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Total Categories: 8
The spleen is primarily situated within the right upper quadrant of the human abdomen.
Answer: False
The spleen is anatomically located in the left upper quadrant of the human abdomen.
The spleen is attached to the stomach and pancreas by the splenorenal ligament.
Answer: False
The spleen is attached by several ligaments. The splenorenal ligament connects the spleen to the left kidney. The gastrosplenic ligament attaches the spleen to the stomach and pancreas.
The spleen possesses only efferent lymphatic vessels.
Answer: True
The spleen is unique in that it only contains efferent lymphatic vessels, which drain lymph away from the organ.
The spleen's weight is significantly influenced by a person's age.
Answer: False
The weight of the spleen primarily correlates with height and body weight, as well as the degree of acute congestion. It does not significantly correlate with a person's age.
The spleen's gastric surface contacts the left kidney and the left adrenal gland.
Answer: False
The gastric surface of the spleen contacts the stomach and pancreas. The renal surface contacts the left kidney and occasionally the left adrenal gland.
The spleen is typically purple in color.
Answer: True
In healthy individuals, the spleen is typically described as having a dark red or purplish hue due to its rich blood supply and the presence of red blood cells.
The spleen's hilum is where the splenic vein and artery insert, but not lymphatic vessels or nerves.
Answer: False
The hilum of the spleen is the region where the splenic artery and vein enter and exit, and it also serves as the passage for lymphatic vessels and nerves.
Where is the human spleen anatomically located?
Answer: Left upper quadrant of the abdomen
The human spleen is situated in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen, inferior to the diaphragm and posterior to the stomach.
Which of the following is NOT a ligament attached to the spleen according to the source?
Answer: Hepatogastric ligament
The source lists the gastrosplenic, splenorenal, colicosplenic, and phrenocolic ligaments as being attached to the spleen. The hepatogastric ligament is not mentioned in this context.
What is the typical color of a human spleen?
Answer: Purple
A healthy human spleen is typically described as being purple or dark red in color due to its vascular nature.
The spleen's weight in adults primarily correlates with which factors?
Answer: Height and body weight
The weight of an adult spleen is primarily correlated with the individual's height and body weight, rather than age or sex.
What is the significance of the spleen's hilum?
Answer: It is where the splenic artery and vein enter and exit.
The hilum is a critical anatomical landmark on the spleen where the splenic artery, splenic vein, lymphatic vessels, and nerves enter and exit the organ.
The spleen's white pulp is responsible for the mechanical filtration of red blood cells.
Answer: False
The spleen's red pulp, specifically the sinusoids and splenic cords, is responsible for the mechanical filtration of senescent red blood cells. The white pulp is primarily involved in immune responses.
The spleen's white pulp contains nodules rich in B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes.
Answer: True
The white pulp of the spleen is organized into lymphoid follicles, which are rich in B-lymphocytes, and periarteriolar lymphoid sheaths (PALS), which are rich in T-lymphocytes, forming the primary sites of immune response.
The spleen's red pulp is primarily composed of lymphoid follicles and periarteriolar lymphoid sheaths.
Answer: False
Lymphoid follicles and periarteriolar lymphoid sheaths are the primary components of the spleen's white pulp, which is responsible for immune functions. The red pulp consists of blood-filled sinuses and splenic cords.
Which of the following is a characteristic of the spleen's red pulp?
Answer: Consists of blood-filled sinuses and splenic cords
The red pulp of the spleen is characterized by its structure of blood-filled sinuses (sinusoids) and splenic cords, which are involved in filtering blood and removing aged erythrocytes.
In adult humans, the spleen is a major site for the production of all types of blood cells.
Answer: False
While the spleen is a significant site for hematopoiesis during fetal development, in adults, the bone marrow is the primary site for the production of most blood cells. The spleen retains the capacity to produce lymphocytes.
The spleen metabolizes the heme component of hemoglobin into bilirubin.
Answer: True
As part of its role in processing senescent red blood cells, the spleen breaks down hemoglobin. The heme group is converted into bilirubin, which is then transported to the liver for further processing.
