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Question 1
Correct
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In terms of relative steroid potency, how much prednisone is equivalent to 100mg hydrocortisone?
Your Answer: 25mg
Explanation:Different corticosteroids have varying degrees of potency. 1 mg of prednisone is equivalent to 4 mg of hydrocortisone. Therefore, 25 mg of prednisone are equivalent to 100 mg of hydrocortisone.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Endocrinology
- Medicine
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Question 2
Correct
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Role of bile salts in digestion of fats include
Your Answer: Reduce surface tension, emulsification and transportation
Explanation:Bile acts to some extent as a surfactant reducing surface tension, helping to emulsify the lipids in food. Bile salt anions are hydrophilic on one side and hydrophobic on the other side; consequently, they tend to aggregate around droplets of lipids (triglycerides and phospholipids) to form micelles, with the hydrophobic sides towards the fat and hydrophilic sides facing outwards. The hydrophilic sides are negatively charged, and this charge prevents fat droplets coated with bile from re-aggregating into larger fat particles.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal
- Medicine
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Question 3
Correct
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Cyclic AMP is formed from ATP via which enzyme
Your Answer: Adenylate cyclase
Explanation:Cyclic AMP is synthesized from ATP by adenylate cyclase located on the inner side of the plasma membrane and anchored at various locations in the interior of the cell.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cell Biology
- Medicine
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Question 4
Incorrect
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An example of cholinergic autonomic neurons are:
Your Answer: Sympathetic postganglionic neurons that cause mydriasis.
Correct Answer: Sympathetic postganglionic neurons that innervate sweat glands.
Explanation:All preganglionic neurons in both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system secrete acetylcholine. The postganglionic neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system in all neurons is acetylcholine. Postganglionic fibers of the sympathetic nervous system mainly secrete Noradrenalin and Adrenalin but at sweat glands and erector pili muscles the postganglionic neurotransmitter is acetylcholine.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Medicine
- Neurology
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Question 5
Correct
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A typical sleep cycle from stage 1 to the end of REM sleep in a normal adult is approximately how long?
Your Answer: 90 min
Explanation:A single sleep cycle has stages 1, 2, 3, 4 and REM (Rapid eye movement). These stages progress cyclically from 1 through to REM and then begin again with stage 1. A complete sleep cycle takes an average of 90-110 minutes, with each stage lasting between 5 to 15 minutes.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Medicine
- Neurology
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Question 6
Incorrect
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Arterioles stemming from the coronary artery can also empty into the heart directly via the:
Your Answer: Thebesian veins
Correct Answer: Arteriosinusoidal vessels
Explanation:Most of the venous blood returns to the heart via the coronary sinus and the anterior cardiac veins. Apart from these there are other vessels that drain directly into the heart chambers. They include arteriosinusoidal vessels, which connect the arterioles to the heart chambers. The thebesian veins drain the capillaries into the chambers and the arterioluminal vessels drain small arteries directly into the chambers.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cardiovascular
- Medicine
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Question 7
Correct
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Question 8
Correct
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A 24 year old male, known case of hereditary angioneurotic oedema presents with recurrent fever and arthralgia which is accompanied by a rash on face and upper chest. These attacks have been refractory to treatment and have occurred recurrently requiring adrenaline on several occasions. Lab results reveal persistently reduced C4 levels. Which of the following is most likely causing his current symptoms?
Your Answer: Systemic lupus erythematosus
Explanation:Angioedema secondary to C1 inhibitor deficiency has been rarely reported to be associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. A genetic defect of C1 inhibitor produces hereditary angioedema, which is usually presented with cutaneous painless oedema, but oedema of the genital area, gastrointestinal and laryngeal tracts have also been reported. In lupus patients, angioedema may be the result of an acquired type of C1 inhibitor deficiency, most probably due to antibody formation directed against the C1 inhibitor molecule.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Connective Tissue
- Medicine
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Question 9
Correct
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Angina pectoris develops when blood through the coronary artery becomes:
Your Answer: Restricted, limiting blood blow
Explanation:Angina pectoris develops when stenosis ( >70%) of the artery occurs as a result of formation of an atherosclerotic plaque. This leads to a decrease in the O2 carried to the thickened heart muscle by the blood, leading to the characteristic chest pain associated with angina pectoris.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cardiovascular
- Medicine
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Question 10
Incorrect
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Choose the correct answer: The cerebrocerebellum…
Your Answer: Receives input via the corticopontocerebellar tracts in the middle cerebellar peduncle
Correct Answer: All options are correct
Explanation:Cerebrocerebellum is comprised of two lateral regions, the cerebellar hemispheres and communicates with the cerebral cortex. It is principally responsible for controlling coordination of movement. Three fiber bundles carry the input and output of the cerebellum. There are three cerebellar peduncles with different connections and functions. The three are mainly, superior, middle and inferior. The superior cerebellar peduncle is also known as the “Brachium conjunctivum”. It predominantly contains efferent fibers from the cerebellar nuclei, as well as some afferents from the spinocerebellar tract. The efferent pathways include cerebellorubral, dentatothalamic, and fastigioreticular fibers. These are tracts projecting from the deep cerebellar nuclei to the thalamus and red nucleus. The middle cerebellar peduncle connects to the pontine nucleus and the dorsal spinocerebellar tracts run through the superior cerebellar peduncle
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Medicine
- Neurology
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Question 11
Correct
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The intrinsic pathway of coagulation is activated by which of the following?
