ADVANCED PHYSIOLOGY AND
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY ESSENTIALS TEST
BANK 2026 QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
GRADED A+
●● What type of information does the brain generate? Answer: Motor
(efferent) information for skeletal muscle control and autonomic nervous
system regulation.
●● What are the higher-order functions of the brain? Answer: Learning,
memory, reasoning, decision-making, generating emotions, and
interpreting communication.
●● What is the cellular unit of nervous system function? Answer:
Neurons.
●● What is the resting membrane potential of a neuron? Answer:
Approximately -70 mV.
●● What initiates an action potential in a neuron? Answer:
Depolarization to threshold voltage opens fast sodium channels.
, ●● What is the role of neurotransmitters in synaptic signaling? Answer:
They bind to postsynaptic receptors, causing changes in membrane
potential.
●● What is excitotoxic neuron death? Answer: Cell death caused by
excessive stimulation by neurotransmitters.
●● What are common nervous system disorders? Answer: Epilepsy,
Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, PTSD, ADHD, and chronic
pain.
●● What is the function of the sodium-potassium pump in neurons?
Answer: It maintains proper ion distributions, with sodium high outside
and potassium high inside the cell.
●● What are ionotropic receptors? Answer: Ligand-gated ion channels
that produce rapid changes in membrane potential.
●● What are metabotropic receptors? Answer: G protein-coupled
receptors that have slower, more complex actions on neurons.
●● What is the difference between excitatory and inhibitory
neurotransmitters? Answer: Excitatory neurotransmitters cause
depolarization (e.g., Na+ entry), while inhibitory neurotransmitters cause
hyperpolarization (e.g., Cl- entry).
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY ESSENTIALS TEST
BANK 2026 QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
GRADED A+
●● What type of information does the brain generate? Answer: Motor
(efferent) information for skeletal muscle control and autonomic nervous
system regulation.
●● What are the higher-order functions of the brain? Answer: Learning,
memory, reasoning, decision-making, generating emotions, and
interpreting communication.
●● What is the cellular unit of nervous system function? Answer:
Neurons.
●● What is the resting membrane potential of a neuron? Answer:
Approximately -70 mV.
●● What initiates an action potential in a neuron? Answer:
Depolarization to threshold voltage opens fast sodium channels.
, ●● What is the role of neurotransmitters in synaptic signaling? Answer:
They bind to postsynaptic receptors, causing changes in membrane
potential.
●● What is excitotoxic neuron death? Answer: Cell death caused by
excessive stimulation by neurotransmitters.
●● What are common nervous system disorders? Answer: Epilepsy,
Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, PTSD, ADHD, and chronic
pain.
●● What is the function of the sodium-potassium pump in neurons?
Answer: It maintains proper ion distributions, with sodium high outside
and potassium high inside the cell.
●● What are ionotropic receptors? Answer: Ligand-gated ion channels
that produce rapid changes in membrane potential.
●● What are metabotropic receptors? Answer: G protein-coupled
receptors that have slower, more complex actions on neurons.
●● What is the difference between excitatory and inhibitory
neurotransmitters? Answer: Excitatory neurotransmitters cause
depolarization (e.g., Na+ entry), while inhibitory neurotransmitters cause
hyperpolarization (e.g., Cl- entry).
