Head and neck: practice question

A Anatomy question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anatomy · Head and neck

Sample item

A man has pain and swelling below the jaw during meals, and a stone is palpated beside the frenulum. Why does the gland commonly form stones?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Its secretion is viscous and flows against gravity along a long duct

The submandibular gland produces mixed, relatively viscous mucous secretion and its duct runs upward, so stasis and calculi are common. The duct opens beside the frenulum and winds around the lingual nerve.

Option by option

  • A. Its secretion is viscous and flows against gravity along a long duct (correct)

    Correct. Mucous secretion and an uphill duct promote calculus formation.

  • B. It has a short straight duct

    The Wharton duct is long, not short, and flows upward.

  • C. It is only supplied by sympathetic fibres

    Salivary glands receive both sympathetic and parasympathetic fibres.

  • D. It secretes mainly serous fluid

    The parotid is mainly serous and less often forms stones.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Anatomy questions

Questions about this Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is A, Its secretion is viscous and flows against gravity along a long duct. The submandibular gland produces mixed, relatively viscous mucous secretion and its duct runs upward, so stasis and calculi are common.

Why is "It has a short straight duct" not the answer?

The Wharton duct is long, not short, and flows upward.

Why is "It is only supplied by sympathetic fibres" not the answer?

Salivary glands receive both sympathetic and parasympathetic fibres.

Why is "It secretes mainly serous fluid" not the answer?

The parotid is mainly serous and less often forms stones.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Head and neck in Anatomy. The duct opens beside the frenulum and winds around the lingual nerve.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Head and neck?

Learn every nerve by its route, its muscles and what a lesion looks like at the bedside. That one habit answers a large share of questions. Then use the flashcards and the other Anatomy questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.