Human Anatomy Quiz: All About Our Bodies
Written by Tom Cohen
Last updated · 17 min play time
There's a lot about the human body to know. Even if you're a doctor, all of our various parts - and how they work - can be confusing. In this quiz, we'll test your knowledge of all the parts that make up the whole human form.
When it comes to human anatomy, things can get very confusing quickly. Like what's the difference between the pharynx and larynx, or lachrymal and pituitary glands? How much of our body is made of water, how much is blood? What's the difference between your tendons and ligaments?
In this quiz, we'll test your knowledge of the human body, from the top to the bottom, and all the guts in between. Let's get ready for some physiology!
Quiz written by
Tom CohenI'm a 3-time Emmy-winning game show producer, writer, director and published author. I dig traveling, watching hockey, photographing wildlife and exploring the cultural and social fabric of society.
Human Anatomy Quiz Questions
35 Questions · 1.1K Plays · 1 Comment
Question 1
Where the nose connects to the throat are a set of glands that often disappear by adulthood. What are these glands called?
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AAdenoids
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BKeloids
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CFibroids
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DCarotenoids
Adenoids
The adenoids are closely related to the tonsils, which as we know, are sometimes removed due to infection. The adenoid glands are high up in the throat, just behind the nose. They are part of the lymphatic system that clears away infection by trapping germs that enter the body through the mouth and nose.
Question 2
The "fontanelle" sounds like fancy hotel on the South of France, but it's actually what feature of human anatomy?
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AThe soft spot on a baby's head
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BAnother name for the gallbladder
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CThe clear layer on the eye
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DThe back of the knee
The soft spot on a baby's head
In humans, a newborn baby has a soft spot on the top of their head called a "fontanelle," which is essentially a space between the bones of the skull, where the hardening of the bones hasn't occurred yet. In babies, the main fontanelle is between the frontal and parietal bones.
Question 3
In the parlance of human anatomy - which everyone should speak - what does the word "proximal" refer to?
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ACloser to the body's center
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BThe left side of the body
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CRelated to the heart
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DSomething that can be removed
Closer to the body's center
As defined on the website TeachMeAnatomy.info: "The terms proximal and distal are used in structures that are considered to have a beginning and an end (such as the upper limb, lower limb, and blood vessels). They describe the position of a structure with reference to its origin – proximal means closer to its origin, distal means further away."
Question 4
Which of the following is the name for the yellowish pigment made during the normal breakdown of red blood cells that passes through the liver?
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ABilirubin
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BBenirudin
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CBobiresin
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DBilalipid
Bilirubin
Fun fact: Bilirubin is responsible for making your poop have a brown color. Its main function is to break down heme in our blood, which is a necessary process in the body's clearance of waste products that results from aged or abnormal red blood cells.
Question 5
When we swallow food, which of the following serves as a protective flap to make sure none of it enters your windpipe?
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AEpiglottis
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BUvula
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CAlveoli
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DThorax
Epiglottis
The epiglottis resembles a leaf in shape, and this flap of skin is the main reason food doesn't enter your windpipe and/or lungs when you eat. It remains open when you breathe to allow air to go into the larynx.
Question 6
As defined on a Wikipedia page, what is the name for a "circular muscle that normally maintains constriction of a natural body passage and which relaxes as required by normal physiological functioning"?
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ASphincter
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BCoccyx
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CSpheloid
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DPharynx
Sphincter
The most commonly referenced sphincter in the human body is the anus, which of course has a whole host of other colorful nicknames. Other sphincters include the esophageal sphincter, the gastroesophageal junction, the antroduodenal junction, and the ileocecal junction.
Question 7
The meninges are made up of the dura mater, arachnoid, and pia mater. What part of the body does the meninges protect?
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AThe brain and spinal cord
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BThe liver
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CThe lungs
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DThe heart
The brain and spinal cord
As defined as Britannica: "The primary function of the meninges and of the cerebrospinal fluid is to protect the central nervous system. The pia mater is the meningeal envelope that firmly adheres to the surface of the brain and spinal cord."
