ACE Exercise Science Test

The diaphragm is the main muscle responsible for respiration in humans. It is a dome-shaped muscle located at the base of the lungs, separating the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. When we inhale, the diaphragm contracts and moves downward, creating more space in the chest cavity and allowing the lungs to expand. This contraction of the diaphragm creates a vacuum effect, drawing air into the lungs. When we exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and moves upward, pushing air out of the lungs. Therefore, the diaphragm plays a crucial role in the process of breathing.

Shoulder shrugs are a common exercise that primarily targets the trapezius muscles, which are responsible for elevating and retracting the scapulae. The levator scapulae muscles also assist in elevating the scapulae. Therefore, performing shoulder shrugs with resistance would effectively strengthen the levator scapulae and trapezius muscles. The other muscle pairs listed in the options are not directly targeted or activated as significantly during shoulder shrugs.

The connective properties of Fasciae include providing a framework that ensures proper alignment of muscle fibers, blood vessels, and nerves. This means that Fasciae helps to organize and maintain the structure of these components, ensuring they are in the correct position and orientation for optimal function. This characteristic is important for the coordination and efficiency of movement, as well as for the proper functioning of blood vessels and nerves.

Collagen is a protein that provides structure and support to tissues in the body, including tendons, ligaments, and skin. It is known for its ability to limit motion and resist stretch, making it essential for maintaining stability and preventing excessive movement in the body. Therefore, the statement that collagen is made up of proteins that limit motion and resist stretch is correct.

A synovial joint is characterized by having a space, or joint, between the bones that form them. This allows for a variety of movements to occur with this joint.

Ligaments are connective tissues that support joints by attaching bone to bone. This means that ligaments play a crucial role in stabilizing joints and preventing excessive movement, which can lead to injury. Ligaments also help to maintain proper alignment of muscle fibers, blood vessels, and nerves, ensuring that they function optimally. Additionally, ligaments transmit force from muscles to bones, allowing for coordinated movement and motion.

During dynamic and static stretching, the skin contributes the least to the total resistance encountered by the joint during movement through its range of motion. This is because the skin is relatively elastic and can easily stretch and move with the joint, providing minimal resistance compared to muscle fascia, tendons, and the joint capsule.

The forward-backward movements of the arms and legs during walking occur in the sagittal plane. The sagittal plane divides the body into left and right halves, and movements in this plane involve flexion and extension. When walking, the arms and legs move forward and backward in a swinging motion, which is a sagittal plane movement.

The pulmonary veins carry blood that is rich in oxygen from the lungs back to the heart. After oxygen is taken up by the red blood cells in the lungs, it is transported through the pulmonary veins to the left atrium of the heart. From there, it is pumped into the left ventricle and then circulated to the rest of the body through the systemic circulation. The pulmonary veins are the only blood vessels in the body that carry oxygenated blood, as all other veins carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart.

The small intestine is primarily responsible for the digestion and absorption of nutrients. It is a long tube-like organ located between the stomach and the large intestine. The inner lining of the small intestine is covered with tiny finger-like projections called villi, which increase the surface area for absorption. The small intestine receives partially digested food from the stomach and continues the process of breaking down the food into smaller molecules that can be absorbed into the bloodstream. It also absorbs nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals, which are then transported to the cells of the body for energy and other functions.

The correct answer is that the medial epicondyle is more toward the midline of the body than the lateral epicondyle. This is because the term "medial" refers to a structure being closer to the midline of the body, while "lateral" refers to a structure being farther away from the midline. Therefore, the medial epicondyle of the humerus is located closer to the midline of the body compared to the lateral epicondyle.

A fibrous joint is characterized by the absence of a joint cavity and being held together by fibrous tissue. This type of joint allows for very little movement.

Humans breath approximately 5-6 liters of air per minute. During exercise it can increase to 20-30 liters per minute.

The pulmonary veins carry blood that is rich in oxygen from the lungs back to the heart. After oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide in the lungs, the oxygenated blood is transported by the pulmonary veins to the left atrium of the heart. From there, it is pumped into the left ventricle and then circulated throughout the body via the systemic circulation. The pulmonary veins are responsible for returning oxygenated blood to the heart, allowing it to be distributed to the rest of the body's tissues and organs.

