Questions embryology

1. The neural plate develops from

a. The ectoderm
b. The intermediate mesoderm
c. The endoderm
d. The notochord
e. The dorsal mesentery

2. Which of the following arteries supplies the foregut derivatives?

a. Celiac trunk
b. Superior mesenteric artery
c. Inferior mesenteric artery
d. Right umbilical artery
e. Intercostal artery

3. Which of the following structures derives from the midgut?

a. Appendix
b. Stomach
c. Liver
d. Pancreas
e. Sigmoid colon

4. A 12 old month baby with severe jaundice also has dark-colored urine and white clay
colored stools. Which of the following disorders is suspected?
a. Esophageal stenosis
b. Annular pancreas
c. Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis
d. Extrahepatic biliary atresia
e. Duodenal atresia

5. Which of the following structures is part of the lesser omentum?

a. The falciform ligament
b. The coronary ligament
c. The transverse mesocolon
d. The round ligament
e. The hepatogastric ligament

6. A 50 year old male patient with severe jaundice was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. You
suspect the tumor is located in which portion of the pancreas?
a. Head
b. Neck
c. Body
d. Tail
e. Uncinated process
7. Which organ becomes secondarily retroperitoneal during rotation of the gut tube
a. Duodenum
b. Kidney
c. Spleen
d. Stomach
e. Transverse colon

8. A 43 years old woman has a history of abdominal pain and dyspepsia and a diagnosis of
peptic ulcer that is unresponsive to the most common therapies. Following further
examination, she is diagnosed with a tumor originating from a specific type of endocrine
cell that controls HCl secretion in the stomach. To which type of these cells are the doctors
referring to:
a. Parietal cells
b. Chief cells
c. Stem cells
d. Gastrin-secreting cells
e. CCK secreting cells

9. The esophageal mucosa is characterized by

a. Permanent folds
b. Pseudostratified epithelium
c. Villi
d. Lacteal vessels
e. Stratified squamous epithelium

10. In the liver parenchyma, the space of Disse contains

a. Kupffer cells
b. Collagen fibers
c. Hepatocytes
d. Bile
e. Red blood cells

11. The intraembryonic coelom originates from:

a. Splitting of the lateral plate mesoderm
b. Partitioning of the amniotic sac
c. The chorionic cavity
d. Partial incorporation of the vitelline sac
e. Splitting of the cloaca

12. A 60 years old man goes to his physician complaining of shortness of breath. He has also
noticed that he is not as sharp mentally as before. Knowing that his patient has a long
history of cigarette smoking, the physician advised an X-ray followed by a CT scan. The
exams reveal a pulmonary emphysema. Which of the following mechanisms is most likely
at the origin of this pathology?
a. Increased number of Clara’s cells
b. Degradation of elastic fibers in the interalveolar septa
 c. Decreased number of type II pneumocytes increased mucous secretion in the main
bronchi
d. Damage to the wall of terminal bronchioles

13. Which of the following statements concerning terminal bronchioles is correct?

a. They are part of the conducting portion
b. They function in gas exchange
c. They are lined by a pseudostratified epithelium
d. They have cartilage
e. They don’t contain secretory cells

14. Which of the following statements concerning respiratory bronchioles is true?

a. No gas exchange occurs in them
b. They don’t have alveoli as part of their wall
c. They contain goblet cells
d. They are included in the conducting portion
e. There is still smooth muscle in their wall

15. A 20 year old woman present at the ER with severe abdominal pain on the right side and
with signs of internal bleeding. She’s sexually active without contraception and she missed
her last period. Which of the following disorders should be included in the diagnosis?
a. Ovarian cancer
b. Appendicitis
c. Normal pregnancy
d. Ectopic tubal pregnancy

16. At the end of the 2 nd week, what’s the composition of the embryonic disc?
a. Epiblast only
b. Epiblast and hypoblast
c. Ectoderm and endoderm
d. Epiblast, mesoderm and hypoblast

17. Fertilization normally takes place

a. In the body of the uterus
b. In the ampulla of the uterine tubes
c. In the isthmus of the uterine tubes
d. In the ovary

