MCQ ON CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) topic quiz

Cardiovascular system
Instructions and answers for teachers
These instructions cover the learner activity section which can be found on page 10.
This Lesson Element supports OCR AS and A Level Biology A (H020/H420) and Biology B (Advancing Biology) (H022/H422).
When distributing the activity section to the learners either as a printed copy or as a Word file you will need to remove the teacher instructions section.

The Activity
This Lesson Element is a teaching and learning resource containing 20 multiple choice questions (MCQs) on the theme of the cardiovascular system. Some questions might require synoptic thinking, using knowledge and ideas from various topics across the full A Level content.
This resource can be used to test and consolidate understanding at the end of a topic or to revisit and refresh knowledge at a later point in the course.
Introduction
Multiple choice questions allow rapid coverage of a wide range of sub-topics.
Contrary to a widespread belief among students, multiple choice questions are not necessarily easy – they can be easy, moderate or difficult.
The questions are written so that the incorrect answers are plausible distractors based on common errors or misconceptions.
The questions in this quiz cover topics mainly from specification sections:
Biology A
3.1.2 Transport in animals
Biology B (Advancing Biology)
2.2.1 Cells and microscopy
2.2.2 Water and its importance in plants and animals
4.1.2 Metabolism and exercise (questions marked *).

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) topic quiz - answers
1 Where is the heart beat initiated?
A right atrium
B right ventricle
C left atrium
D
left ventricle
Your answer

2 The graph shows the oxygen dissociation curves of haemoglobin from an adult sheep and a fetal sheep.

Which one of the following statements describes the difference in the behaviour of the two types of haemoglobin?
A Fetal haemoglobin has a higher oxygen affinity than adult haemoglobin.
B Adult haemoglobin has a higher oxygen affinity than fetal haemoglobin.
C Fetal haemoglobin cannot carry as much oxygen as adult haemoglobin.
D
Adult haemoglobin cannot carry as much oxygen as fetal haemoglobin.
Your answer

3 Which one of the following is found in the wall of both arteries and capillaries?
A connective tissue
B smooth muscle cells
C endothelial cells
D
elastic fibres
Your answer

4 From which part of the body has the blood come, if it is entering the heart of a human from the inferior vena cava?
A the abdomen
B the lungs
C the head
D
the arms
Your answer

5 Sphincter muscles are typically found in the walls of which vessels?
A arteries
B arterioles
C veins
D
capillaries
Your answer

6 Valves are typically found in which blood vessels?
A arteries
B arterioles
C veins
D
capillaries
Your answer

7 Fig. 7.1 shows the oxygen dissociation curves for a solution of oxyhaemoglobin, Curve P, and for mammalian whole blood, Curve Q.
R and S represent the oxygen tension (partial pressure) in the lungs and tissues respectively.

Fig. 7.1
Whole blood (Curve Q) is physiologically more effective than a solution of oxyhaemoglobin (Curve P).
Which statement accounts for this?
A Blood can carry more oxygen than oxyhaemoglobin.
B Whole blood retains more oxygen at S than oxyhaemoglobin.
C Whole blood yields more oxygen at S than does oxyhaemoglobin.
D
Whole blood has a greater affinity for oxygen than oxyhaemoglobin.
Your answer

8 How is tissue fluid formed?
A Osmosis draws water out of capillaries.
B Facilitated diffusion causes water to leave capillaries.
C Active transport moves water out of capillaries.
D
Hydrostatic pressure forces water out of capillaries.
Your answer

9 Carbon dioxide is carried in the blood from tissues to lungs.
In what form is this carbon dioxide?
A carbaminohaemoglobin in erythrocytes
B carboxyhaemoglobin in erythrocytes
C carbonic acid dissolved in plasma
D
hydrogen carbonate ions in plasma
Your answer

10 In the chloride shift in blood in the tissues, where do Cl - ions diffuse?
A Into erythrocytes to maintain electrical neutrality.
B Out of erythrocytes to maintain electrical neutrality.
C Into erythrocytes to maintain pH.
D
Out of erythrocytes to maintain pH.
Your answer

