Question

Chapter 20

Write an explanation with each answer

Courtney, a dental hygiene student, was in Ghana with several of her classmates. Each summer, the students had an opportunity to combine study abroad with volunteering at a dental clinic in Accra. On their second day at the clinic, Courtney met Juba, a local farmer’s daughter. Juba’s right foot and leg below the knee were extremely swollen, seemingly blown up like a balloon. In contrast, Juba’s left leg had a swelling at all and appeared quite normal. One of the local dentists told Courtney that Juba had elephantiasis, a type of lymphedema caused by a blockage.

1. With Juba’s condition, what vessels are blocked? A. Arteries B. Capillaries C. Veins D. Lymphatic vessels

2. Which of the following is NOT a function of the lymphatic system? A. Removing excess fluid from the blood B. Absorbing lipids from the small intestines C. Returning fluid from the interstitial areas back to the blood stream D. Filtering lymph to remove foreign organisms and particulates.

3. What helps circulate the lymph (fluid) through the lymph vessels? A. Ventricular contraction B. Skeletal muscle contractions C. Exhalation D. Lymphatic vessel contraction

4. Before Juba’s leg became affected by this disorder, the lymph would have passed first through which nodes? A. Cervical B. Axillary C. Inguinal D. Mediastinal

Answer 1

1. With Juba's condition, the vessels blocked are:-D). Lymphatic vessels.

( Elephantiasis is caused by obstruction of the lymphatic system, which results in accumulation of lymph in the affected area. It is caused by parasitic worms that spread through mosquito bite.)

2. Which of the following is not a function of the lymphatic system-B). Absorbing lipids from the small intestine.

( The functions of lymphatic system are to filter foreign organisms and particles, removing excess fluid from blood,returning fluid from intestinal areas back to the blood stream. It has no role in absorption of lipids.)

3. What helps circulate the lymph through the lymph vessels-D). Lymphatic vessel contractions.

4. Before Juba's leg became affected by this disorder,the lymph would have passed first through which nodes-C). Inguinal.

( Since, Juba's legs have become swollen, the obstructed lymph nodes are Inguinal nodes present in the groin region. The cervical nodes are present in neck, the axillary nodes in armpit and mediastinal nodes in chest region, so they are excluded from the answer.)