18. Which of the following events is part of the capacitation process of spermatozoa
a. Reduction of cytoplasm
b. Formation of the acrosome
c. Formation of the flagellum
d. Removal of plasma membrane proteins
e. Acquisition of motility

19. Cleavage of the zygote

 a. It’s a series of meiotic divisions
b. Requires elimination of the zona pellucida
c. Leads to the formation of the trophoblast and inner cell mass
d. Begins 7 days after fertilization

20. During development of ovarian follicles

a. In primary follicles, interactions between the oocyte and follicular cells is required for
arresting meiosis I at the diplotene stage
b. The granulosa gives rise to the theca interna and externa
c. The antrum develops between the theca interna and externa
d. The ovulated complex includes also the theca interna

21. Which of the following components plays a most active role in invading the endometrium
during blastocyst implantation?
a. Epiblast
b. Syncytiotrophoblast
c. Hypoblast
d. Extraembryonic mesoderm

22. Which cell type is located outside the blood-testes barrier

a. Spermatozoon
b. Spermatid
c. I spermatocyte
d. Spermatogonium

23. The ovulated complex includes

a. The theca interna
b. The theca esterna
c. All the granulosa cells
d. The zona pellucida

24. A 41 years old woman comes to the office for evaluation of pregnancy. Menarche (her first
menstrual period), was at age 12, and her menses recur every 30 days and last 5 days. The
patient and her husband have tried to conceive for the last year. If fertilization and
implantation occurred this cycle, when would the betaHCG level first be detectable in the
serum?
a. 1 day after fertilization
b. 8 days after
c. 3 days after
d. on the day of fertilization

25. Considering the maturation and transport of spermatozoa:

a. The capacitation reaction takes place in the neck of the uterus
b. After the capacitation reaction spermatozoa undergo a period of hypoactivity
c. The pH for optimal motility of the sperm is around 3
d. Capacitation involves removal of cholesterol and glycoproteins from the sperm head
26. In ovarian follicles
a. Cells of the granulosa possess FSH receptors
b. The membrane pellucida is between the theca esterna and interna
c. The granulosa is highly vascularized
d. Most oocytes are arrested at the beginning of the second meiotic division

27. In the production of female gametes, which of the following cells can remain dormant for
years?
a. Primordial germ cells
b. Primary oocytes
c. Secondary oocytes
d. First polar body

28. Migration of primordial germ cells into the primitive gonad takes place during
a. The first week of gestation
b. Third month of gestation
c. Gastrulation
d. 5th to 6th week of gestation

29. Which of the following events takes place during spermiogenesis:

a. Nucleus increases size
b. The flagellum is formed
c. The amount of cytoplasm increases
d. Spermatozoa become motile

30. Which of the following structures produces progesterone late in pregnancy?

a. Placenta
b. Corpus luteum
c. Fetal adenohypophysis
d. Maternal liver

31. Which of the following statements concerning liver sinusoids is true?

a. They receive bile from hepatocytes
b. They are lined by non fenestrated endothelial cells
c. The space of Disse is located between sinusoidal cells and hepatocytes
d. They convey blood from the central vein to the portal vein

32. Which of the following is produced by parietal cells in the stomach?

a. Pepsinogen
b. Intrinsic factor
c. Gastrin
d. Mucus

33. All the following statements on the upper portion of the anal canal are correct, except:
 a. Is lined by a simple columnar epithelium
b. Derived from the endoderm
c. Gives rise to non painful tumors
d. Is surrounded by the skeletal muscle fibers of the external anal sphincter

34. A doctor is performing a bronchoscopy and as she passes the bronchoscope down the
trachea she asks to her intern students why it’s easier to enter the right bronchus. All the
answers were right, except one:
a. Has a more vertical orientation than the left
b. Is shorter than the left
c. It’s wider than the left
d. It’s more flexible than the left

35. While performing an endoscopy of the gastrointestinal tract, you can appreciate that:
a. The mucosa of the stomach presents circular folds
b. The mucosa of the large intestine is covered by villi
c. The mucosa of the esophagus presents longitudinal folds
d. The mucosa of the small intestine presents small pockets called sacculations

