IPHY 3480 Spring, 2008 First Exam Essays

							IPHY 3430 Fall, 2008     First Exam Essays

TWO of the following essays will be on the first exam. Prepare your answers carefully,
provide as much RELEVANT detail as possible and practice writing them out by
memory several times before the exam. You may use diagrams as part of your answer
but be sure to explain the diagrams. BE SURE THE GRADER CAN READ YOUR
ANSWERS.

In the case of COMPARE AND CONTRAST questions, the question is NOT asking you
to describe one factor and then the other. The question IS asking you to describe
similarities and differences among the factors and give a concluding sentence about what
these similarities and differences mean. DON’T answer these questions by simply
describing one factor and then the other and expecting the grader to figure out what
differences and similarities are.

1. You have one glucose molecule, one amino acid, and one triglyceride containing 3 16-
C fatty acids. Rank them (most, intermediate, least) in terms of how many ATP each
would produce if catabolized aerobically, and explain your ranking in detail.

2. Compare and contrast the processes of swallowing and vomiting.

3. Compare and contrast the production of sweat, saliva, and tears.

4. Describe the mechanisms by which heat moves between the human body and the
surrounding environment (air). Which of these can be used to lose heat only when air
temperature is higher than body temperature and why?

5. A skier is caught in a snow avalanche and is buried up to his nose (i.e. he can breathe).
He is unable to free himself, and no one knows where he is. Although he has several
layers of clothes on, he is dead within an hour from hypothermia. Describe the processes
of heat flow between him and the snow, the physiological processes used by his
hypothalamus to prevent hypothermia, how hypothermia would be caused, and what
bodily processes would change as body temperature drops.

6. Describe how HCl is made in the stomach and how the stomach wall is normally
protected from damage by this acid.

7. Describe the interactions of the stomach and small intestines that determine how fast
food can be moved from the stomach to the small intestine.

8. Describe the role of hormones in the function of the small intestine.

9. Compare and contrast the absorption of triglycerides, amino acids, and simple sugars
into the blood from the lumen of the small intestine.
10. If you wanted to solve the obesity crisis in the US, what one factor in the regulation
of food intake would you select to target with medication, and why?