11 Where does the tricuspid valve prevent backflow of blood?
A From the right atrium to the right ventricle.
B From the right ventricle to the right atrium.
C From the left atrium to the left ventricle.
D
From the left ventricle to the left atrium.
Your answer

12 Which of the following options occur during ventricular systole in a mammalian heart?
A ventricular volume increases
B bicuspid (mitral) valve opens
C ventricular pressure increases
D
aortic pressure decreases
Your answer

13 In an adult human there are approximately 5 litres of blood which circulate about once a minute.
• 100 cm3 of the blood in the pulmonary vein carry about 50 cm3 of CO2
• 100 cm3 of blood in the pulmonary artery carry about 55 cm3 of CO2.
What is the approximate volume of CO2 excreted per minute from the body?
A 25 cm3
B 55 cm3
C 250 cm3
D
500 cm3
Your answer

Questions 14 and 15 relate to the following information:
When the heart beat is listened to using a stethoscope, there are two sounds. These are often described as “lub” followed quickly by “dupp”.
14 Which one of the following contributes to the first “lub” sound?
A The closing of the bicuspid (mitral) valve.
B The opening of the tricuspid valve.
C The closing of the semi-lunar valves.
D
The opening of the semi-lunar valves.
Your answer

15 Which one of the following contributes to the second “dupp” sound?
A The closing of the bicuspid (mitral) valve.
B The opening of the tricuspid valve.
C The closing of the semi-lunar valves.
D
The opening of the semi-lunar valves.
Your answer

16 Where are the Purkyne (Purkinje) fibres in the heart located?
A The outer wall of the left ventricle.
B The outer wall of the right ventricle.
C The wall of the right atrium.
D
The septum.
Your answer

Questions 17 - 19 refer to the following diagram which shows blood pressures in the left atrium, left ventricle and aorta during the heartbeat cycle.

17 At which labelled point, A, B, C or D does the semi-lunar valve in the aorta open?
Your answer

18 At which labelled point, A, B, C or D does the semi-lunar valve in the aorta close?
Your answer

19 At which labelled point, A, B, C or D does the bicuspid (mitral) valve close?
Your answer

20 The graph below shows oxygen dissociation curves for haemoglobin in pigeon blood. Increased temperature and decreased pH increase the release of oxygen from oxyhemoglobin.

Which one of the curves, A, B, C or D, shows the oxygen dissociation curve for blood at the lowest temperature and the lowest carbon dioxide concentration?
Your answer

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) topic quiz
Cardiovascular system
Learner Activity

1 Where is the heart beat initiated?
A right atrium
B right ventricle
C left atrium
D
left ventricle
Your answer

2 The graph shows the oxygen dissociation curves of haemoglobin from an adult sheep and a fetal sheep.

Which one of the following statements describes the difference in the behaviour of the two types of haemoglobin?
A Fetal haemoglobin has a higher oxygen affinity than adult haemoglobin.
B Adult haemoglobin has a higher oxygen affinity than fetal haemoglobin.
C Fetal haemoglobin cannot carry as much oxygen as adult haemoglobin.
D
Adult haemoglobin cannot carry as much oxygen as fetal haemoglobin.
Your answer

3 Which one of the following is found in the wall of both arteries and capillaries?
A connective tissue
B smooth muscle cells
C endothelial cells
D
elastic fibres
Your answer

4 From which part of the body has the blood come, if it is entering the heart of a human from the inferior vena cava?
A the abdomen
B the lungs
C the head
D
the arms
Your answer

5 Sphincter muscles are typically found in the walls of which vessels?
A arteries
B arterioles
C veins
D
capillaries
Your answer

6 Valves are typically found in which blood vessels?
A arteries
B arterioles
C veins
D
capillaries
Your answer

7 Fig. 7.1 shows the oxygen dissociation curves for a solution of oxyhaemoglobin, Curve P, and for mammalian whole blood, Curve Q.
R and S represent the oxygen tension (partial pressure) in the lungs and tissues respectively.