36. In the lungs, intralveolar septa contain:

a. Goblet cells
b. Elastic fibers
c. Type II pneumocytes
d. Smooth muscle cells

37. A baby dies several hours after birth. She was born with Potter syndrome, that includes
wrinkled skin, deformed limbs and abnormal face. The mother pregnancy was complicated
by oligohydramnios. The disruption of which of the following embryological event could
be at the origin of oligohydramnios?
a. Development of the ureteric bud
b. Closure of the anterior neuropore
c. Formation of the tracheoesophageal septum
d. Recanalization of the duodenum

38. A 34 years old woman at 30 weeks of gestation comes to her physician because of an excess
weight gain in the last 2 weeks. Ultrasonography reveals polyhydramnios. Which fetal
abnormality is most likely responsible for it?
a. Bilateral kidney agenesis
b. Umbilical cord knots
c. Hypoplastic lungs
d. Esophageal atresia

39. A baby born premature starts to display respiratory problems: rising respiratory rate,
labored breathing and gasping. After a short while she becomes cyanotic and dies.
Postmortem histological examination reveals collapsed alveoli lined with a hyaline
material. What is the diagnosis?
 a. Congenital emphysema
b. Respiratory distress syndrome
c. Cystic fibrosis
d. Pulmonary carcinoma

40. Which of the following arteries supplies the foregut derivatives of the digestive system?
a. Celiac trunk
b. Superior mesenteric artery
c. Inferior mesenteric artery
d. Left umbilical artery

41. Which of the following statements about the ligaments of the liver is correct:
a. The falciform ligament originates from the dorsal mesogastrium
b. The hepatogastric ligament derives from the anterior portion of the ventral
mesogastrium
c. The round ligaments derives from the umbilical vein
d. The coronary ligament surround the porta hepatis

42. As a result of the rotation of the stomach all of the following events take place except:
a. The omental bursa forms behind the stomach
b. The greater curvature of the stomach is positioned on the left
c. The pancreas becomes secondarily retroperitoneal
d. The pyloric region of the stomach moves behind the spleen

43. Sertoli cells are very important for the maturation of spermatozoa because… which
statement is wrong?
a. They form the blood testis barrier
b. They secrete and estrogen-binding protein
c. They phagocytize residual bodies of sperm cells
d. They secrete tubular fluid

44. A young girl was born with a severe case of sirenomelia. Her two lower limbs are fused as
to give her a mermaid appearance and she is also affected by renal and urethral dysplasia
and lower gastrointestinal tract defects.
This very serious congenital defect is most likely caused by a problem affecting:
a. The last phase of gastrulation in the 4 th week
b. The beginning of gastrulation during the 3 rd week
c. The formation of the prechordal plate
d. Folding of the embryo

45. A congenital diaphragmatic hernia is usually life threatening because it can lead to:
a. Pulmonary hypoplasia
b. Pulmonary hyperplasia
c. Physiological umbilical hernia
d. Liver agenesis
46. All of the following statements on meiosis in females are correct, with exception of:
a. All oogonia enter meiosis at the same time
b. At ovulation the first meiotic division is completed
c. I oocytes synthesize and store mRNA and rRNA
d. Meiosis II is completed when the oocyte is captured by the Fallopian tube

47. In the wall of seminiferous tubules

a. Sertoli cells are only in the basal compartment
b. Leydig cells are interspersed among differentiating spermatocytes
c. Spermatids are in the adluminal compartment
d. During meiosis, sperm cells become immunologically similar to the rest of the body

48. In the ovarian follicle

a. Cells of the cumulus oophorus are outside the zona pellucida
b. Cells of the theca interna produce testosterone
c. The antral cavity forms between the theca interna and theca externa
d. The corona radiata forms in I oocytes

49. In the third week of embryonic development

a. The amnion appears
b. A bilaminar embryonic disc is formed
c. The neural plate is induced by the notochord
d. The body stalk moves ventrally

