Biom3003 Sample Exam::) Fuck Yess We Did It!!! Notes From Someone Who Took The Exam Last Year

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Question from the lectures: https://docs.google.

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SXfFzbPN1B2VLGeU1gQN0C9Ox5U/edit?usp=sharing

BIOM3003 SAMPLE EXAM


GOOD LUCK ALL :) FUCK YESS WE DID IT!!!
Notes from someone who took the exam last year;
● The exam is different to the sample!!
● Nothing on EMA.

SECTION A – SHORT ANSWER


Recommended time for this section is twenty (20)
minutes
.............................................................. ……………………… TOTAL
Student Number Surname

1 Define evolution and give an overview of how it underpins biological function. [6 marks]
[42209]

Evolution is the change in genetic composition of a population overtime. Natural selection acts like a filter; it is
the primary driver for change. Here, the object of selection is phenotype. It can be defined by the following
relation;

Survival + Reproduction
= Fitness

Sexual Selection

Natural Selection

In natural selection, an organism must be “fit” to pass on genetic information. This underpins biological
function, by selecting traits that are advantageous in survival the next generation. Thus the next generation
will have become more adapted to the environment in which they live as a result of their biological function.

Sexual Selection too, is a mechanism for evolutionary change that favours increased progeny production of
some organisms as a consequence of mate choice for certain biological characteristics. Not necessarily
advantageous as it’s based on physical characteristics, such as excessively long tail feathers in males of some
bird species (attractive to females, but inconvenient to live with).
2 Outline the structural changes that human cortical bone undertakes from development in the
foetus to maturity in the adult. [6 marks]
[40080]

Embryo – Bones are composed of hyaline cartilage.


Foetus – bone tissue has replaced some of the cartilage in the diaphysis and at the primary ossification
site. Medullary cavity has begun to form and vascularisation has occurred. Bone tissue in the epiphysis is
also forming at the secondary ossification centre and is slowly replacing the hyaline cartilage.
Child – Most of the hyaline cartilage is replaced with trabecular bone in the epiphysis and medullary cavity and
compact bone in the diaphysis. Growth of the bone stems from the epiphyseal plate. There is a line of hyaline
cartilage at the metaphysis at which bone growth occurs.
Adult – difference between child and adult is that the epiphyseal plate is now composed of bone instead of
cartilage. Indicated that the bone is finished with growing length wise. The medullary cavity is filled with yellow
bone marrow. The bone has been calcified and the only remaining cartilage is the articular cartilage at the
epiphysis.

(might be a question on bone growth)

Growth occurs in two ways – length wise and width wise


Width: to grow in width, osteoclasts remove bone tissue from the endosteum of the diaphysis. Simultaneously,
osteoblasts are lying down new bone on the periosteum. This results in growth of width.

Length – growth occurs at the secondary ossification centre. There are 7 zones that result in the growth of
bones length wise.
1. Resting cartilage – hyaline cartilage isn’t doing anything
2. Zone of proliferation chondrocytes start to divide
3. Zone of maturation cells and lacunae mature
4. Zone of provisional calcification nutrient import stops
5. Zone of regression chondrocytes are starved and die off
6. Zone of ossification osteoblasts form new bone
7. Zone of resorption osteoclasts eat away, change in configuration to properly formed bone

What lecture/s were these? .. so god damn confused with this question ahaha?

I’m sure we didn’t go into much detail regarding Endochondral Ossification in Carls module. He more so
discussed Woven Bone>Vascular Bone>Lamellar Bone. +2
You want to focus on Mike’s lectures, specifically L18 - L21.
Do we need to discuss woven bone/primary osteon/secondary haversian systems here??
I think so, as I assume ‘Section A’ is meant to all be from Carl’s lectures rather than Mikes stuff

Yep, now that i have thought about it - I think the answer they wanted was one about
woven/primary/secondary bone. You could even talk about appositional modeling (increasing the size of
bone), if you wanted.
SECTION B – SHORT ANSWER
/12
Recommended time for this section is twenty (20)
minutes
.............................................................. ……………………… TOTAL
Student Number Surname

3 Describe and contrast the structural and mechanical properties of tendons and ligaments.
[6 marks]
[20237]

Tendon: Ligament:
Structural: Structural:
● collagen (Collagen Fibrils) (60%) ● Similar to tendon far more elastin than
● Elastin (2%) no elastin in tendon. In the tendon (hence having a larger strain at
Musculoskeletal Pathology Lecture, the failure (300% compared to 10%) but a
table comparing Tendons and Ligaments smaller Young’s modulus (1.5MPa
states there is a small amount of elastin? compared to 1.5GPa)
+1 yeah you right ● Fibroblasts
● Fibroblasts (tenocytes) ● Crimp collagen
● fibers aligned with axis of loading ● Fibers not aligned with axis of loading
● Enthesis ● limited vascularization
● limited vascularization ● Enthesis
Mechanical: Mechanical:
● viscoelastic behavior ● Graded failure
● Fails Abruptly ● viscoelastic behavior

4 [Total Q4: 6 marks]


[40294]

Each skeletal muscle is generally attached to a tendon of insertion which has a safety factor of about
ten (10).

a) Provide a graph that illustrates the tensile properties of tendon. [2 marks]

b) Explain the implications of this safety factor for (i) elastic strain energy storage [2 marks] and
(ii) the control of the position of joints that the tendon passes over / around [2 marks].