Fig. 7.1
Whole blood (Curve Q) is physiologically more effective than a solution of oxyhaemoglobin (Curve P).
Which statement accounts for this?
A Blood can carry more oxygen than oxyhaemoglobin.
B Whole blood retains more oxygen at S than oxyhaemoglobin.
C Whole blood yields more oxygen at S than does oxyhaemoglobin.
D
Whole blood has a greater affinity for oxygen than oxyhaemoglobin.
Your answer

8 How is tissue fluid formed?
A Osmosis draws water out of capillaries.
B Facilitated diffusion causes water to leave capillaries.
C Active transport moves water out of capillaries.
D
Hydrostatic pressure forces water out of capillaries.
Your answer

9 Carbon dioxide is carried in the blood from tissues to lungs.
In what form is this carbon dioxide?
A carbaminohaemoglobin in erythrocytes
B carboxyhaemoglobin in erythrocytes
C carbonic acid dissolved in plasma
D
hydrogen carbonate ions in plasma
Your answer

10 In the chloride shift in blood in the tissues, where do Cl - ions diffuse?
A Into erythrocytes to maintain electrical neutrality.
B Out of erythrocytes to maintain electrical neutrality.
C Into erythrocytes to maintain pH.
D
Out of erythrocytes to maintain pH.
Your answer

11 Where does the tricuspid valve prevent backflow of blood?
A From the right atrium to the right ventricle.
B From the right ventricle to the right atrium.
C From the left atrium to the left ventricle.
D
From the left ventricle to the left atrium.
Your answer

12 Which of the following options occur during ventricular systole in a mammalian heart?
A ventricular volume increases
B bicuspid (mitral) valve opens
C ventricular pressure increases
D
aortic pressure decreases
Your answer

13 In an adult human there are approximately 5 litres of blood which circulate about once a minute.
• 100 cm3 of the blood in the pulmonary vein carry about 50 cm3 of CO2
• 100 cm3 of blood in the pulmonary artery carry about 55 cm3 of CO2.
What is the approximate volume of CO2 excreted per minute from the body?
A 25 cm3
B 55 cm3
C 250 cm3
D
500 cm3
Your answer

Questions 14 and 15 relate to the following information:
When the heart beat is listened to using a stethoscope, there are two sounds. These are often described as “lub” followed quickly by “dupp”.
14 Which one of the following contributes to the first “lub” sound?
A The closing of the bicuspid (mitral) valve.
B The opening of the tricuspid valve.
C The closing of the semi-lunar valves.
D
The opening of the semi-lunar valves.
Your answer

15 Which one of the following contributes to the second “dupp” sound?
A The closing of the bicuspid (mitral) valve.
B The opening of the tricuspid valve.
C The closing of the semi-lunar valves.
D
The opening of the semi-lunar valves.
Your answer

16 Where are the Purkyne (Purkinje) fibres in the heart located?
A The outer wall of the left ventricle.
B The outer wall of the right ventricle.
C The wall of the right atrium.
D
The septum.
Your answer

Questions 17 - 19 refer to the following diagram which shows blood pressures in the left atrium, left ventricle and aorta during the heartbeat cycle.

17 At which labelled point, A, B, C or D does the semi-lunar valve in the aorta open?
Your answer

18 At which labelled point, A, B, C or D does the semi-lunar valve in the aorta close?
Your answer

19 At which labelled point, A, B, C or D does the bicuspid (mitral) valve close?
Your answer

20 The graph below shows oxygen dissociation curves for haemoglobin in pigeon blood. Increased temperature and decreased pH increase the release of oxygen from oxyhemoglobin.

Which one of the curves, A, B, C or D, shows the oxygen dissociation curve for blood at the lowest temperature and the lowest carbon dioxide concentration?
Your answer