50. In the placenta

a. I villi are made by cytotrophoblast with mesoderm in their core
b. The chorion at the abembryonic pole becomes chorion frondosum
c. The syncytiotrophoblast forms the chorionic plate
d. III villi form only on the side of the decidua basalis

51. Considering the midgut loop

a. The inferior mesenteric artery is the axis for its rotation
b. The caudal limb forms the descending colon
c. The rostral limb gives rise to the pancreatic buds
d. The loop is connected to the vitellin duct

52. Smooth muscle, connective tissue and cartilage of the bronchi are derived from which of
the following sources?
a. Visceral mesoderm
b. Ectoderm
c. Endoderm
d. Neural crest cells

53. What sentence is wrong about the development of the lesser sac or omental bursa?
a. It originates from the ventral mesogastrium
b. It forms because of the rotation of the stomach to the left
 c. It grows over the transverse colon to become the grater omentum
d. It communicates with the greater sac through a foramen below the lesser omentum (of
Wislow)

54. Which of these doesn’t develop in the ventral mesogastrium?

a. Falciform ligament
b. Round ligament
c. Hepatogastric ligament
d. Hepatoduodenal ligament

55. A 48-year-old man with a history of inflammatory disease of the large intestine undergoes
a biopsy of the mucosa of the descending colon to evaluate its histological appearance.
Under normal condition the mucosa should present:
a. Tubular glands
b. Villi lined with enterocytes
c. Peyer’s patches
d. Lacteal vessels

56. A portal triad of the liver contains all of the following structure, with the exception of:
a. A branch of the hepatic artery
b. A branch of the hepatic veins
c. A branch of the portal vein
d. A bile ductule

57. Woman with diffuse fibrosis of the liver which has led to portal hypertension. She starts
vomiting with blood. At the ER she is diagnosed with gastrointestinal bleeding due to the
rupture of submucosal varices present in a venous plexus located in:
a. The pyloric region of the stomach
b. The pharynx
c. The lower half of the esophagus
d. The duodenum

58. Which of the following statements about parietal cells is wrong?

a. They have histamine receptors
b. Their cytoplasm contains a canalicular system
c. They convey bicarbonate ions to adjoining capillaries
d. They contain zymogen granules

59. Following a trip to a foreign country, a young man starts to suffer from frequent episodes
of diarrhea. Clinical examination reveals that he has an intestinal viral infection that
damages mucosal cells involved in absorption. These cells are:
a. Paneth cells
b. Enterocytes
c. Goblet cells
d. Parietal cells
60. In the tracheobronchial tree
a. Bronchioles lack smooth muscle cells
b. Terminal bronchioles are lined by a pseudostratified epithelium
c. Goblet cells are present up to respiratory bronchioles
d. Cartilaginous plates are still present in lobar bronchi

61. Which of the following changes in the endometrium is not typical of the estrogenic phase
of the ovarian cycle:
a. Accumulation of glycogen in glandular epithelial cells
b. Proliferative active of glandular epithelial cells
c. Presence of decidua-like cells in the stroma
d. Thickening of the basal layer

62. Which of the following organs of the digestive tract presents permanent folds?
a. Esophagus
b. Jejunum
c. Stomach
d. Large intestine

63. A 70-year old man complains he has difficulty in micturition. Exams reveal a case of
benign prostatic hyperplasia that most commonly develops in the … portion of the gland.
a. Peripheral zone
b. Transition zone
c. Central zone
d. Anterior fibromuscular zone

64. In the uterus, spiral arteries are located at the level of:
a. Perimetrium
b. Basal layer of endometrium
c. Superficial (functional) layer of endometrium
d. Middle layer of myometrium

65. Considering the different types of capillaries, which of the following associations is not
correct:
a. Spleen – discontinuous capillaries
b. Endocrine glands – fenestrated capillaries
c. Muscles – continuous capillaries
d. Intestinal villi – continuous capillaries