Your Answer: Collagen fibers underlying the endothelium
Explanation:The contact activation (intrinsic) pathway begins with formation of the primary complex on collagen by high-molecular-weight kininogen (HMWK), prekallikrein, and FXII (Hageman factor).
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Haematology
- Medicine
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Question 12
Correct
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Which of the following is the most common route of hepatitis B transmission worldwide?
Your Answer: Perinatal transmission
Explanation:The virus is transmitted by exposure to infectious blood or body fluids. Infection around the time of birth or from contact with other people’s blood during childhood is the most frequent method by which hepatitis B is acquired in areas where the disease is common. In areas where the disease is rare, intravenous drug use and sexual intercourse are the most frequent routes of infection. Perinatal transmission is the most common and without intervention, a mother who is positive for HBsAg has a 20% risk of passing the infection to her offspring at the time of birth. This risk is as high as 90% if the mother is also positive for HBeAg.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal
- Medicine
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Question 13
Incorrect
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What is pendrin?
Your Answer: Na+/i- antiporter
Correct Answer: Cl-/i- antiporter
Explanation:Pendrin is an anion exchange transporter; it is a sodium-independent chloride-iodine exchanger which also accepts formate and bicarbonate. It is present in many different types of cells in the body, particularly the inner ear, thyroid, and kidney. Mutations in pendrin are associated with Pendred syndrome, which causes syndromic deafness and thyroid disease.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Endocrinology
- Medicine
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Question 14
Correct
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A 75 year old man presented to hospital after suffering a stroke. The doctor admitted him and advised of the Barthel score index. During rehabilitation, which one of the following limitations are best described by Barthel score index?
Your Answer: Floor and ceiling effects
Explanation:Barthel scoring has floor and ceiling effects which is the most widely recognised limitation. Floor effect means that the patient who is bed bound can score initially low, whereas the ceiling effect shows that despite being bed bound, a patient can achieve a maximum score i.e. 100. The test is easy to perform and correlates well with other prognostic scales.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Geriatrics
- Medicine
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Question 15
Correct
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The process by which depolarization of the muscle fiber initiates contraction is called?
Your Answer: Action potential
Explanation:This process is known as an action potential. Upon generation of an action potential when depolarization reaches threshold, it spreads throughout the muscle fiber, resulting in generation of an excitation-contraction coupling leading to contraction of the muscle.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cardiovascular
- Medicine
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Question 16
Correct
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Question 17
Incorrect
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Which of the following predominate in the adrenal medulla?
Your Answer: Norepinephrine secreting cells
Correct Answer: Epinephrine secreting cells
Explanation:Chromaffin cells, also known as pheochromocytes, are cells located in the adrenal medulla which specialize in the synthesis, storage, and secretion of catecholamines: 80% epinephrine and 20% norepinephrine is released into the bloodstream. For this reason, they are considered to be neuroendocrine cells.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Endocrinology
- Medicine
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Question 18
Incorrect
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Which part of the cerebellum is primarily responsible for equilibrium and eye movements?