Question 8
There's nothing funny about Vitreous Humor. In fact, it's a necessary gel-like substance that keeps what body part working well?
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AEar
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BHeart
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CKnee
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DEye
Eye
The so-called Vitreous Humor is an essential part of the eye. A gel-like substance that's mostly made of water, with some collagen, sugars, salts, and proteins, it fills the space between the lens and the retina, making sure the eye maintains its round shape.
Question 9
Sometimes parts of our anatomy can be moved to another person to help them live a better life. Which part of the human eye can be transplanted from a dead donor to a living person?
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AIris
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BRetina
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CCornea
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DLens
Cornea
The cornea is the only part of the eye can be moved from a deceased person to a living one. Unlike many organ transplant surgeries, a cornea transplant has about a 95 percent success rate because matching blood types are not a requirement.
Question 10
The human body has about 20 main arteries. Which of the following arteries bring unfiltered blood from the aorta to the kidneys?
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AUlnar arteries
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BCoronary arteries
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CPulmonary arteries
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DRenal arteries
Renal arteries
The renal arteries have one major function: to carry blood from the heart to the kidneys. These arteries branch directly from the aorta, which is the main artery coming off the heart, on travel to each kidney. The renal arteries can send up to 33% of the blood coming from the heart to be filtered by the kidneys.
Question 11
People who study anatomy have to learn all sorts of fancy words that are used to describe simple stuff. What is the layperson's term for adipose tissue?
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ACartilage
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BBone
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CFat
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DMuscle
Fat
In the human body, the term adipose tissue is used to describe the loose connective tissue that's made up entirely of adipocytes (read: fat). The main role of adipose tissue is to store energy, as well as to cushion and insulate the body.
Question 12
When you cry, there's a gland responsible for that. Which of the following glands in the human body is responsible for the production of tears?
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ALaryngeal
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BLeptic
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CLactation
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DLachrymal
Lachrymal
The lachrymal glands come in a pair, and in the family of exocrine glands. They exist in almost all land-dwelling vertebrates and even in some marine animals. As described on Wikipedia: they "secrete the aqueous layer of the tear film," otherwise known as crying. In people, these glands are in the "upper lateral region of each orbit".
Question 13
The thickest skin on your body is on the bottom of your feet. Where can you find the thinnest skin?
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AEyelids
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BUnder arms
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CEarlobes
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DLips
Eyelids
Your eyelids have the thinnest skin on your body - it's only .5 millimeters thick, whereas the skin on the bottom of your feet is nearly three times as thick, as nearly 1.5 millimeters. This is part of the reason the skin around your eyes can age more quickly and be more susceptible to wrinkles.
Question 14
Named for a French doctor, the so-called Broca Area in the brain is most closely linked to which of the following human functions?
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AWalking
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BHearing
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CEyesight
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DSpeech
Speech
Broca's area is part of the frontal lobe of the dominant hemisphere in the brain, and it is closely linked to speech. French anatomist Pierre Paul Broca had two patients who had totally lost their ability to speak after they suffered injuries to a specific part of the brain, and since them it's been known as Broca's area.
Question 15
The manubrium, gladiolus, and xiphoid process are the three constituents of what part of the human body?
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AShoulder
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BKneecap
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CSternum
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DAnkle
Sternum
The sternum consists of the manubrium, gladiolus, and xiphoid process. The xiphoid process is a particularly interesting part of the body, as cartilage at birth that becomes a bone later in life. It's located where the lower ribs attach to the breastbone, and its tip resembles a sword.
Question 16
The malleus, incus, stapes are tiny bones in the ear and are collectively known as the "auditory" what?
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AObliques
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BOssicles
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CTentacles
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DOrganelles
Ossicles
The so-called auditory ossicles are actually the three smallest bones in the human body. The malleus is attached to the tympanic membrane, the incus is in between, and the stapes is attached to the circumference of the fenestra vestibuli. It's all the ear to us.
