Difficulty: Medium

Average Score: 68%

Blood Pressure Lub-dub! Lub-dub! Lub-dub! This sound is made by the rapid contracting and extending of the chamber doors on the inside of the heart. This ventricular contracting injects roughly 70 mL of blood into a vascular system with a given volume at differing pressure. Blood pressure refers to the pressure in the arterial system; and it is typically taken in the brachial artery of the arm because the pressure at different places along the circulatory route is different. Blood pressure is simply the force that the blood exerts in all directions within any given area and is the basis for the movement of blood from the heart, through the body, and back to the heart. This pressure is commonly expressed as a ratio of the systolic pressure over the diastolic pressure. The systolic pressure or “high peakâ€ pressure takes place within the arterial system as ventricles contract and force blood into the arteries. The diastolic pressure or “low peakâ€ pressure takes place within this arterial system just before the next ventricular contraction. An increase in blood pressure can occur if the arterial walls lose some of their elasticity with age or disease.

Which of the following is not a fact stated in the passage?

Rationale

Loss of arterial wall elasticity is always caused by disease.

The passage mentions that an increase in blood pressure can occur if the arterial walls lose some of their elasticity with age or disease. It does not state that the loss of elasticity is always caused by disease, as age is also a factor mentioned.

A (Ventricular contracting injects roughly 70 mL of blood into a vascular system.) YOUR ANSWER

The passage clearly states that ventricular contracting injects roughly 70 mL of blood into a vascular system, making this a fact directly mentioned.

B (Blood pressure is typically measured in the brachial artery of the arm.) YOUR ANSWER

According to the passage, blood pressure is typically taken in the brachial artery of the arm because the pressure varies along the circulatory route, confirming this statement as factual.

C (Blood pressure is commonly expressed as a ratio of the systolic pressure over the diastolic pressure.) YOUR ANSWER

This is explicitly stated in the passage, which describes blood pressure as commonly expressed as a ratio of the systolic pressure over the diastolic pressure.

D (Loss of arterial wall elasticity is always caused by disease.) CORRECT

The passage refers to the loss of arterial wall elasticity as a factor that can occur with age or disease, not exclusively by disease, making this statement not a fact from the passage.

Conclusion

The passage provides several facts about blood pressure, including the amount of blood injected by ventricular contraction, the typical location for measuring blood pressure, and how blood pressure is expressed. It mentions the loss of arterial wall elasticity as a cause of increased blood pressure, attributing it to both age and disease. The statement that loss of elasticity is always caused by disease is not supported by the passage, making it the option that is not a fact stated.

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