Your Answer: Spinocerebellum
Correct Answer: Vestibulocerebellum
Explanation:The vestibulocerebellum develops at the same time as the vestibular apparatus in the inner ear. Its regulates balance between agonist and antagonist muscle contractions of the spine, hips, and shoulders during rapid movements.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Medicine
- Neurology
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Question 19
Correct
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In RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism), the DNA fragments are separated by length through a process known as:
Your Answer: Agarose gel electrophoresis
Explanation:Samples of DNA from individuals are broken into pieces by restriction enzymes and the fragments are separated according to their lengths via gel electrophoresis. Although now largely obsolete due to the rise of inexpensive DNA sequencing technologies, RFLP analysis was the first DNA profiling technique inexpensive enough to see widespread application.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Genetics
- Medicine
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Question 20
Correct
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A 27-year-old male is admitted after drinking engine coolant in an apparent suicide attempt. Lab investigations reveal:
- pH 7.1 (7.36-7.44)
- pO2 15.3 kPa (11.3-12.6)
- pCO2 3.2 kPa (4.7-6.0)
- Standard bicarbonate 2.2 mmol/L (20-28)
- Serum calcium 1.82 mmol/L (2.2-2.6)
Your Answer: Fomepizole infusion
Explanation:The patient’s symptoms and lab results are indicative of ethylene glycol poisoning, commonly found in engine coolant. Ethylene glycol is metabolized to toxic metabolites, including glycolic acid and oxalic acid, which can cause metabolic acidosis (evidenced by the low pH and low bicarbonate levels) and can bind calcium, leading to hypocalcemia.
Fomepizole is an antidote that inhibits alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme that converts ethylene glycol into its toxic metabolites. This prevents further formation of the harmful substances, allowing time for the ethylene glycol to be excreted unchanged in the urine.
While haemodialysis is also an important treatment for severe ethylene glycol poisoning, especially in cases of significant acidosis or renal failure, the immediate administration of fomepizole is the most urgent intervention to prevent further toxicity. Haemodialysis can be considered if the patient does not respond adequately to fomepizole or if there are signs of severe toxicity.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Medicine
- Pharmacology
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Question 21
Correct
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A 30-year-old female was brought to the ER in a confused state. The patient works in a photograph development laboratory. On admission, she was hypoxic and hypotensive. A provisional diagnosis of cyanide poisoning was made. What is the definitive treatment?
Your Answer: Hydroxocobalamin
Explanation:Cyanide poisoning: Aetiology:Smoke inhalation, suicidal ingestion, and industrial exposure (specific industrial processes involving cyanide include metal cleaning, reclaiming, or hardening; fumigation; electroplating; and photo processing) are the most frequent sources of cyanide poisoning. Treatment with sodium nitroprusside or long-term consumption of cyanide-containing foods is a possible source.Cyanide exposure most often occurs via inhalation or ingestion, but liquid cyanide can be absorbed through the skin or eyes. Once absorbed, cyanide enters the blood stream and is distributed rapidly to all organs and tissues in the body. Pathophysiology:Inside cells, cyanide attaches itself to ubiquitous metalloenzymes, rendering them inactive. Its principal toxicity results from inactivation of cytochrome oxidase (at cytochrome a3), thus uncoupling mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and inhibiting cellular respiration, even in the presence of adequate oxygen stores.Presentation:• ‘Classical’ features: brick-red skin, smell of bitter almonds• Acute: hypoxia, hypotension, headache, confusion• Chronic: ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, dermatitisManagement:• Supportive measures: 100% oxygen, ventilatory assistance in the form of intubation if required.• Definitive: Hydroxocobalamin (iv) is considered the drug of choice and is approved by the FDA for treating known or suspected cyanide poisoning. • Coadministration of sodium thiosulfate (through a separate line or sequentially) has been suggested to have a synergistic effect on detoxification.Mechanism of action of hydroxocobalamin: • Hydroxocobalamin combines with cyanide to form cyanocobalamin (vitamin B-12), which is renally cleared.• Alternatively, cyanocobalamin may dissociate from cyanide at a slow enough rate to allow for cyanide detoxification by the mitochondrial enzyme rhodanese.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Medicine
- Pharmacology
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Question 22
Correct
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A 30-year-old female presented with upper abdominal pain. She was diagnosed with an unknown coagulopathy and has a previous history of stroke. She has been on warfarin therapy for the past 4 months. Her international normalised ratio (INR) was stabilised between 2.5 and 3.0. Noticing abnormal coagulation results, her surgeon has requested a medical consult.Her blood investigations revealed:White cell count: 13 × 109/lHaemoglobin (Hb): 11 g/dlActivated partial thromboplastin time (APTT): NormalPlatelets: 140 × 109/lINR: 6.0Pancreatic enzymes and liver function tests were normal.Other investigations:An ultrasound of the abdomen was normal.An upper GI endoscopy revealed mild gastritis. What is the most appropriate step to be taken regarding warfarin therapy?