The safety factor (SF) = maximum sustainable force/ applied force


(i) This SF means that in terms of elastic strain energy storage, tendon is an ineffective store elastic strain
energy because the tendon is stiff. stiffer than what? I think this needs to be in a lot more depth.

(i) Having such a high safety factor means that tendons are able to withstand stresses 10x higher than what
they would normally encounter. Since tendons also have a very high Young’s modulus of elasticity, this ability
to withstand high forces comes at the cost of elastic properties (ie, cannot bear high strains). This means
tendons are quite stiff (or non-compliant), reducing their ability to effectively store elastic strain energy. +2

^^ nice!

(ii) In terms of the control as the tendon is stiffer, the tendon may exert more control over a joint.

(i) As stated above, tendons are not very compliant; however, compliance tends to impede positional control,
meaning that the stiffness of tendons makes them better able to control the joints the pass over. +2

SECTION C – SHORT ANSWER


/12
Recommended time for this section is twenty (20)
minutes
.............................................................. ……………………… TOTAL
Student Number Surname

5 Describe in detail the pathway for conscious proprioception from the lower limbs. Include a
diagram in your answer. [6
marks]
[34485]
Conscious proprioception from the lower limbs thus, consider the dorsal columns/medial lemniscal pathway.
Diagram:

The lower limb has a separate pathway doesn’t it? She mentions it at the end of the lecture. The one with
nucleus Z +1 Which lecture was this mentioned in? L16

SO, would we be expecting something like this? So the above does not handle the lower limbs, just the lumbar
area?
Concious proprioception of the lower limbs is done through the spinocerebellar tract: 1st order neuron comes
in through lumbar/sacral sc, travels up on ipsillateral side until nucleus Z, where it synapses with 2nd order
neuron, which decussates to contralateral side, ascends, and information gets taken to somatosensory cortex.
Does anyone actually understand WTF this is? Like why isn’t it just DCML… and what is nucleus Z.

From ANAT3022 we were definitely taught that DCML transmits information from skin from everywhere in
body including lower limbs (would just have to specify that it travels to the gracile nucleus).
But I just rewatched this part of the lecture and she makes it seem like she would be after the Nucleus Z
pathway for this question.
“We mentioned that there was some conscious proprioception (from particularly the upper limb) that is
carried in the DCML but the lower limb is a little different. It has to have its own separate pathway” - Lecture
8/9, around 42 minutes

^^ Yep, I thought that the DCML was the way to go too, but as you say, the lecture suggests this pathway is
what she wants .. Do we write both haha?

I would probably write both if I had time just to cover my bases haha - hoping that because lower limb was on
the sample we might get upper limb tonight???

Hopefully… Nucleus Z plays the role of the gracile and cuneate nuclei of the DCML pathway, since it is where
the 1st order neuron will synapse onto the 2nd order neuron. From there it is the same as the DCML pathway
where the 2nd order neuron ends in the VPL nucleus of the thalamus to synapse with the 3rd order neuron. So
I think this is a “trick question” where a lot of people will trip up and just draw the DCML pathway instead of
this strange spinocerebellar/conscious proprioceptive hybrid pathway. She also mentioned that maybe people
had run out of names for nuclei so they just named it Z if that helps you remember. Some animals apparently
have a nucleus X. I guess you could mention the DCML and say that it carries the rest of the conscious
proprioceptive info and this pathway is a bit “aberrant”?
6 [Total Q6: 6 marks]
[42205]
a) Describe in detail the origins of the pyramidal tract, its trajectory as it descends and its
terminations. [4 marks]

Diagram:

I don’t think you need to detail the PFC/SMC/PMC stuff here. I would instead include more detail
perhaps about where the actual tract passes through/decussates/terminates etc.
Maybe also include the Lateral and Anterior Divisions of the Corticospinal tract

b) What is the basic difference between this motor pathway and the extrapyramidal tracts?
[2 marks]
Don’t quote me on this, but I think extrapyramidal tracts aren’t examinable this semester since Kylie made a
mistake on her slides…
I think they still are just not the details from that particular slide +1
Diagram:
● Main difference - extrapyramidal tracts: Descending pathway from brain stem.
● Pyramidal tract is responsible for voluntary movements, extrapyramidal is for involuntary.
● Pyramidal Pathway - descend through the medullary pyramids, extrapyramidal pathways instead
descend through the tegmentum
SECTION D – SHORT ANSWER
/12
Recommended time for this section is twenty (20)
minutes
.............................................................. ……………………… TOTAL
Student Number Surname