Question 17
What is the term for the involuntary constriction and relaxation of the muscles that cause food to move down the esophagus?
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AMotility
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BContinuance
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CFlatulation
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DPeristalsis
Peristalsis
Peristalsis refers to the involuntary movement by the esophagus or intestine that moves food or waste into and out of the body. The process is essentially a wave-like motion that uses contractions to move matter through.
Question 18
If your body is undergoing "ossification,' which it might be at this very moment, what is happening to your body?
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AGrowing new bone
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BLubricating your eyes
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CConverting oxygen to carbon dioxide
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DLosing hair
Growing new bone
The process called ossification refers to the natural process in which bones are formed in the body. It can also refer to a process in which muscular - or other tissue - hardens. Generally speaking, the noun can be used to refer to any tendency of a substance to be molded into a hardened or rigid state. d
Question 19
Which of these odd-sounding parts of the gastrointestinal system is the uppermost part of the intestines?
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AIlium
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BSigmoid
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CDuodenum
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DJejunum
Duodenum
Food that you eat enters the small intestine from the stomach through the duodenum, which is the uppermost part of the intestinal tract. It makes up about one-fifth of the total length of the organ, and then the duodenum receives partially digested food and further breaks it down.
Question 20
The process known as angiogenesis refers to the formation and regeneration of what part of the human body?
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AFingernails
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BHair follicles
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CSkin cells
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DBlood cells
Blood cells
In the process of angiogenesis, new blood vessels form from pre-existing vessels. The initial vessels which eventually become blood cells are formed in an earlier phases called vasculogenesis. Angiogenesis is the next step after vasculogensis by which the cells split, sprout, and replicate.
Question 21
The displacement of what tiny particles in the ear is known to be responsible for the feeling of vertigo or dizziness?
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ASilver Oxide
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BCalcium Carbonate
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CPotassium Sulfate
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DGold
Calcium Carbonate
From a description by Stanford Health: "In our ears is a branch that houses hearing and an off-branch that houses balance. Within that balance branch, we have tiny crystals in a gelatin area. These ear crystals are supposed to stay home on this gelatin area. But when they get dislodged, the person may feel dizzy."
Question 22
The islets of Langerhans is not an archipelago off the coast of Scandinavia, but a cluster of cells in which human organ?
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APancreas
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BHeart
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CLungs
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DBrain
Pancreas
The so-called islets of Langerhans are a group of cells in the pancreas that are responsible for secreting insulin and glucagon. They are named the German physician Paul Langerhans, who discovered them back in 1869. Believe it or not, the normal human pancreas has about 1 million of these "islets".
Question 23
In most of the world, our normal body temperature is measured in Celsius, not Fahrenheit. What is considered a normal body temperature?
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A37 degrees Celsius
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B32 degrees Celsius
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C40 degrees Celsius
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D30 degree Celsius
37 degrees Celsius
37 degrees Celsius is the equivalent of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, which we all know to be the normal body temperature. The body temperature of a healthy person actually varies during the day by about 0.5 °C. People tend to have lower temps in the morning and higher temps in the evening.
Question 24
Where would you find the hyoid bone, the only one in the human body that does not articulate with any other bone?
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AFinger
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BNose
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CShoulder
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DMouth
Mouth
The hyoid bone is very important: Along with its muscles, this bone in the mouth has two major functions. First, it supports the tongue and secondly, it holds up the larynx, which is directly below it. It's also instrumental in transmitting the force of muscles that operate the jaw.
Question 25
Which of the following muscles in the human body is considered to be the strongest, based on its weight?
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AThe jaw muscle
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BThe gluteus maximus
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CThe hamstring
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DThe pectoral muscle
The jaw muscle
The jaw muscle is also known as the "masseter," While it doesn't seem obvious at first blush, when you think about the jaw muscle does, it's remarkable. With all the muscles of the jaw working together, it can close your molar teeth with a force of up to 200 pounds.
Question 26
The frontalis muscles serve one main function in the human body. Which of the following do they control?