Your Answer: Stop warfarin and observe
Explanation:The most appropriate treatment in this patient would be to stop warfarin therapy and keep the patient under observation.The drugs that lead to enhanced potency of warfarin include: disulfiram, trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, metronidazole, phenylbutazone, aspirin, heparin, and clofibrate. Liver disease, thrombocytopenia, hyperthyroidism also increase the oral anticoagulant potency.If the patient has minor bleeding and the international normalized ratio (INR) is >6.0, warfarin should be stopped; the INR should be rechecked daily and in addition to the stoppage of warfarin, vitamin K 2.5 mg oral or 0.5 mg intravenously should also be administered.In a patient with INR of 2.0 or 3.0, it takes two or three times longer for that individual’s blood to clot than someone who is not taking any anticoagulants. Most patients on warfarin have an INR goal of 2 to 3.If there is major bleeding then prothrombin complex concentrates 50 u/kg or fresh-frozen plasma 15 ml/kg may be considered.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Medicine
- Pharmacology
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Question 23
Correct
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Which of the following is NOT a component of bile?
Your Answer: Unconjugated bilirubin
Explanation:The composition of gallbladder bile is 97% water, 0.7% bile salts, 0.2% bilirubin, 0.51% fats (cholesterol, fatty acids and lecithin), and 200 meq/l inorganic salts (electrolytes).
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal
- Medicine
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Question 24
Incorrect
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Regarding restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) and Gene Knockout Mouse Models. All are true except:
Your Answer: RFLP analysis is slow and cumbersome and is now largely obsolete
Correct Answer: In knockout mouse models a gene is turned on through targeted mutation
Explanation:In RFLP, polymorphism occurs in 98% of the non coding genome, resulting in no phenotypical change in the organism. A gene is not turned on by a mutation, rather the mutation at the restriction site will alter the DNA and the DNA will now form fragments of different lengths. PCR is a better technique than RFLP.
A knockout, as related to genomics, refers to the use of genetic engineering to inactivate or remove one or more specific genes from an organism. Scientists create knockout organisms to study the impact of removing a gene from an organism, which often allows them to then learn something about that gene’s function.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Genetics
- Medicine
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Question 25
Correct
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What is the function of Activated protein C?
Your Answer: Inactivates factor Va
Explanation:Activated Protein C (APC) is a crucial protein in the regulation of blood coagulation. Its primary functions include:
- Inactivating Factor Va: APC inactivates Factor Va, which is a cofactor for the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin by Factor Xa. By inactivating Factor Va, APC reduces thrombin formation, thereby acting as an anticoagulant.
- Inactivating Factor VIIIa: APC also inactivates Factor VIIIa, another cofactor that assists Factor IXa in the conversion of Factor X to Factor Xa. This further contributes to its anticoagulant effect.
These actions help to regulate blood clotting and prevent excessive thrombosis.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Haematology
- Medicine
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Question 26
Correct
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A 79-year-old woman has a waddling gait. History reveals enuresis and change in behaviour. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Your Answer: Normal pressure hydrocephalus
Explanation:The waddling gait and behaviour change are attributes of normal pressure hydrocephalus along with loss of bladder control which commonly happens with elder age.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Geriatrics
- Medicine
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Question 27
Incorrect
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Which statement about antithrombin III is true?
Your Answer: Its activity is inhibited by heparin.
Correct Answer: It inhibits particularly factor II and X
Explanation:Antithrombin inactivates its physiological target enzymes, Thrombin (Factor II), Factor Xa and Factor IXa. ATIII binds to thrombin and then forms the thrombin-anti thrombin complex or TAT complex. This is a major natural pathway of anticoagulation. This binding of thrombin to AT is greatly enhanced in the presence of heparin.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Haematology
- Medicine
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Question 28
Incorrect
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The coronary arteries supply which part of the heart’s subendocardial region exclusively in diastole?
Your Answer: All chambers of the heart ( all of the above if you want )
Correct Answer: Left ventricle
Explanation:It is only during diastole that the blood flows to the subendocardial portion of the left ventricle, as the heart muscle relaxes and the coronary arteries regain their patency.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cardiovascular
- Medicine
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Question 29
Correct
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Which of the following is not a cause of drug-induced hepatitis?
Your Answer: Ethambutol
Explanation:Although rare, ocular toxicity in the form of optic neuritis (most commonly retrobulbar neuritis) has been well documented as a side effect of ethambutol. It is renally excreted and not associated with hepatitis.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Medicine
- Pharmacology
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Question 30
Correct
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What are the major motor proteins that interact with microtubules?
Your Answer: Kinesin and dynein
Explanation:The major motor proteins that interact with microtubules are kinesin, which usually moves toward the (+) end of the microtubule, and dynein, which moves toward the (−) end.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cell Biology
- Medicine
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