Ohio Assessment for Educators (OAE) Integrated Science (024) Practice Exam

What role do skeletal muscles play in the circulatory system?

1. Aiding digestion

2. Providing a force to move blood back to the heart

3. Expanding the lungs

4. Regulating body temperature

The correct answer is: Providing a force to move blood back to the heart

Skeletal muscles play a vital role in the circulatory system by providing a force to move blood back to the heart, particularly through the mechanisms of muscle contraction and the venous pump. When skeletal muscles contract during physical activity, they compress the veins located within and around them. This compression effectively pushes blood toward the heart, counteracting the effects of gravity, especially in the limbs. The contraction of these muscles not only aids in maintaining circulation but also helps prevent blood pooling in the extremities and supports overall venous return. This is particularly important during exercise; as the demand for oxygen increases, the skeletal muscle activity enhances blood flow, ensuring efficient delivery of nutrients and removal of waste products from muscle tissue. The other choices are relevant to bodily functions but do not pertain to the primary role of skeletal muscles in the circulatory system. Aiding digestion relates more to smooth muscles in the gastrointestinal tract, expanding the lungs involves respiratory muscles like the diaphragm, and regulating body temperature is a function that may involve different physiological mechanisms, including skin blood flow and sweat production.