Which of the following types of wound is indicated by the definition: relatively painless, decreased with elevation?

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Venous wounds, typically venous stasis ulcers, are relatively painless compared to arterial wounds and improve (decrease) with elevation because this reduces venous pooling and pressure in the lower extremities. Arterial wounds are painful, especially with elevation, due to reduced blood flow. Plantar is a location, not a wound type, and diabetic wounds vary in pain depending on neuropathy but don't specifically decrease with elevation. Venous wounds align with the definition due to their chronic nature, mild discomfort, and response to elevation, which aids venous return, making this the correct answer.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The integumentary system, primarily the skin, performs several critical physiological roles. It prevents dehydration by acting as a barrier, thanks to the waterproof keratin in the epidermis, which limits water loss. It regulates body fluids indirectly through sweat production and prevents excessive fluid loss. Temperature regulation occurs via sweating and blood vessel dilation or constriction in the dermis. However, the skin does not synthesize vitamin A. Instead, it synthesizes vitamin D when exposed to ultraviolet light, using cholesterol precursors in the epidermis. Vitamin A, essential for skin health and vision, is obtained from the diet (e.g., through beta-carotene) and not produced by the integument. This distinction is key: while the skin processes certain vitamins, its synthetic capacity is limited to vitamin D, not A. Misattributing vitamin A synthesis to the skin overlooks its actual metabolic role and dietary dependency, making this the function it does not perform among the listed options.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Hair types in humans vary by developmental stage and location. The reference to Rapunzel's long hair evokes an image of prominent, mature hair, likely scalp hair. Axillary hair grows in the armpits, not typically long or fairy-tale-like. Lanugo is fine, soft hair on fetuses, shed before or shortly after birth, not long or durable. Definitive hair refers to terminal hair coarse, pigmented hair like that on the scalp, eyebrows, or beard which replaces vellus hair (fine, short hair) during development and fits the context of long, strong hair. Angora, a rabbit breed or wool type, is irrelevant to human hair. Scalp hair, as definitive hair, grows long due to extended anagen (growth) phases, often reaching lengths associated with Rapunzel's legendary tresses. This hair type's permanence and prominence in adults align with the literary allusion, distinguishing it from temporary or unrelated hair forms.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The integument performs diverse physiological roles. It eliminates salts, urea, and uric acid through sweat, a minor excretory function alongside the kidneys. It absorbs fat-soluble vitamins (e.g., A, D, E, K), steroids, and toxins through its lipid-rich layers, as seen in transdermal drug delivery. The hypodermis stores lipids as adipose tissue, providing energy and insulation. However, the skin does not synthesize proteins and carbohydrates. It produces keratin (a protein) and vitamin D (a sterol), but this involves assembly from dietary precursors, not de novo carbohydrate or protein synthesis, which occurs in the liver or muscles. Keratin forms via epidermal differentiation, not true synthesis, and carbohydrates are not made in skin cells. This limitation reflects the integument's specialized roles protection, sensation, and minor excretion versus metabolic organs' broader synthetic capacities, making this the impossible function among the options.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Eccrine sweat glands are distributed across the body's skin surface and produce a watery sweat composed of water, salts, and urea, primarily for thermoregulation by cooling the body through evaporation. They are not associated with hair (unlike apocrine glands), ruling out that option. Sebum is an oily secretion from sebaceous glands, not eccrine glands. While sweat hydrates the skin slightly, 'acting as a moisturizer' isn't their primary function, which is temperature control. Their widespread presence and watery output distinguish eccrine glands as key players in sweating, aligning perfectly with this description.