In a patient with suspected meningitis, which system is directly affected?
Central nervous system
Enteric nervous system
Autonomic nervous system
Peripheral nervous system
The Correct Answer is A
A. Central nervous system: Meningitis is inflammation of the meninges - the protective membranes (dura, arachnoid, pia) that surround the brain and spinal cord, which are components of the central nervous system (CNS). Symptoms (fever, headache, neck stiffness, photophobia, altered mental status) reflect CNS involvement.
B. Enteric nervous system: The enteric nervous system is localized to the gastrointestinal tract and controls gut function; it is not the site of pathology in meningitis.
C. Autonomic nervous system: While severe CNS infection can secondarily affect autonomic functions (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure), the primary site of meningitis is the CNS meninges, not the autonomic nervous system itself.
D. Peripheral nervous system: The peripheral nervous system is composed of peripheral nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis directly affects the CNS coverings, not the peripheral nerves (unless there are rare complications that secondarily involve peripheral nerves).
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Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. The release of oxytocin during childbirth:This is the classic example of positivefeedback. Uterine contractions stimulate the release of oxytocin, which causes stronger contractions, which stimulates more oxytocin, continuing until delivery is complete.
B. The activation of the sympathetic nervous system during stress:This is a neurological "fight or flight" response. While it involves hormones (epinephrine), the mechanism of rapidly ramping up the body's alert state is not a homeostatic negative feedback loop (which aims to reverse a change).
C. The regulation of blood glucose levels by insulin and glucagon:Negative feedback works to reverse a deviation from the set point. If blood glucose rises, insulin is released to lower it. If blood glucose drops, glucagon is released to raise it. The system works to negate the stimulus (high or low sugar) to maintain balance.
D. The release of adrenaline during exercise:Similar to choice B, this is a response to increased demand (feed-forward) rather than a loop designed to keep adrenaline levels constant.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A. By dilating blood vessels and increasing sweat production: This is the primary cooling response. Vasodilation of cutaneous blood vessels increases blood flow to the skin to dissipate heat; sweating and subsequent evaporation remove heat from the body surface. Together these actions lower core temperature and restore homeostasis.
B. By increasing metabolic rate: Increasing metabolic rate would produce more heat, which would worsen hyperthermia rather than cool the body. Metabolic rate typically increases during exercise (which raises temperature), but it is not a homeostatic response to reduce body temperature.
C. By decreasing the heart rate:During exercise, heart rate increases to meet oxygen demand; decreasing heart rate would impair heat dissipation and cardiovascular support for exercise. It is not a thermoregulatory mechanism to cool the body.
D. By constricting blood vessels and reducing sweat production:Vasoconstriction and reduced sweating conserve heat and reduce heat loss - an appropriate response in cold stress, not when body temperature is elevated. This would counteract cooling and worsen hyperthermia.
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