66. To treat the irregular heart-beat of a patient, the cardiac surgeon decides to perform an
atrioventricular node ablation. A catheter with an electrode at the end is inserted into the
inferior vena cava to reach the right atrium where the AV can be found… where?
a. In the foramen ovale
b. Medial to the opening of the superior vena cava
c. In the trabeculated portion of the atrium
d. At the base of the interatrial septum
67. Which of the following statements on the fibrous skeleton of the heart is not correct?
a. Separates the musculature of the atria from that of the ventricles
b. Electrically isolates the atria from the ventricles
c. Is the site of attachment for papillary muscles
d. Is crossed by the atrioventricular bundle of Hiss

68. Metarterioles
a. Possess valves to regulate the direction of blood flow
b. Possess precapillary sphincters
c. Control blood flow into arterioles
d. Possess a complete layer of smooth muscle cells in their tunica media

69. Which of the following structures is located in the renal cortex?

a. Vasa recta
b. Thin limb of the loops of Henle
c. Afferent arterioles
d. Interlobar veins

70. A young girl goes to her gynecologist for her first examination of the genital tract. The
doctor explains to her that
a. There’s an angle in between the body and the cervix that is normally anteflexed
b. There is an angle between the cervix and the vagina that is normally retroverted
c. The uterine tubes open in the fundus of the uterus
d. The vagina is located anteriorly to the urethra

71. In the urinary tract

a. Minor calyces drain directly in the renal pelvis
b. The ureters have an intramural portion in the wall of the bladder
c. The mucosa of the bladder trigone has folds
d. The internal urethral sphincter is made by skeletal muscle fibers

72. The uterine tubes

a. Are attached to the ovaries by ligaments
b. Are lined by a transitional epithelium
c. Are narrower close to the ovary
d. Are surrounded by the peritoneum of the broad ligament

73. A 32-year-old man suffers from painful ejaculation and feels swollen lumps in the groin
area. The man is diagnosed with gonorrhea, an STD that has caused an epididymitis
(inflammation of the epididymis). The epididymis:
a. Is a coiled structure that communicates directly with the seminiferous tubules of the
testis
b. Is lined by an epithelium featuring tall cells with apical stereocilia
c. Communicates with the seminal vesicles
d. Receives the secretion of the prostate gland
74. Which of the following structures originates from the first pouch?
a. The pharyngotympanic tube and middle ear
b. The palatine tonsil
c. The thyroid gland
d. The masticatory muscles

75. The uterine tubes of the adult female are derived embryologically from which of the
following?
a. Mesonephric duct
b. Mesonephric tubules
c. Paramesonephric duct
d. Utero-vaginal plate

76. In the fetal circulation, the ductus arteriosus (of Botallus) keeps in communication:
a. The pulmonary artery with the inferior vena cava
b. The arch of the aorta with the left ventricle
c. The pulmonary artery with the ascending aorta
d. The pulmonary artery with the beginning of the descending aorta

77. Which type of developmental defect would you most likely expect to find in the heart of
the child because of a problem in neural crest cells migration (Di George syndrome)?
a. An incomplete septum primum
b. The smooth portion of the right atrium missing
c. A defect in partitioning of the outflow tract
d. A defect in the conduction system

78. A urachal cyst is a remnant of the:

a. Urogenital sinus
b. Cloaca
c. Allantois
d. Mesonephric duct

79. Embryologically, each uriniferous tubule consists of two parts which become confluent at
the junctions of the:
a. Ascending limb of Henle’s loop and distal convoluted tubule
b. Renal corpuscle and proximal convoluted tubule
c. Descending and ascending limb of the loop of Henle
d. Distal convoluted tubule and arched collecting tubule

80. A structure found in the adult female pelvis formed from the gubernaculum is the:
a. Broad ligament
b. Median umbilical ligament
c. Round ligament of the uterus
d. Falciform ligament

81. The lower portion of the vagina derives from the

 a. Paramesonephric ducts of Muller
b. Posterior wall of the urogenital sinus
c. Ureteric bud
d. Mesonephric duct of Wolff

82. A baby is born with a congenital interventricular communication due to a failure in the
formation of the membraneous portion of the interventricular septum. This problem may
be caused by a defect in the development of:
a. Conotruncal septum
b. Septum primum
c. Septum intermedium
d. Foramen ovalis