The spleen holds a reserve of blood that can be useful during hemorrhagic shock.
Answer: True
The spleen functions as a reservoir for blood, capable of releasing it into circulation during physiological stress, such as hemorrhagic shock, to help maintain blood volume.
What is the primary function of the spleen?
Answer: Filtering blood and managing red blood cells
The spleen's primary functions involve filtering blood, removing aged or damaged red blood cells, and playing a significant role in the immune system.
What is the spleen's role in metabolizing old red blood cells?
Answer: It breaks down the globin into amino acids and the heme into bilirubin.
The spleen's macrophages process senescent red blood cells, breaking down hemoglobin into amino acids (from globin) and bilirubin (from heme), which is then processed by the liver.
Which of the following is a less prominent function of the spleen, particularly in adults?
Answer: Producing opsonins
While the spleen is crucial for filtering blood, housing lymphocytes, and recycling iron, the production of opsonins is considered a less prominent function compared to its primary roles.
What does the spleen do with the globin component of hemoglobin?
Answer: Breaks it down into amino acids
The globin portion of hemoglobin, after being separated from heme in the spleen, is catabolized into its constituent amino acids.
What does the spleen recycle from old red blood cells?
Answer: Iron
The spleen plays a crucial role in the catabolism of senescent red blood cells, recycling the iron from hemoglobin for reuse in erythropoiesis.
The spleen is analogous to a large lymph node in its function of filtering blood.
Answer: True
The spleen is structurally and functionally analogous to a large lymph node, serving as a secondary lymphoid organ that filters blood and houses lymphocytes for immune surveillance.
The spleen's marginal zone produces IgM memory B cells that generate natural antibodies.
Answer: True
The marginal zone of the spleen is a critical area for initiating immune responses, particularly against encapsulated bacteria, by producing IgM memory B cells that generate natural antibodies.
The spleen is considered a primary lymphoid organ.
Answer: False
The spleen is classified as a secondary lymphoid organ. Primary lymphoid organs, such as the bone marrow and thymus, are where lymphocytes develop and mature.
Which component of the spleen is responsible for mounting an active immune response?
Answer: White pulp
The white pulp of the spleen, containing lymphoid follicles and PALS, is the site where immune cells like lymphocytes are concentrated and mount active immune responses against blood-borne antigens.
How does the spleen contribute to immunity against encapsulated bacteria?
Answer: By generating natural antibodies via IgM memory B cells, which aid phagocytosis.
The spleen's marginal zone B cells produce natural antibodies, particularly IgM, which opsonize encapsulated bacteria, facilitating their clearance by phagocytes and thus contributing to immunity.
What is the spleen's role in tissue healing?
Answer: Monocytes transform into dendritic cells and macrophages in injured tissue.
Monocytes originating from the spleen migrate to injured tissues, where they differentiate into dendritic cells and macrophages, playing a crucial role in the inflammatory response and subsequent tissue repair processes.
What is the spleen's role in the lymphatic system?
Answer: It is a secondary lymphoid organ that houses lymphocytes and filters blood.
The spleen functions as a secondary lymphoid organ, housing lymphocytes and filtering blood to detect and respond to pathogens and antigens.
Lampreys and hagfishes are vertebrates that possess a spleen.
Answer: False
Lampreys and hagfishes, which are jawless fishes, are the only vertebrates known to lack a spleen. They possess diffuse hematopoietic tissue in their gut wall that serves a homologous function.
The spleen is derived from endodermal tissue, making it similar in origin to most other gut organs.
Answer: False
The spleen develops from mesenchymal tissue within and from the dorsal mesentery, which is distinct from the endodermal origin of most other gastrointestinal organs.
The spleen's development from mesenchymal tissue and the dorsal mesentery is unique because:
Answer: Most other gut organs develop from endoderm.
The spleen's mesenchymal origin is notable because the majority of other organs within the gastrointestinal tract are derived from endoderm.
Splenomegaly refers to the absence or non-functioning of the spleen.
