Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to supply oxygen to the tissues and organs throughout the body. Veins, choice A, carry oxygen-poor blood back to the heart, not oxygen-rich blood. Intestines, choice B, are part of the digestive system and do not play a role in carrying blood. Bronchioles, choice C, are small air passages in the lungs responsible for carrying air, not blood.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D. Gametes are the reproductive cells produced by meiosis. Meiosis is the cell division process that results in the formation of gametes, which are sperm cells in males and egg cells in females. Genes (A), alleles (B), and chromatids (C) are not the reproductive cells produced by meiosis. Genes are units of heredity, alleles are different forms of a gene, and chromatids are duplicated chromosomes involved in cell division.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A, Merkel's discs. Merkel's discs are touch receptors that respond to light touch and slower vibrations, making them ideal for detecting subtle tactile stimuli. Pacinian corpuscles are specialized in detecting deep pressure and high-frequency vibrations, not light touch or slower vibrations. Meissner's corpuscles, on the other hand, are sensitive to light touch and low-frequency vibrations, but they do not specifically respond to slower vibrations. Ruffini endings are responsible for detecting skin stretch and continuous touch pressure, differentiating them from Merkel's discs, which are specifically attuned to light touch and slower vibrations.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct order of joint types, from least mobile to most mobile, is hinge, condyloid, saddle. A hinge joint allows movement in one plane (like a door hinge), a condyloid joint allows movement in two planes but not rotation (like the wrist), and a saddle joint allows movement in multiple directions (like the thumb). Choice A, 'Hinge, condyloid, saddle,' is the correct sequence as it accurately represents the order of increasing permitted motion in joints. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because they do not follow the correct order of joint types from least mobile to most mobile as required by the question.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The somatic nervous system is responsible for controlling voluntary movements of skeletal muscles. This system communicates sensory information and controls voluntary movements, such as walking or reaching for objects. Breathing is primarily regulated by the autonomic nervous system, which functions involuntarily. Thought processes involve complex interactions between various regions of the brain and are not directly controlled by the somatic nervous system. Fear is an emotional response that involves the limbic system of the brain and the autonomic nervous system, not the somatic nervous system.