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ARaising your eyebrows
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BCurling your toes under your foot
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COpening and closing your mouth
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DShrugging your shoulders
Raising your eyebrows
The frontalis muscles are a matching pair of muscles that are vertically-oriented in the forehead, and serve to lift the eyebrows up. You'll notice that when you contract the frontalis, it also causes horizontal wrinkles to form in the foreheads. Botox to the rescue!
Question 27
If you stretched out the human digestive system from end-to-end, how long would it be?
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AAround 30 feet
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BAround 100 feet
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CAround 10 feet
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DAround 75 feet
Around 30 feet
The adult human digestive system, from start to end, is about 30 feet long if you stretched it all the way out. It's made up of the mouth, the esophagus, the stomach, the small intestine and the large intestine. Organs such as the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder aid in digestion, and work with digestive system to absorb and process food.
Question 28
In the human body, which of the following does the enzyme renin - secreted and produced in the kidneys - regulate?
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ABlood sugar
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BUrination
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CBlinking
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DBlood Pressure
Blood Pressure
As defined by Britannica.com: "Renin, as enzyme secreted by the kidney (and also, possibly, by the placenta), is part of a physiological system that regulates blood pressure. In the blood, renin acts on a protein known as angiotensinogen, resulting in the release of angiotensin I."
Question 29
If you're an expert is "desmology," what part of the human body are you probably fascinated with?
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ALigaments
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BSkin
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CNerves
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DArms and legs
Ligaments
That's right - a desmologist studies the ligaments in the human body. The word is derived from the Greek word "desmo," which means ligament and "ology," which means "study of". We searched for some famous desmologists and came up empty. Maybe you know one?
Question 30
In anatomy, a phalange is defined as one of the bones that make up the fingers of the hand and the toes of the foot. How many phalanges do we have in each hand?
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A14
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B10
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C16
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D21
14
Each of our fingers has three bones and our thumbs each have two bones, which means we have 14 bones in each of our hands. Together with our feet, our body has a grand total of 56 phalanges (28 in our hands and 28 in our feet).
Question 31
The human body has different systems, such as the circulatory and respiratory. How many total systems does the human body have?
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A11
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B7
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C5
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D15
11
The human body has 11 systems. They are: integumentary system, skeletal system, muscular system, lymphatic system, respiratory system, digestive system, nervous system, endocrine system, cardiovascular system, urinary system, and reproductive system.
Question 32
After accounting for bones, muscle, organs, blood and other guts, much of the human body is actually made up of water. Approximately what percentage of the body is H2O?
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A60%
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B40%
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C80%
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D75%
60%
In some organisms, 90% of their body is made up of water. In the case of people, it's closer to 60%, though the brain and the heart are made up of almost 75% water, and the lungs are about 83% water.
Question 33
Humans have about 2 to 5 million sweat glands. Which of these anatomical words refers to the glands that produce perspiration?
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ASebaceous
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BEccrine
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CEndocrine
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DParietal
Eccrine
The eccrine glands in the human body are in the skin, and are responsible for regulating the body's temperature through the production of sweat. They exist virtually everywhere in our skin, with the highest density in our palms and soles of our feet.
Question 34
It seems that no matter where you cut yourself, the blood flows out. And yet, the body is only made what percentage blood?
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A20%
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B10%
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C15%
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D7%
7%
The weight of the blood in a human body is usually about 1/13 of the overall weight. As you know, the body easily replaces blood that's lost, which is why it's possible for you to give or donate blood to other people. An adult contains, on average, 1.2 to 1.5 gallons of blood.
Question 35
Out of the knee, the ankle, the shoulder and the hip, which is the largest joint in the human body?
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AHip
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BKnee
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CShoulder
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DAnkle
Knee
Not only is the knee the largest joint in the human body, but it's also the most complex, joining together the thigh bone, the shin bone, the fibula, and the kneecap. Containing a fluid-filled capsule, the knee is designed to move like a complicated hinge.
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