Answer: False
Splenomegaly is the medical term for an enlarged spleen. The absence or non-functioning of the spleen is referred to as asplenia.
Splenic infarction is caused by an oversupply of blood to the spleen.
Answer: False
Splenic infarction occurs due to a lack of blood supply, typically caused by the occlusion of the splenic artery or its branches, leading to tissue necrosis from ischemia.
Polysplenia is characterized by a single, normally sized spleen.
Answer: False
Polysplenia is a congenital condition characterized by the presence of multiple spleens, rather than a single, normally sized one.
What condition is characterized by the enlargement of the spleen?
Answer: Splenomegaly
Splenomegaly is the medical term used to describe an enlarged spleen, which can be indicative of various underlying conditions.
What is the consequence of asplenia or hyposplenia regarding the immune system?
Answer: Increased susceptibility to infections, particularly from encapsulated bacteria
Individuals with asplenia or hyposplenia exhibit a compromised immune system, leading to a heightened susceptibility to infections, especially those caused by encapsulated bacteria like Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae.
What is splenosis?
Answer: Displaced fragments of splenic tissue autotransplanting within the abdominal cavity
Splenosis is a condition characterized by the autotransplantation of splenic tissue fragments within the abdominal cavity, often occurring after trauma or splenectomy.
Which of the following is a potential cause of splenic infarction?
Answer: Occlusion of the splenic artery or its branches
Splenic infarction, the death of splenic tissue, is typically caused by the blockage or occlusion of the splenic artery or its branches, interrupting blood flow.
Which of the following is a characteristic of polysplenia?
Answer: Multiple small accessory spleens
Polysplenia is a congenital anomaly characterized by the presence of multiple spleens, often small and accessory in nature, instead of a single, normally developed spleen.
What is the typical symptom of splenic infarction?
Answer: Severe pain in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen
The most common symptom of splenic infarction is acute, severe pain localized to the left upper quadrant of the abdomen, which may radiate to the left shoulder.
The surgical removal of the spleen is called a splenectomy.
Answer: True
The medical term for the surgical removal of the spleen is indeed splenectomy.
What is the surgical procedure for removing the spleen called?
Answer: Splenectomy
The surgical removal of the spleen is termed a splenectomy.
What is the significance of the image caption 'Maximum length of spleen on abdominal ultrasonography'?
Answer: It illustrates how the spleen's length is measured using ultrasound.
This caption indicates that the accompanying image demonstrates the method of measuring the spleen's maximum length using abdominal ultrasonography, a common diagnostic imaging technique.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the spleen is associated with the element of metal.
Answer: False
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the spleen is associated with the Earth element, not metal. It is considered a central organ in the digestive system and is linked to nourishment and transformation.
In the 18th century, 'spleen' was considered a fashionable affliction among the English upper classes.
Answer: True
During the 18th century, the term 'spleen' was associated with a variety of ailments, including melancholy and ennui, and was indeed considered a fashionable affliction among certain social strata in England.
In Sicilian cuisine, cow spleen sandwiches are a common dish.
Answer: True
Spleen, particularly cow spleen, is utilized in certain culinary traditions, such as the preparation of sandwiches in Sicilian cuisine.
In ancient Greek medicine, the spleen was believed to store which humor?
Answer: Black bile
According to the humoral theory of ancient Greek medicine, the spleen was thought to be the organ responsible for storing black bile, one of the four humors believed to influence temperament and health.
The French term 'splénétique,' popularized by Charles Baudelaire, refers to what state?
Answer: Pensive sadness or melancholy
The French term 'splénétique,' notably used by Charles Baudelaire, denotes a state of pensive sadness, melancholy, or ennui.
What is the etymological origin of the word 'spleen' in English?
Answer: Ancient Greek 'splēn'
The English word 'spleen' is derived from the Ancient Greek word 'splēn', which referred to the organ itself.
What historical misconception linked the spleen to melancholia?
Answer: Belief that it stored black bile, one of the four humors
Historically, particularly within the framework of humoral theory, the spleen was believed to be the repository of black bile, one of the four humors, which was consequently linked to melancholic temperaments.