MLT GlobeAnatomy: Head, neck & special senses
35 Anatomy MCQs on Head, neck & special senses with answers and explanations.
In the neck, which tube lies immediately anterior to the oesophagus?
The trachea lies in front of the oesophagus; the vertebral bodies lie behind it. This is why a large oesophageal bolus can press on the trachea.
The middle ear ossicle shaped like an anvil, lying between the other two, is the:
The incus (anvil) links the malleus (hammer) to the stapes (stirrup). The cochlea is inner ear, not an ossicle.
Which structure belongs to the middle ear rather than the inner ear?
The auditory tube connects the middle ear to the nasopharynx. The inner ear (labyrinth) contains cochlea, vestibule and semicircular canals.
The pharynx is divided into how many parts?
The pharynx has nasopharynx, oropharynx and laryngopharynx, lying behind the nose, mouth and larynx respectively.
Which cranial nerve carries signals for hearing and balance?
The vestibulocochlear nerve has a cochlear part for hearing and a vestibular part for balance; damage causes deafness and vertigo.
Light is focused onto which layer of the eye where the image is formed and detected?
The cornea and lens refract light to focus it on the retina, which holds the photoreceptors. The choroid is a vascular layer.
A child sees distant objects blurred because light focuses in front of the retina. What is this condition?
In myopia (short-sightedness) the eye is too long or too powerful, focusing images in front of the retina. In hypermetropia focus falls behind it.
Which of these structures is NOT found in the ear?
Olfactory epithelium lies in the roof of the nasal cavity and detects smell. The other three are parts of the external, middle or inner ear.
A throat swab scrapes the oropharynx. Which epithelium lines this region?
The oropharynx carries food and needs abrasion-resistant stratified squamous epithelium; the nasopharynx has respiratory ciliated epithelium.
The paired openings in the lateral walls of the nasopharynx lead through the auditory (Eustachian) tubes to the:
The pharyngotympanic tubes open in the nasopharynx and equalise middle-ear pressure. The paranasal sinuses drain into the nasal cavity, not the pharynx.
A patient with facial nerve palsy cannot pucker the lips to whistle. Which muscle is weak?
Orbicularis oris encircles the mouth and closes and purses the lips. Orbicularis oculi closes the eye, frontalis raises the eyebrows and zygomaticus major draws the mouth up in smiling.
The tough, opaque white outer coat visible around the iris is the:
The sclera is the dense fibrous white of the eye, continuous anteriorly with the transparent cornea. The conjunctiva is a thin transparent membrane over it; the choroid is vascular.
The pigmented structure that gives each person a characteristic eye colour is the:
Melanin content and distribution in the iris stroma determine eye colour. The cornea is transparent; the choroid and retinal pigment layer are not visible externally.
Meibomian (tarsal) glands, which add an oily layer to the tear film, are located in the:
Tarsal glands lie within the tarsal plates of the eyelids and secrete lipid that slows tear evaporation. The lacrimal gland produces the watery tear component.
The posterior-inferior part of the bony nasal septum is formed by which bone?
The vomer, with the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid, forms the bony septum. Nasal bones form the bridge; conchae project from the lateral walls.
The arteries supplying the pharynx (ascending pharyngeal, tonsillar, palatine) arise mainly from which vessel?
Most pharyngeal branches come from the external carotid, directly or via facial and maxillary arteries. The internal carotid gives no branches in the neck.
Which pairing of sensory receptor and organ is WRONG?
The basilar membrane is in the cochlea of the inner ear and carries the hair cells of hearing, not in the nose.
The pharynx extends from the skull base down to which vertebral level, where it continues as the oesophagus?
The pharynx ends at the lower border of the cricoid cartilage, level with C6, becoming the oesophagus.
Olfactory nerve fibres pass through the roof of the nasal cavity, which is formed mainly by the:
The perforated cribriform plate forms the nasal roof. The perpendicular plate forms part of the septum; the maxilla and palatine form the floor.
The vascular middle coat of the eyeball, comprising choroid, ciliary body and iris, is the:
The uvea is the pigmented vascular middle layer. The sclera and cornea form the outer fibrous coat; the retina is the inner neural layer.