Deck 8: The Physiology of Human Aging

Question 1

Small changes in energy intake over the long term have only a minor effect on body weight.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Which of the following is not considered a layer of skin?
(a)epidermis
(b)hypodermis
(c)dermis
(d)subcutaneous fat

Answer 2

B

Question 3

True or false: Body weight due to accumulation of fat seems to increase throughout life beginning around the age of 30.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Short-answer question: Describe a scenario showing how a lack of physical activity exacerbates age-related sarcopenia leading to an increase in body weight.
Changes in the Skin

Question 5

Positive energy balance results in:
(a)a decrease in fat storage and body weight.
(b)no change in fat storage and body weight.
(c)an increase in fat storage and body weight.
(d)a decrease in fat storage and no change in body weight.

Question 6

True or false: The body mass index provides a good estimate of the relationship between fat accumulation and the risk of morbidity and mortality at all ages.

Question 7

The loss of muscle mass due to physical inactivity will lead to a decrease in ______,further exacerbating the age-related decrease in total energy expenditure and accumulation of fat.
(a)energy balance
(b)resting energy expenditure (REE)
(c)diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT)
(d)protein used for energy

Question 8

A decrease in food intake paralleling the end-of-life decline in body weight can lead to a clinical condition known as:
(a)amenorrhea of aging.
(b)failure to thrive.
(c)anorexia of aging.
(d)geriatric anorexia.

Question 9

Which of the following macronutrients has the highest energy content in kilojoules/gram?
(a)fat
(b)protein
(c)carbohydrate
(d)alcohol

Question 10

Which layer of the skin has blood vessels?
(a)epidermis
(b)hypodermis
(c)dermis
(d)subcutaneous fat

Question 11

True or false: Muscles that require a high speed of contraction,such as those in the hands and other areas of fine motor control,tend to be affected to a greater degree by sarcopenia than the large muscle groups with slower speeds of contraction.

Question 12

The body composition of individuals over the age of 30 reflects the gain and loss of both protein and fat stores.

Question 13

True or false: Most evidence suggests that for people over 70 years of age,a decrease in voluntary physical activity has a greater impact on weight gain than does an increased intake of kilojoules.

Question 14

A joule is the amount of energy required to heat 1 gram of water 1 degree centigrade.

Question 15

______ is a multifactorial syndrome that often indicates the end of life;it includes impaired physical function,malnutrition,depression,and cognitive impairment.
(a)Geriatric failure to thrive
(b)Anorexia of aging
(c)Syndrome X
(d)Geriatric anorexia

Question 16

______ calorimetry is the calculation of energy expenditure from the measurement of respiratory gases.

Question 17

A calorie is the amount of energy required to heat 1 gram of water 1 degree centigrade.

Question 18

Which of the following contributes the most kilojoules to total energy expenditure?
(a)physical activity
(b)resting energy expenditure
(c)diet-induced thermogenesis
(d)They all contribute equally.

Question 19

Short-answer question: Write the equation for total energy expenditure (TEE).

Question 20

Which of the following is not a major constituent of body composition?
(a)water
(b)protein
(c)carbohydrate
(d)lipid

Question 21

True or false: Photoaging is an intrinsic part of aging and cannot be prevented.
Changes in the Senses: Hearing,Vision,Taste,and Smell

Question 22

The age-related decrease in the number of skin cells results in thinning of the skin and occurs primarily in the:
(a)epidermis.
(b)hypodermis.
(c)dermis.
(d)subcutaneous fat.

Question 23

Which layer of the skin includes the sweat glands?
(a)epidermis
(b)hypodermis
(c)dermis
(d)subcutaneous fat

Question 24

The frequency of a sound wave is a measure of the:
(a)height of the rarefaction.
(b)loudness of the sound.
(c)outward motion of the vibration.
(d)pitch of the sound.

Question 25

The amplitude of a sound wave is a measure of the:
(a)height of the rarefaction.
(b)loudness of the sound.
(c)outward motion of the vibration.
(d)pitch of the sound.

Question 26

True or false: The bones of the middle ear help to amplify the sound wave.

Question 27

True or false: The outer portion of the eye,exposed to the environment,contains the optics for focusing on an object,which include the pupil,cornea,iris,lens,and ciliary body.

Question 28

Short-answer question: Briefly describe the difference between the enzymatic cross-linking and the nonenzymatic cross-linking of collagen.

Question 29

Fill in the blank: The age-related decline in hearing is known as ______.

Question 30

Short-answer question: Briefly describe how a sound wave becomes a neural impulse resulting in the sense of hearing.

Question 31

True or false: The damage caused by photoaging occurs mainly in the epidermis.

Question 32

What is thought to be the most significant underlying cause of skin irregularities leading to wrinkles?
(a)nonenzymatic cross-linking of collagen
(b)dehydration
(c)loss of subcutaneous fat
(d)loss of mitotic skin cells

Question 33

The bones of the ear are part of the:
(a)outer ear.
(b)inner ear.
(c)middle ear.
(d)organ of Corti.

Question 34

The process of reshaping the lens to focus light on the retina is known as:
(a)terminal differentiation.
(b)accommodation.
(c)terminal refraction.
(d)refraction.

Question 35

True or false: The overall purpose of the epidermis is to prepare keratinocytes,the living skin cells produced in the stratum basale,to become the flat,hard,dead cells of the stratum corneum.

Question 36

True or false: The nonenzymatic cross-linking of collagen to the ligaments attached to the bones of the inner ear can result in a decreased ability to hear high-pitched sounds.

Question 37

The inner portion of the eye contains the structures that transform light into a neural impulse;it includes all of the following structures except the:
(a)retina.
(b)fovea centralis.
(c)optic disc and nerve.
(d)cornea.

