Support and Movement

Support and Movement MDCAT MCQs with answers

136 past paper MCQs from Biology unit 9, Support and Movement, across 6 topics. They are arranged topic by topic; bigger topics show a sample here and link to their full set and to study notes. Tap “Show answer” for the correct option and a short solution.

Practise as a quiz

Human Skeleton

1.What is FALSE about cartilage? (MDCAT 2022)

  1. there are many blood vessels in cartilage
  2. it is a form of connective tissue
  3. it covers the ends of the bones at joints
  4. it is much softer than bone
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Correct answer: (a) there are many blood vessels in cartilage

Cartilage has no blood vessels of its own, which is why it heals so slowly.

2.Cartilage is a type of which tissue? (MDCAT 2023)

  1. connective tissue
  2. epithelial tissue
  3. muscular tissue
  4. nervous tissue
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Correct answer: (a) connective tissue

Cells in a matrix they have secreted themselves is the pattern of connective tissue.

3.Which of the following is included in the paired cranial bones? (MDCAT 2024)

  1. temporal
  2. occipital
  3. frontal
  4. vomer
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Correct answer: (a) temporal

There is a temporal bone on each side; the occipital and the vomer are single.

All 35 Human Skeleton MCQs → Human Skeleton notes →

Muscles

4.Irregular striations and involuntary control are related to: (MDCAT 2023)

  1. cardiac muscle cells
  2. fibroelastic cartilage cells
  3. skeletal muscle cells
  4. smooth muscle cells
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Correct answer: (a) cardiac muscle cells

Cardiac muscle is striated like skeletal muscle but works without the will, and its striations are less regular.

5.Which feature is possessed by smooth muscles? (MDCAT 2024)

  1. voluntary control
  2. branched fibres
  3. uninucleate cells
  4. striated appearance
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Correct answer: (c) uninucleate cells

A smooth muscle cell is spindle shaped with one central nucleus and no striations.

6.Which is the common feature between cardiac and smooth muscles? (UHS MDCAT 2025)

  1. Voluntary
  2. Involuntary
  3. Branched
  4. Unbranched
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Correct answer: (b) Involuntary

Cardiac and smooth muscle are both involuntary; only cardiac muscle is branched.

All 23 Muscles MCQs → Muscles notes →

Skeletal Muscles

7.Which of the following is NOT found in skeletal muscle fibres in humans? (MDCAT 2022)

  1. multiple nuclei
  2. multiple mitochondria
  3. a large amount of myoglobin
  4. a large amount of haemoglobin
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Correct answer: (d) a large amount of haemoglobin

Haemoglobin is in the red blood cells; the muscle's own oxygen store is myoglobin.

8.The cell membrane of a muscle cell is the: (MDCAT 2023)

  1. sarcoplasm
  2. sarcolemma
  3. sarcomere
  4. myofibril
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Correct answer: (b) sarcolemma

Sarcolemma is the name of the plasma membrane of a muscle fibre.

9.The thick filaments in skeletal muscle are composed of: (MDCAT 2024)

  1. actin
  2. myosin
  3. tropomyosin
  4. troponin
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Correct answer: (b) myosin

Myosin makes the thick filament; actin with tropomyosin and troponin makes the thin one.

All 32 Skeletal Muscles MCQs → Skeletal Muscles notes →

Muscle Contraction

10.Which of the following is a muscle component that acts as a store of energy? (MDCAT 2022)

  1. ATP
  2. creatine phosphate
  3. myoglobin
  4. creatinine phosphate
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Correct answer: (b) creatine phosphate

Creatine phosphate hands its phosphate to ADP and so keeps ATP topped up during hard work.

11.During the sliding filament mechanism, ATP is used for: (MDCAT 2023)

  1. cross bridge formation
  2. cross bridge breaking
  3. dragging the filaments
  4. shortening of the filaments
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Correct answer: (b) cross bridge breaking

The head attaches and pulls without ATP; hydrolysing ATP is what releases it for the next stroke.

12.The accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles results in: (MDCAT 2024)

  1. extreme fatigue
  2. muscle contraction
  3. paralysis
  4. convulsion
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Correct answer: (a) extreme fatigue

Lactic acid builds up when the oxygen supply falls short, and the muscle tires.

All 19 Muscle Contraction MCQs → Muscle Contraction notes →

Joints

13.A hinge joint is present between which of the following bones? (MDCAT 2022)

  1. humerus and radio-ulna
  2. femur and pectoral girdle
  3. humerus and pectoral girdle
  4. femur and pelvic girdle
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Correct answer: (a) humerus and radio-ulna

The elbow allows movement in one plane only, which is what a hinge joint is; the girdle joints are ball and socket.

14.The joints which cause rotational movements are (UHS MDCAT 2025)

  1. Hinge
  2. Ball and Socket
  3. Cartilage
  4. Sutures
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Correct answer: (b) Ball and Socket

A ball and socket joint, as at the shoulder and the hip, allows rotation as well as movement in every plane.

15.The pubic symphysis is a slightly moveable joint joined by which of the following tissue? (UHS MDCAT 2025)

  1. Elastic cartilage
  2. Fibrocartilage
  3. Costal cartilage
  4. Articular cartilage
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Correct answer: (b) Fibrocartilage

The pubic symphysis is a cartilaginous joint held by a pad of fibrocartilage.

All 19 Joints MCQs → Joints notes →

Arthritis

16.Which of the following skeletal disorders is an example of an autoimmune disorder? (MDCAT 2024)

  1. sciatica
  2. spondylosis
  3. rheumatoid arthritis
  4. rickets
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Correct answer: (c) rheumatoid arthritis

In rheumatoid arthritis the body's own immune system attacks the synovial membranes.

17.Arthritis is: (UHS MDCAT 2025)

  1. Inflammation of joints
  2. Herniation of intervertebral disc
  3. Fusion of vertebral joint
  4. tingling along the length of legs
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Correct answer: (a) Inflammation of joints

Arthritis is inflammation of a joint, with pain, swelling and stiffness.

18.The most common type of arthritis is: (SIBA MDCAT 2025)

  1. Gout
  2. Rheumatoid arthritis
  3. Osteoarthritis
  4. Spondylitis
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Correct answer: (c) Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, the wearing away of the joint cartilage with age, is much the commonest form.

All 8 Arthritis MCQs → Arthritis notes →

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