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PNC Licensing Examination Anatomy, Physiology and Biosciences Flashcards
50 question-and-answer cards covering Anatomy, Physiology and Biosciences as it is examined in PNC Licensing Examination. 24 of them are printed below, taken from across the deck — no signup, no paywall on the preview.
24 sample cards from the Anatomy, Physiology and Biosciences deck
Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.
What are the two main divisions of the nervous system and their components?
Central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral nervous system (cranial and spinal nerves, ganglia).
Name the functional divisions of the autonomic nervous system and their general effects.
Sympathetic (fight or flight, increases heart rate, dilates pupils) and parasympathetic (rest and digest, slows heart rate, stimulates digestion).
What is a neuron's structure, and what is a synapse?
A neuron has dendrites (receive signals), a cell body (soma), and an axon (transmits signals). A synapse is the junction where a neuron communicates with another cell, usually via neurotransmitters.
How many pairs of cranial nerves and spinal nerves are there?
12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves.
Name the three layers (tunics) of the eye from outer to inner.
Sclera/cornea (outer fibrous), choroid/iris/ciliary body (middle vascular), and retina (inner neural layer with photoreceptors).
What are the photoreceptors of the retina and their functions?
Rods (dim light/night and peripheral vision, black and white) and cones (bright light, color, and sharp central vision).
List the three regions of the ear and the function of each.
Outer ear (collects sound), middle ear (ossicles amplify and transmit sound), inner ear (cochlea for hearing, vestibular apparatus for balance).
What hormones does the anterior pituitary secrete?
GH, TSH, ACTH, FSH, LH, and prolactin (mnemonic: GTAFLP / FLAT PiG).
Which gland regulates blood glucose, and which hormones does it secrete?
The pancreas (islets of Langerhans). Insulin (lowers blood glucose) from beta cells and glucagon (raises blood glucose) from alpha cells.
What hormones does the thyroid gland produce and what is their main function?
Thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) regulate metabolism; calcitonin lowers blood calcium.
Name the hormones of the adrenal cortex and adrenal medulla.
Cortex: mineralocorticoids (aldosterone), glucocorticoids (cortisol), and androgens. Medulla: epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine.
List the main organs of the gastrointestinal tract in order.
Mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine (duodenum, jejunum, ileum), large intestine (colon), rectum, anus.
Name the accessory organs of digestion and one function of each.
Liver (produces bile, detoxification), gallbladder (stores bile), pancreas (digestive enzymes and insulin), and salivary glands (saliva with amylase).
Where are most nutrients absorbed in the GI tract, and what structures increase its surface area?
In the small intestine, mainly the jejunum. Surface area is increased by circular folds, villi, and microvilli.
What is the functional unit of the kidney, and what are its main parts?
The nephron. Main parts: glomerulus and Bowman's capsule, proximal tubule, loop of Henle, distal tubule, and collecting duct.
What are the three basic processes of urine formation?
Glomerular filtration, tubular reabsorption, and tubular secretion.
Which hormones regulate water and sodium balance in the kidney?
Antidiuretic hormone (ADH/vasopressin) increases water reabsorption; aldosterone increases sodium (and thus water) reabsorption.
Name the main organs of the male reproductive system.
Testes (produce sperm and testosterone), epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, prostate gland, and penis.
Name the main organs of the female reproductive system and the site of fertilization.
Ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, and vagina. Fertilization normally occurs in the fallopian tube (ampulla).
Compare bacteria and viruses in terms of cell structure and reproduction.
Bacteria are living prokaryotic cells that reproduce by binary fission. Viruses are acellular, non-living particles (DNA/RNA in a protein coat) that must replicate inside a host cell.
What is the difference between fungi and parasites as pathogens? Give an example of each.
Fungi are eukaryotic organisms (yeasts, molds) causing infections like candidiasis. Parasites live on or in a host at its expense, e.g., Plasmodium (malaria) or worms (helminths).
Differentiate innate and adaptive (acquired) immunity.
Innate immunity is non-specific, present from birth (skin, phagocytes, inflammation). Adaptive immunity is specific, develops after exposure, has memory, and is mediated by lymphocytes (B and T cells).
What are the two arms of the adaptive immune response and the cells responsible?
Humoral immunity (B cells producing antibodies) and cell-mediated immunity (T cells, including helper and cytotoxic T cells).
List the main routes of infectious disease transmission.
Direct contact, droplet, airborne, vehicle-borne (food, water, blood), and vector-borne (insects/animals). Also fecal-oral and vertical (mother to fetus).
What this deck covers
The Anatomy, Physiology and Biosciences deck follows the PNC Licensing Examination Anatomy, Physiology and Biosciences syllabus — 7 chapters and 21 topics — so questions land on material that is genuinely examinable rather than trivia around it. That works out to roughly 7.1 cards per chapter.
Answers are written to be recallable, not just readable — averaging about 130 characters, which is long enough to carry the reasoning and short enough to say out loud.
A deck like this earns its keep on the second and third pass. Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then use the cards to find the specific facts that have not stuck.
Anatomy, Physiology and Biosciences flashcards FAQ
How many Anatomy, Physiology and Biosciences flashcards are in this PNC Licensing Examination deck?
50 cards. This page previews 24 of them, sampled evenly across the deck so you can judge the difficulty before installing anything.
Are these PNC Licensing Examination flashcards free?
Yes. The preview here is free to read with no signup, and the full 50-card deck is free inside the Examius app.
What do the Anatomy, Physiology and Biosciences cards cover?
They follow the PNC Licensing Examination Anatomy, Physiology and Biosciences syllabus — 7 chapters and 21 topics — so the questions track what is actually examinable.
How should I use these flashcards?
Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then drill the deck. Examius schedules each card with spaced repetition, so cards you keep missing come back sooner and ones you know drift further apart.