D236 Pathophysiology Week 1 Practice Quiz 2026 |WGU
1. A patient with chronic hypertension exhibits a thickened left ventricular wall.
What type of cellular adaptation is this?
A. Atrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Hypertrophy
Answer: D
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of cells, resulting in an increase in the
size of the organ, often due to increased workload like hypertension.
2. Which process describes the replacement of one mature cell type by another,
less mature cell type?
A. Dysplasia
B. Metaplasia
C. Anaplasia
D. Neoplasia
Answer: B
Rationale: Metaplasia is a reversible replacement of one mature cell type by another,
frequently occurring in response to chronic irritation.
,3. A biopsy reveals cells that vary in size and shape with large nuclei. This is best
described as:
A. Atrophy
B. Dysplasia
C. Hypertrophy
D. Hyperplasia
Answer: B
Rationale: Dysplasia refers to abnormal changes in the size, shape, and organization of
mature cells, often a precursor to cancer.
4. What is the most common cause of cellular injury?
A. Chemical agents
B. Hypoxia
C. Free radicals
D. Genetic factors
Answer: B
Rationale: Hypoxia, or lack of sufficient oxygen, is the single most common cause of
cellular injury.
5. Which of the following is a result of the failure of the sodium-potassium
pump during hypoxic injury?
A. Cellular swelling
B. Intracellular potassium increases
C. Intracellular sodium decreases
D. Decreased osmotic pressure
Answer: A
Rationale: When ATP decreases during hypoxia, the Na-K pump fails, leading to sodium
accumulation inside the cell, which draws water in, causing swelling.
, 6. Reperfusion injury is caused by the generation of which substance?
A. Lactic acid
B. Carbon monoxide
C. Highly reactive oxygen species
D. Glucose
Answer: C
Rationale: Restoration of oxygen can cause additional injury through the formation of free
radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS).
7. Which type of necrosis is typically found in the brain following ischemic
injury?
A. Coagulative
B. Fat
C. Caseous
D. Liquefactive
Answer: D
Rationale: Liquefactive necrosis occurs in the brain because cells are rich in digestive
enzymes and lipids.
8. Caseous necrosis is most commonly associated with which infection?
A. Staphylococcus aureus
B. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
C. Escherichia coli
D. Clostridium perfringens
Answer: B
Rationale: Caseous necrosis is characteristic of TB, where dead cells disintegrate but are
not completely digested, leaving a cheese-like appearance.
1. A patient with chronic hypertension exhibits a thickened left ventricular wall.
What type of cellular adaptation is this?
A. Atrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Hypertrophy
Answer: D
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of cells, resulting in an increase in the
size of the organ, often due to increased workload like hypertension.
2. Which process describes the replacement of one mature cell type by another,
less mature cell type?
A. Dysplasia
B. Metaplasia
C. Anaplasia
D. Neoplasia
Answer: B
Rationale: Metaplasia is a reversible replacement of one mature cell type by another,
frequently occurring in response to chronic irritation.
,3. A biopsy reveals cells that vary in size and shape with large nuclei. This is best
described as:
A. Atrophy
B. Dysplasia
C. Hypertrophy
D. Hyperplasia
Answer: B
Rationale: Dysplasia refers to abnormal changes in the size, shape, and organization of
mature cells, often a precursor to cancer.
4. What is the most common cause of cellular injury?
A. Chemical agents
B. Hypoxia
C. Free radicals
D. Genetic factors
Answer: B
Rationale: Hypoxia, or lack of sufficient oxygen, is the single most common cause of
cellular injury.
5. Which of the following is a result of the failure of the sodium-potassium
pump during hypoxic injury?
A. Cellular swelling
B. Intracellular potassium increases
C. Intracellular sodium decreases
D. Decreased osmotic pressure
Answer: A
Rationale: When ATP decreases during hypoxia, the Na-K pump fails, leading to sodium
accumulation inside the cell, which draws water in, causing swelling.
, 6. Reperfusion injury is caused by the generation of which substance?
A. Lactic acid
B. Carbon monoxide
C. Highly reactive oxygen species
D. Glucose
Answer: C
Rationale: Restoration of oxygen can cause additional injury through the formation of free
radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS).
7. Which type of necrosis is typically found in the brain following ischemic
injury?
A. Coagulative
B. Fat
C. Caseous
D. Liquefactive
Answer: D
Rationale: Liquefactive necrosis occurs in the brain because cells are rich in digestive
enzymes and lipids.
8. Caseous necrosis is most commonly associated with which infection?
A. Staphylococcus aureus
B. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
C. Escherichia coli
D. Clostridium perfringens
Answer: B
Rationale: Caseous necrosis is characteristic of TB, where dead cells disintegrate but are
not completely digested, leaving a cheese-like appearance.