Question 38

The primary cause of the age-related loss of hearing is:
(a)a decrease in the number of stereocilia.
(b)thickening of the eustachian tube.
(c)a decrease in the fluid in the cochlea.
(d)stiffening of the ear drum.

Question 39

The age-related loss of the ability to focus the eye on close objects is called:
(a)presbycusis.
(b)deaccommodation.
(c)presbyopia.
(d)terminal differentiation.

Question 40

The etiology of the photoaging of skin has yet to be fully determined,but current research indicates that UV light causes an increase in:
(a)enzymatic cross-links.
(b)reactive oxygen species (ROS).
(c)dehydration.
(d)mitotic cells.

Question 41

True or false: A major role of the hydrochloric acid secreted by stomach cells is to denature lipids and carbohydrates.

Question 42

Some research suggests that the denaturation of crystallin in the lens of the eye leads to ______,a common finding in many tissues during aging.
(a)soluble protein aggregates
(b)insoluble protein aggregates
(c)insoluble amino acids
(d)chaperone proteins

Question 43

Evaluating possible age-related anatomical or physiological decline in the stomach can be challenging,due in large part to an inflammation of the stomach mucosa known as:
(a)gastrointestinal reflux.
(b)atrophic gastritis.
(c)megaloblastic anemia.
(d)Helicobacter pylori.

Question 44

True or false: A decrease in the number and height of intestinal villi has been shown to significantly reduce nutrient absorption during aging.

Question 45

Loss in the clarity of the lens with age and the formation of cataracts are the result of:
(a)decreased accommodation.
(b)increased mitotic activity.
(c)increased expression of chaperone proteins.
(d)terminal differentiation.

Question 46

The most common age-related disease of the eye is:
(a)glaucoma.
(b)macular degeneration.
(c)diabetic retinopathy.
(d)cataracts.

Question 47

The process by which nutrients are transported across the intestinal cell membrane,with the help of a transport protein and energy released from ATP,is called:
(a)active transport.
(b)mediated transport.
(c)passive diffusion.
(d)facilitated diffusion.

Question 48

Fill in the blanks: Bile salts secreted into the intestine from the liver (via the gallbladder)increase the surface area of ingested ______ and thereby increase the efficiency of the digestive enzymes called ______.

Question 49

True or false: The age-related decline in calcium absorption may be more associated with gender than a universal effect of aging.
Changes in the Urinary System

Question 50

A problem with the original studies suggesting that the sense of taste declines with age was that:
(a)evaluating taste was difficult,because appropriate technology for such experiments did not exist.
(b)age-related loss in taste results from declines in both taste buds and olfactory receptors.
(c)the studies included many individuals who were sick or had specific age-related diseases that affect taste.
(d)the cohort effect introduced errors.

Question 51

Short-answer question: List the three types of kidney filtration for the blood.

Question 52

True or false: Recent and properly designed studies have shown that,by and large,the functions of taste buds and olfactory centers are significantly changed by age.
Changes in the Digestive System

Question 53

Glomerular filtration occurs because of a ______ gradient between the glomerular capillaries and Bowman's capsule.
(a)concentration
(b)pressure
(c)osmotic
(d)sodium

Question 54

True or false: Cataracts are difficult to remove surgically.

Question 55

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the age-related change in the production and volume of saliva?
(a)Saliva volume decreases significantly with age.
(b)The concentration of enzymes in the saliva declines with age.
(c)Disease rather than aging per se seems to have the greatest effect on saliva volume.
(d)The age-related decrease in saliva volume significantly affects digestion.

Question 56

True or false: Lack of access to dental care and lack of education regarding dental health are more likely to cause poor dentition in the elderly population than is biological aging per se.

Question 57

Which organ is primarily responsible for secreting digestive enzymes into the small intestine?
(a)stomach
(b)pancreas
(c)liver
(d)gallbladder

Question 58

True or false: Most of the flavors we experience in our food arise from our sense of smell.

Question 59

Presbyopia can be explained by age-related changes in the ______ of the lens.
(a)refractive power
(b)rarefaction power
(c)contraction strength
(d)compression power

Question 60

Which of the following is not a function of the human stomach?
(a)acts as a storage area that allows us to eat large meals that are then released slowly into the intestine
(b)liquefies food before it enters the intestine
(c)continues the digestive process through the secretion of various molecules and enzymes
(d)absorbs minerals and vitamins into the bloodstream

Question 61

True or false: Most research has shown that the age-related decrease in sexual activity experienced by some women often reflects psychological problems or the inability to find a suitable partner rather than biological factors.

Question 62

What factor seems to have the most influence on the age-related decrease in the glomerular filtration rate?
(a)the mitotic activity of kidney cells
(b)a decrease in total cardiac output
(c)the loss of glomeruli
(d)a decrease in the length of tubules

Question 63

The age-related loss of blood vessels in the kidneys occurs:
(a)at all levels of the kidney.
(b)primarily in the glomerulus.
(c)primarily in the nephron.
(d)primarily in the cortex.

Question 64

The part of the immune system that we are born with is called the ______ immune system.
(a)acquired
(b)innate
(c)antibody
(d)T-cell

Question 65

Which of the following mechanisms describes how the kidney helps to regulate blood pressure?
(a)tubular secretion of sodium
(b)tubular reabsorption of potassium
(c)adjusting the amount of water in the blood
(d)dilating and constricting the glomerular vessels

Question 66

True or false: Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)decreases the reabsorption of water in the renal tubules.

Question 67

True or false: A wound in the skin turns red because the injured tissue releases agents that cause increased blood flow and capillary permeability at the wound site.

Question 68

Fill in the blank: Age-related alterations in the blood vessels of the kidney seem to be particularly susceptible to ______,which is abnormal growth in the arterial wall.
Changes in the Immune System