83. At birth all of the following changes take place in the fetal circulation with the exception
of:
a. Blood in the ductus venosus of Arantius decreases
b. Pulmonary resistance decreases
c. Return of blood from the pulmonary veins to the left atrium decreases
d. Blood flow in the ductus arteriosus of Botallus decreases

84. In the vascular architecture of the kidney

a. The glomerulus is between the vasa recta and the afferent arteriole
b. The efferent arteriole is wider than the afferent arteriole
c. Renin-producing modified smooth muscle cells are present in the afferent arteriole
d. The peritubular network originates from the afferent arteriole

85. In the renal corpuscle of Malpighi

a. Capillaries are discontinuous
b. Podocytes line the parietal layer of Bowman’s capsule
c. Filtration slits are made by endothelial cell processes
d. Mesangial cells are included in the basal lamina of endothelial cells

86. In the conduction system of the heart

a. Communication with the ventricular muscle cells takes place at the level of the bundle
of Hiss
b. The seno-atrial node is close to the opening of the inferior vena cava in the right atrium
c. Purkinje cells are present in the subendocardial layer
d. The atrio-ventricular node is in the left atrium

87. Bladder:
a. Has a thick submucosa
b. The internal urethral sphincter is made by skeletal muscle fibers
c. The bladder trigone presents folds
d. The ureters have an intramural portion in the bladder wall

88. The prostate gland

 a. Is crossed by the ureters
b. Produces an acidic fluid
c. Has a peripheral portion that surrounds the urethra
d. Has an epithelial component that is androgen dependent

89. Which of the following changes in the endometrium is not typical of the estrogenic phase
of the ovarian cycle:
a. Accumulation of glycogen in glandular epithelial cells
b. Proliferative activity of glandular epithelial cells
c. Presence of decidua-like cells in the stroma
d. Thickening of the basal layer

90. What statements on the histological features of the male genital tract is wrong?
a. The rete testis is lined by Sertoli cells
b. The ductuli efferentes present a thin band of smooth muscle in their wall
c. The muscolaris propria of the ductus deferente is organized in three layers
d. The epididymis is lined by a pseudostratified columnar epithelium with non motile
stereocilia

91. Considering the cardiac valves

a. The atrioventricular valves have a concave and a convex surface
b. The semilunar valves are attached to the papillary muscles
c. They are surrounded by the fibrous skeleton of the heart
d. They are lined by the epicardium

92. All of the following vessels are part of the microcirculatory bed with the exception of:
a. Metarterioles
b. Postacapillary venules
c. Terminal arterioles
d. Muscular venules

93. A 54-year old woman is diagnosed with a partial occlusion of the left carotid artery due to
the presence of an atherosclerotic plaque. Cells of the arterial wall that have a prominent
role in this pathological process because they can accumulate lipids and proliferate are
a. Myointimal cells
b. Smooth muscle cells of the tunica media
c. Endothelial cells
d. Fibroblasts

94. The right coronary artery is considered dominant when

a. It supplies the right atrium
b. It gives rise to the posterior interventricular artery
c. It supplies most of the heart
d. It gives rise to the right marginal artery
Answers: 1a, 2a, 3a, 4d, 5e, 6a, 7a, 8d, 9e, 10b, 11a, 12b, 13a, 14e, 15d, 16b, 17b, 18d, 19c, 20a,
21b, 22d, 23d, 24b, 25d, 26a, 27b, 28d, 29b, 30a, 31c, 32b, 33d, 34d, 35c, 36b, 37a, 38d, 39b,
40a, 41c, 42d, 43b, 44a, 45a, 46d, 47c, 48b, 49c, 50d, 51d, 52a, 53a, 54b, 55a, 56b, 57c, 58d,
59b, 60d, 61d, 62b, 63b, 64c, 65d, 66d, 67c, 68b, 69c, 70a, 71b, 72d, 73b, 74a, 75c, 76d, 77c,
78c, 79d, 80c, 81b, 82a, 83c, 84c, 85d, 86c, 87d, 88d, 89d, 90a, 91c, 92d, 93a, 94b