the sarcolemma is the fiber's cell membrane.

📚 Learn it: Muscular system: muscle types, sliding filaments and muscle pairs

Question 5 of 10 · Human Anatomy and Physiology · Select all that apply

Which bones are part of the axial skeleton? Select all that apply.

  1. Scapula
  2. Ribs
  3. Femur
  4. Sternum
  5. Coxal (hip) bone
  6. Hyoid
Show the answer and rationale

Answer: B, D, F

The axial skeleton includes the skull, hyoid, vertebral column, ribs and sternum. The scapula belongs to the pectoral girdle and the coxal bone to the pelvic girdle; girdles and limbs such as the femur are appendicular.

📚 Learn it: Skeletal system: bone types, axial vs appendicular, joints and bone cells

Question 6 of 10 · Human Anatomy and Physiology

Ribs 1 through 7 attach directly to the sternum by their own costal cartilage. What are they called?

  1. True ribs
  2. False ribs
  3. Floating ribs
  4. Vertebral ribs
Show the answer and rationale

Answer: A

The first seven pairs are true ribs because each has its own cartilage connection to the sternum. Pairs 8 through 12 are false ribs; of these, pairs 11 and 12 have no anterior attachment and are called floating ribs.

📚 Learn it: Skeletal system: bone types, axial vs appendicular, joints and bone cells

Question 7 of 10 · Human Anatomy and Physiology

Which part of the brain sets the basic rhythm of breathing?

  1. Occipital lobe
  2. Hypothalamus
  3. Medulla oblongata
  4. Cerebellum
Show the answer and rationale

Answer: C

Respiratory centers in the medulla oblongata (helped by the pons) generate the automatic rhythm of breathing. The cerebellum coordinates movement, the hypothalamus regulates temperature and hormones, and the occipital lobe handles vision.

📚 Learn it: Respiratory system: airway, gas exchange and breathing

Question 8 of 10 · Human Anatomy and Physiology

Most carbon dioxide is carried in the blood in which form?

  1. Attached to plasma albumin
  2. As bicarbonate ions in plasma
  3. Dissolved directly in plasma
  4. Bound to the iron in hemoglobin
Show the answer and rationale

Answer: B

About 70 percent of carbon dioxide reacts with water inside red cells and travels as bicarbonate ions in plasma. A smaller share binds to hemoglobin (on its protein, not the iron) and only a little stays dissolved. Albumin is not a major carrier of the gas.

📚 Learn it: Respiratory system: airway, gas exchange and breathing

Question 9 of 10 · Human Anatomy and Physiology

Which pairing of a digestive enzyme with the nutrient it breaks down is correct?

  1. Pepsin: fats
  2. Amylase: starches
  3. Trypsin: carbohydrates
  4. Lipase: proteins
Show the answer and rationale

Answer: B

Amylase breaks down starch into smaller sugars. Lipase digests fats, while trypsin and pepsin both digest proteins, so each of the other pairings matches an enzyme with the wrong nutrient.

📚 Learn it: Digestive system: path, organs, enzymes and absorption

Question 10 of 10 · Human Anatomy and Physiology

Which feature of the small intestine most increases its ability to absorb nutrients?

  1. Its large population of gut bacteria
  2. Its folds, villi and microvilli
  3. Its thick layer of skeletal muscle
  4. Its strongly acidic internal environment
Show the answer and rationale

Answer: B

Circular folds, finger-like villi and microscopic microvilli multiply the inner surface area many times, giving nutrients far more contact with absorbing cells. The intestine wall is smooth muscle, its contents are made nearly neutral by bicarbonate, and most gut bacteria live in the large intestine.

📚 Learn it: Digestive system: path, organs, enzymes and absorption

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