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Chapter 4: Introduction to Homeostasis

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Chapter 4: Introduction to Homeostasis

10 problems · 0 figures

4-1 §4.RQ source ↗

A nurse is preparing to teach a client about temperature regulation and homeostasis. Which statement should the nurse include in the teaching plan?
  1. a.
    Homeostasis makes your blood pressure rise when you experience stress.
  2. b.
    Homeostasis allows you to maintain a stable body temperature despite the outside temperature.
  3. c.
    Homeostasis is solely under the control of your brain and nervous system.
  4. d.
    Homeostasis converts food into energy.

Answer

B. Homeostasis allows you to maintain a stable body temperature despite the outside temperature.
Homeostasis involves maintaining the body’s internal temperature despite a rise in the environmental temperature.

4-2 §4.RQ source ↗

The nurse is caring for a client with a high serum osmolality. Which condition is the client likely to have?
  1. a.
    Dehydration
  2. b.
    Fluid volume excess
  3. c.
    Hypothermia
  4. d.
    Hyperkalemia

Answer

A. Dehydration
Hyperosmolality occurs when there is a high concentration of solutes in a solution, such as occurs with dehydration.

4-3 §4.RQ source ↗

The nurse is caring for a client with excessive fluid accumulation in the pleural cavity. The nurse determines that fluid is accumulating in which fluid compartment?
  1. a.
    Intracellular
  2. b.
    Extracellular
  3. c.
    Interstitial
  4. d.
    Transcellular

Answer

D. Transcellular
Transcellular fluid is the fluid contained within the pleural cavity, separated from the intracellular and extracellular fluid compartments and characterized by limited communication with the rest of the body.

4-4 §4.RQ source ↗

The nurse is caring for a client who has been experiencing diarrhea. Which anion does the nurse anticipate the client is losing through this loss of extracellular fluid?
  1. a.
    Calcium
  2. b.
    Sodium
  3. c.
    Potassium
  4. d.
    Chloride

Answer

D. Chloride
Chloride and phosphorus are major anions in the extracellular fluid volume. When the client loses extracellular fluid through diarrhea, chloride is lost. The other options listed are cations in the extracellular fluid.

4-5 §4.RQ source ↗

The nurse is caring for a client with a gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Which fluid compartment does the nurse understand is losing fluid?
  1. a.
    Interstitial compartment
  2. b.
    Intravascular compartment
  3. c.
    Transcellular compartment
  4. d.
    Intracellular compartment

Answer

B. Intravascular compartment
The intravascular compartment contains plasma and blood.

4-6 §4.RQ source ↗

A nurse is caring for a pregnant client who is in labor. Which of the following statements accurately describes the concept of positive feedback in the context of labor?
  1. a.
    Oxytocin is suppressed, stimulating uterine contractions.
  2. b.
    Oxytocin is released, stimulating uterine contractions.
  3. c.
    Oxytocin is suppressed, increasing contractions.
  4. d.
    Oxytocin is released, halting uterine contractions.

Answer

B. Oxytocin is released, stimulating uterine contractions.
Positive feedback in labor involves the release of oxytocin, which stimulates uterine contractions.

4-7 §4.RQ source ↗

A nurse is teaching a group of nursing students about the Na+K+ATPase pump. Which of the following statements accurately describes the role of this pump in maintaining cellular function?
  1. a.
    Potassium moves out of the cell and sodium moves into the cell, thereby maintaining a higher concentration of potassium inside the cell.
  2. b.
    Sodium moves out of the cell and potassium moves into the cell, thereby maintaining a higher concentration of sodium inside the cell.
  3. c.
    Sodium and potassium move out of the cell, thereby maintaining an equal concentration of electrolytes inside and outside the cell.
  4. d.
    Sodium and potassium move into the cell, thereby maintaining a higher concentration of electrolytes outside the cell.

Answer

B. Sodium moves out of the cell and potassium moves into the cell, thereby maintaining a higher concentration of sodium inside the cell.
The sodium–potassium ATPase pump moves sodium ions out of the cell and potassium ions into the cell, using energy from ATP activity. This process is necessary for maintaining the normal concentration of electrolytes inside and outside the cell and for normal cellular function.

4-8 §4.RQ source ↗

Which of the following is an example of a negative feedback loop in the human body?
  1. a.
    Release of oxytocin during childbirth
  2. b.
    Blood clotting
  3. c.
    Lactation
  4. d.
    Regulation of blood glucose levels

Answer

D. Regulation of blood glucose levels
Negative feedback helps the body maintain its internal balance. Examples include thermoregulation and regulation of blood glucose levels.

4-9 §4.RQ source ↗

The nurse is caring for a client with a fluid imbalance. Which statement accurately describes the distribution of intracellular (ICF) and extracellular fluid (ECF) in the body?
  1. a.
    The ICF constitutes approximately 40% of total body fluid, and ECF accounts for 20%.
  2. b.
    The ICF constitutes approximately 40% of total body fluid, and ECF accounts for 60%.
  3. c.
    The ICF constitutes approximately 20% of total body fluid, and ECF accounts for 80%.
  4. d.
    The ICF constitutes approximately 80% of total body fluid, and ECF accounts for 20%.

Answer

A. The ICF constitutes approximately 40% of total body fluid, and ECF accounts for 20%.
Approximately 40% of the body’s fluid is distributed within the cells (ICF), and the remaining 20% is distributed in the ECF.

4-10 §4.RQ source ↗

Which of the following best describes the concept of osmotic equilibrium in the body?
  1. a.
    The balance of water and electrolytes in the body
  2. b.
    The balance of water and solutes across a semipermeable membrane
  3. c.
    The balance of ions in the body’s extracellular and intracellular fluid compartments
  4. d.
    The balance of acids and bases in the body’s fluid

Answer

B. The balance of water and solutes across a semipermeable membrane
Osmotic equilibrium is the state in which the concentration of solutes is equal on both sides of a semipermeable membrane and there is no net movement of water across the membrane.

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Problems and answers are adapted from Pharmacology for Nurses by Tina Barbour-Taylor, Leah Mueller (Sabato), Donna Paris and Dorie Weaver, OpenStax, and are used under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence. Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/pharmacology/pages/1-introduction. Illustrations: Copyright Rice University, OpenStax, under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. This adaptation is released under the same licence, is non-commercial, and is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by OpenStax or Rice University.