Plasma is the correct answer because it is the component of blood that carries hormones, food materials, ions, and gases throughout the body. Plasma is a yellowish liquid that makes up about 55% of the total blood volume. It contains various substances such as hormones, nutrients, electrolytes, gases, and waste products, which are transported to different parts of the body. Red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets have different functions in the blood, but they do not primarily carry these substances.

A Cartilaginous joint is characterized by the absence of a joint cavity and being held together by cartilage. This type of joint allows for little or no movement to occur.

Dumbbell lateral raises involve lifting the dumbbells out to the sides of the body, which occurs in the frontal plane. The frontal plane divides the body into front and back sections, and movements in this plane involve abduction or adduction of body parts away from or towards the midline of the body. In the case of dumbbell lateral raises, the arms are being abducted away from the midline, making the frontal plane the correct answer.

Wolff's law states that bones adapt to the stress placed upon them. When weightbearing exercise is performed, it puts stress on the bones, causing them to respond by increasing their density. This adaptation is important for fitness professionals to understand because it explains how weightbearing exercise can lead to stronger, denser bones.

Movements in the frontal plane are:
abduction
adduction
elevation
depression
inversion
eversion

The medial muscles are primarily responsible for hip adduction. These muscles are located on the inner side of the hip and include the adductor magnus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, and pectineus. When these muscles contract, they pull the thigh towards the midline of the body, resulting in hip adduction.

The correct answer is "transmits force from muscle to bone thereby producing motion." This answer accurately describes one of the main functions of tendons, which is to transmit the force generated by the muscles to the bones, allowing for movement. Tendons are strong and flexible connective tissues that connect muscles to bones, enabling the transfer of force and facilitating motion.

Type IIa muscle fibers are the most highly adaptive to different training stimuli. These fibers have a combination of oxidative and glycolytic capacities, allowing them to increase both oxidative capacities and force production and speed. They can adapt to endurance training by increasing their oxidative capacities and to strength and power training by increasing their force production and speed. This versatility makes them the most adaptable muscle fiber type.

The correct answer is Vascular. Vascular tissue is not one of the four types of tissue found in the human body. The four types of tissue are muscular, nervous, epithelial, and connective. Vascular tissue refers to the specialized tissue that forms the blood vessels in plants, not in humans.

After passing through the tricuspid valve, the blood flows into the right ventricle. The tricuspid valve is located between the right atrium and the right ventricle. It allows blood to flow from the atrium into the ventricle, preventing backflow. Once in the right ventricle, the blood is then pumped out of the heart and into the pulmonary artery, where it will be sent to the lungs for oxygenation.

Golgi tendon organs (GTOs) are sensory receptors located in the tendons that connect muscles to bones. When a muscle is stretched, the GTOs detect the increase in tension within the tendon. This information is then sent to the central nervous system, which triggers a reflex called autogenic inhibition. Autogenic inhibition causes the muscles being stretched to relax and lengthen, which helps prevent injury and allows for a greater range of motion. Therefore, the correct answer is relaxation of the muscles being stretched through autogenic inhibition.

During a wide-grip pull-up, the prime movers for shoulder joint adduction are the pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi muscles. The pectoralis major is responsible for adducting the shoulder joint, while the latissimus dorsi helps in both adduction and extension of the shoulder. These muscles work together to pull the arms towards the body during a wide-grip pull-up exercise.

The birddog exercise primarily targets the multifidi muscles. The multifidi muscles are deep muscles located along the spine that play a crucial role in stabilizing and supporting the trunk. During the birddog exercise, the individual is required to extend one arm forward while simultaneously extending the opposite leg backward. This movement engages the multifidi muscles to maintain balance and stability in the trunk. The erector spinae muscles are also involved in this exercise to a lesser extent, but the multifidi muscles are the primary focus. The rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis muscles, although important for core stability, are not directly targeted by the birddog exercise.

The muscles that are prime movers for external rotation of the shoulder joint are the teres minor and infraspinatus. These muscles are located in the rotator cuff and are responsible for rotating the arm outward. They work together to stabilize and control the movement of the shoulder joint during external rotation. The other muscle pairs listed in the options are either not directly involved in external rotation or are involved in other movements of the shoulder joint.

The pancreas helps regulate blood glucose levels by secreting glucagon, which increases blood glucose levels, and insulin, which increases glucose uptake by the cells. This balance of hormones ensures that blood glucose levels stay within a normal range.