Anatomy and physiology is 8 of the 150 scored items on the NHA CCMA. Answer 10 exam style questions on respiratory, digestive and urinary systems and see exactly which concepts would cost you points on test day.
Start the 10 questions →Which muscle is the primary muscle of breathing?
These questions cover respiratory, digestive, urinary, endocrine and reproductive. Each one shows the correct answer and why every other option is wrong, so a miss tells you exactly what to review before the CCMA.
Prefer to read first? Every question from the practice set above, with the correct answer and why each wrong option is wrong.
Answer: C. The diaphragm contracts and flattens during inhalation, enlarging the chest cavity so air flows in. It relaxes during quiet exhalation.
Why not A: The pectoralis major moves the arm.
Why not B: The rectus abdominis flexes the trunk and assists forced exhalation.
Why not D: The deltoid moves the shoulder.
Exam tactic: Diaphragm down = air in.
Answer: B. The pancreas secretes digestive enzymes into the small intestine and produces insulin and glucagon from the islets of Langerhans to regulate blood glucose.
Why not A: The appendix has no major digestive or hormonal role.
Why not C: The liver produces bile but not insulin.
Why not D: The stomach produces acid and pepsin, not insulin.
Exam tactic: Pancreas: enzymes + insulin.
Answer: A. Each kidney contains roughly a million nephrons, which filter the blood, reabsorb what the body needs, and form urine.
Why not B: An alveolus is an air sac in the lung.
Why not C: A neuron is a nerve cell.
Why not D: A villus absorbs nutrients in the intestine.
Exam tactic: Nephron = kidney filter.
Answer: B. The thyroid, located in the anterior neck, produces hormones (T3 and T4) that regulate metabolic rate. The parathyroid glands, on its back surface, regulate calcium.
Why not A: The thymus is in the chest and supports immune development.
Why not C: The parathyroids regulate calcium rather than metabolic rate.
Why not D: The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys.
Exam tactic: Thyroid = metabolism. Parathyroid = calcium.
Answer: B. Sperm are produced in the seminiferous tubules of the testes. The prostate and seminal vesicles add fluid to semen, and the urethra carries semen and urine out of the body.
Why not A: The urethra transports but does not produce sperm.
Why not C: The seminal vesicles add fluid to semen.
Why not D: The prostate adds fluid to semen.
Exam tactic: Testes produce; glands add fluid.
Answer: C. Capillaries have walls one cell thick, allowing exchange of oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and wastes between the blood and the tissues.
Why not A: Veins carry blood back to the heart.
Why not B: The aorta is the largest artery.
Why not D: Arteries carry blood away from the heart.
Exam tactic: Exchange happens in capillaries.
Answer: D. Myelin is a fatty insulating layer that allows impulses to jump between gaps (nodes of Ranvier), greatly increasing conduction speed. Damage to myelin occurs in diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
Why not A: Tendons connect muscles to bones.
Why not B: Memory involves brain regions such as the hippocampus.
Why not C: Cerebrospinal fluid is produced in the ventricles of the brain.
Exam tactic: Myelin = insulation = speed.
Answer: B. When the body is warm, sweat evaporates and surface vessels dilate to release heat. When cold, vessels constrict to conserve heat.
Why not A: Insulin is produced by the pancreas.
Why not C: Bile is stored in the gallbladder.
Why not D: Red blood cells are made in the bone marrow.
Exam tactic: Hot: sweat and dilate. Cold: constrict.
Answer: C. Red marrow, found in flat bones and the ends of long bones in adults (such as the pelvis, sternum, and vertebrae), produces red cells, white cells, and platelets. Yellow marrow is mostly fat.
Why not A: Cartilage does not produce blood cells.
Why not B: The periosteum is the membrane covering bone.
Why not D: Yellow marrow stores fat.
Exam tactic: Red marrow makes blood.
Answer: D. The iris is the colored muscular ring that adjusts the pupil to control how much light enters the eye.
Why not A: The retina detects light.
Why not B: The cornea is the clear front covering.
Why not C: The sclera is the white outer layer.
Exam tactic: Iris = color + pupil size.
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