HESI A2 section
Anatomy & Physiology
Body terminology, tissues and every organ system: structure, function and how the systems keep the body in balance.
- 30 questions (25 scored)
- 25 minutes
- 18 topics
Body organization
- Directional Terms, Planes, Cavities & RegionsAnatomical position, directional terms, body planes and sections, body cavities and their organs, regional terms (antecubital, popliteal…), abdominal regions and quadrants.
- Levels of Organization & HomeostasisChemical to organism levels, homeostasis and how negative and positive feedback loops work (owns the mechanism), and body fluid compartments.
- Cells & Tissues (Cytology & Histology)The human cell and cell division in brief (mitosis vs meiosis at a glance), and the four tissue types with their subtypes and locations.
Support & movement
- Integumentary SystemThe layers of the skin, its accessory structures (hair, nails, glands), and its jobs: protection, temperature control, sensation, vitamin D.
- Skeletal SystemAxial and appendicular bones, bone types and structure, bone formation and remodeling, and the types of joints.
- Muscular SystemSkeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle, the sliding-filament contraction, the neuromuscular junction, and major muscles and their actions.
Control & communication
- Nervous Tissue: Neurons & ImpulsesNeuron structure and glial cells (≤ 3 facts), the resting and action potential, myelin, and neuron-to-neuron synapses (the neuromuscular junction: Muscular).
- Brain, Spinal Cord & Peripheral Nervous SystemCNS and PNS, the regions of the brain and their jobs, the spinal cord and reflex arc, and sympathetic vs parasympathetic (breathing control: Respiratory).
- The Special SensesHow the eye, ear (hearing and balance), smell and taste receive and pass on signals — structures and pathway.
- Endocrine SystemEach endocrine gland, its hormones and targets (owns where a hormone comes from; feedback in general: Homeostasis; kidney effects: Urinary; sex-hormone effects: Reproductive).
Transport, exchange & defense
- The Heart: Structure, Blood Flow & ConductionChambers, valves and layers of the heart, the path of blood through its chambers, the conduction system, and the cardiac cycle.
- Blood Vessels, Blood Pressure & CirculationArteries, veins, capillaries, the circuits outside the heart, the major vessels (aorta, venae cavae, pulmonary, carotid, jugular, coronary), BP and pulse.
- Blood: Components & Blood TypesPlasma, red cells, the white-cell types (owns identifying them) and platelets, clotting in brief (≤ 3 facts), and ABO and Rh blood types.
- Lymphatic & Immune SystemsLymph vessels, nodes and organs, and the immune response (owns it): innate vs adaptive, B and T cell roles, antibodies, active vs passive immunity.
- Respiratory SystemThe airway from nose to alveoli, the mechanics of breathing, gas exchange, how O₂ and CO₂ travel in blood (owns gas transport), and how breathing is controlled.
Intake, elimination & reproduction
- Digestive SystemThe GI tract and accessory organs, mechanical and chemical digestion, enzymes, and where nutrients are absorbed.
- Urinary SystemKidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra, the nephron, urine formation, and fluid, electrolyte and BP balance (owns ADH, aldosterone, renin-angiotensin).
- Reproductive SystemReproductive organs, gametes, the menstrual cycle, fertilization, pregnancy basics, and how births, deaths, migration and fertility factors change a population.
Study A&P topic by topic, then take the timed section test.
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