7 How does motor unit recruitment and rate coding (firing rate) influence muscle force (F)
production? [6
marks]
[40290]

● Motor unit recruitment and rate encoding influences muscle force production.
● With more motor units being recruited more force can be generated by a summation of the force
created by individual motor units.
● By increasing the rate encoding, a single motor unit can contract more, by a summation of action-
potentials - that increases the degree of contraction for that motor unit.
● Thus both motor unit recruitment and rate encoding affects muscle force.
- Should I mention Henneman’s size principle? Yes

Always mention Henneman’s size principle:


Under the assumption that all motor units within one pool receive equal drive, Henneman’s size principle
states that smaller motor neurons are recruited first, as there is a greater change in membrane potential in
smaller motor units than larger ones for the same action potential. Larger motor units are recruited later on,
and only if more force is necessary.
8 [Total Q8: 6 marks]
[43683]
Background
EMG = electromyogram
sEMG = surface EMG

imEMG = intramuscular EMG


Answer BOTH parts of this question.

a) What are the advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of sEMG versus imEMG?
[4 marks]

Top row sEMG and Bottom row is imEMG

Type Pro's Cons

sEMG Ease of recording Represents activity from a


Represents activity from a large area large area
Summation of many motor Units Summation of many motor
Recording zone stable between Units
conditions surface rep Cross talk from other muscles
For SMU studies Recording zone may change if
it is also Easy to use lol lmao +100 muscle length changes
Big impact of subcutaneous
tissue - influences results

imEMG Recording zone stable between Represents activity from a


conditions surface rep small area
For SMU studies (Spike trigger Changes in population of
average of Surface EMG: Can see active units
Single muscle units and how that "Too many units"
affects surface muscles) Lower Forces
After selectivity by making your own Large processing time
electrodes Specialist equipment
1-1 Relationship with motor neuron Ethics and skills ouchies
excitability Data in lower forces
Activity of deep muscles and avoids Recording zone may change if
subcutaneous tissue issues muscle length changes
Represents activity from a small area It can also hurt like a bitch,
Changes in population of active units which deters volunteers from
participating

What does SMU stand for? -> Single motor unit


b) How does an EMG signal change as a muscle becomes fatigued? [2 marks]

An EMG signal, increases in amplitude as a muscle becomes fatigued. This is because, the muscle needs more
neural drive for the same strength of contraction. The median frequency also decreases, because of altered
recruitment of motor units of deep fibers (Slow twitch fibers?) and lactic acid build up reducing action
potential propagation +1
SECTION E – SHORT ANSWER
/6
Recommended time for this section is ten (10) minutes
.............................................................. ……………………… TOTAL
Student Number Surname

9 [Total Q9: 6 marks]


[40101]

Consider the musculoskeletal system of quadrupedal terrestrial vertebrates and answer the following
questions.

a) Provide an explanation of the term ‘Effective Mechanical Advantage (EMA)’ of limb


muscles? (You may use diagram(s) in your response.) [2
marks]

EMA, is defined by the following equation;

Extensor Muscle moment arm Muscle force


EMA= =
Moment arm of GRF GRF

It is the ratio of the extensor muscle moment arm to the moment arm of the ground reaction force.

Not extensor - effective. When she asks for a diagram, does she want like how straighter limbs increase
EMA and how more crouched limbs reduce EMA?

“EMA is the ratio of the extensor muscle moment arm (r) to the moment arm of the GRF (R) acting
about the joint equivalent to Muscle Force (Fm)/ GRF (Fg).”

b) What is the predominant relationship between


EMA and body mass? 3
Forelimb and hindlimb EMA, are directly proportional
to body mass. wouldn’t animals with larger mass walk
with a straighter limb to reduced skeletal stress,
therefore, EMA ratio is reduced? I thought that too, but
this figure shows the relationship between EMA and
body mass. It is from the paper referenced in the EMA
lecture, so i think it should be right - but not too sure. Oh
yea, i just noticed, the graph is right and we are right as
well, the ratio is a fraction, so as the denominator (GRF
moment arm) decreases, the ratio is brought closer to 1.
c) Explain why this relationship is beneficial to small and to large animals. [2 marks]

As animals become larger; a shift to an upright posture occurs that aligns the joints of the limbs more
closely with the GRF. Thus, the mass-specific force produced by the extensor muscles decreases with
more upright posture. This reduces the forces acting on bone, reducing the risk of fracture whereas
smaller animals can afford to maintain crouched postures without any risk of bone fracture.

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