This document contains sample exam questions for anatomy and physiology that cover multiple body systems including muscles, bones, the cardiovascular system, and respiratory system. It asks questions about fiber types, joint movements, the cardiac cycle, gas exchange, and more. It provides tips on critically analyzing the impacts of different physical activities and relating concepts like Newton's laws of motion to exercises. Students are expected to know details of each body system as well as how to apply concepts to real-world examples and activities.

1. AS PE Exam Questions
(2009).
Anatomy and Physiology.

2. Muscles.
What do you need to know about muscles?
Fibre types, names, strength exercises, agonist
etc.
A long Jumper would use type 2B muscle
fibres during the take off phase. Identify two
reasons why this fibre type would be used. [2]
During sub-max exercise (aerobic), the
predominant muscle fibre type would be type 1.
Give one structural and one functional
characteristic of this fibre type. [2]

3. Bones.
What do you need to know about bones
and joints?
Joint types.
Articulating bones.
Movement classification.
Structure and function of a joint.

4. Complete an analysis of the
following activities:
Knee joint during extension.
Ankle joint during plantar flexion.
Upward phase of a sit up.
Upward phase of a press up.
A tennis serve.

5. Discuss both the positive and negative
impacts on the joints and muscles of the
body through participating in different
types of physical activity. [10]
Tips:
You must be able to critically evaluate
the impact of different types of physical
activity on the skeletal and muscular
systems.
How would you break the question
down?

6. Warm-up / Cool-down.
What do you need to know?
Effect on the muscular system
and skeletal system.

7. Motion and Movement.
What do you need to know?
Newtons 3 laws.
Force/motion – Direct and eccentric.
Stability.
How can you relate them to
sport?

8. Apply Newton’s laws of motion to a
strength training exercise of your choice.
[3]
Where would you get the 3 marks from?
Describe how the position of the centre of mass
can affect a balance. [3]
Identify 4 factors that affect stability. [3]
When hitting a tennis ball, an understanding of
force is important. Explain how force can cause
the ball to:
Move straight.
Spin.

9. The Heart and Cardiovascular
system.
What do you need to know?
The cardiac cycle.
The chambers of the heart.
The hearts conduction system.
The CCC.
Blood volumes + Changes during max and sub-max exercise.
Blood pressure.
The VCC
The flow of blood through the systemic and pulmonary
circulatory networks.
The different blood vessels.
Venous Return Mechanisms.
Understand how a warm-up and cool-down affect the vascular
system.

10. Define stroke volume and give a maximal
value for an Aerobic athlete. [2]
Draw a graph to show how a cyclists cardiac
output Q changes, prior, during and after
exercise. [4]
Do the same for the cyclists HR. [4]
Cardiac output is a determining factor during
endurance activities. Describe how Q is
increased during endurance activities. [4]
Identify the mechanisms of venous return that
ensure a sufficient supply of blood is
returning to the heart during exercise. [4]

11. An increase in venous return leads to an
increase in HR. Explain how this is
achieved by intrinsic control. [4]
What do you need to write about?
Describe the passage of oxygenated blood
through the pulmonary and systemic
networks from the lungs to the working
muscles. [4]
Describe how the conduction system of the
heart controls the cardiac cycle to ensure
enough blood is ejected from the heart. [4]

12. Give two effects of a warm-up and
two effects of a cool-down on the
vascular system. [4]
Explain how the CCC (neural control)
increases the HR during exercise. [4]
During a training run, blood needs to be
diverted away from non-essential
organs to the working muscles. Explain
how the Vasomotor control centre
(VCC) controls this distribution.

13. Critically evaluate the role of
exercise in the prevention of
cardiovascular disease. [10]
What do you need to include?
How often to train.
Cardiovascular diseases.
Effects of smoking.
The role of exercise in a healthy
lifestyle.

14. The Respiratory system.
What you need to know
The structure of the respiratory system.
The RCC.
The mechanics of breathing.
Changes in the mechanics of breathing.
Lung volumes.
The impact of Smoking on the Respiratory
system.
Gaseous exchange.
The effects of altitude on gaseous exchange.
Transport of O2 and Co2 in the blood.

15. Describe the mechanics of breathing
which allow a marathon runner to breath
in more (inspiration) greater volumes of
O2 during a run. [4]
Explain how the respiratory centre uses
neural control to produce changes in the
mechanics of breathing. [4]
What do you need to include? Can you
draw it as a diagram?
Describe how Co2 is diffused from the blood
into the alveoli. [3]
Draw a diagram of O2 + Co2 exchange
at the lungs and the muscles.

16. During endurance activities at altitude
there may be a reduction in performance.
Why do the changes in air pressure at
altitude reduce performance? [4]
What could you talk about?
Partial pressure.
Diffusion gradient.
Gaseous exchange.
Lactic acid.
How is O2 and Co2 transported in
blood. [4]

17. Minute ventilation is defined as the
volume of air inspired or expired in one
minute.
Sketch a graph to show the minute
ventilation of a swimmer completing a 20
minute sub-max swim.
Show minute ventilation:
Before,
During
After exercise. [4]

18. Define minute ventilation and
give an average value during
maximal exercise. [2]
Describe the impact of smoking on the
respiratory system. [4]