UNDERSTANDING PATHOPHYSIOLOGY 6TH
EDITION HUETHER & MCCANCE 2026
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
◉ Neoplasm. Answer: can be benign or malignant growth of tissue
(i.e. polyps in colon)
◉ Pathologic hyperplasia common in. Answer: endometrium, and
prostate, if hormone imbalance correction hyperplasia regresses
◉ metaplasia. Answer: reversible replacement of one cell type with
another cell type
◉ Metaplasia in respiratory tract. Answer: replacement of normal
columnar ciliated cells in the bronchi with stratified squamous cells
(major cause smoking) Stratified squamous do not secrete mucous
or have cilia. Reversible if stimulus removed i.e. smoking. Strong
association with progression to esophageal cancer
◉ Dysplasia. Answer: atypical hyperplasia, abnormal changes in
size, shape, number and organization of the cells
◉ Where might one see Dysplasia. Answer: pap smear, colonoscopy
,◉ What happens during cellular injury. Answer: cell unable to
maintain homeostasis
◉ Reversible injury. Answer: cell recovery
◉ Irreversible injury. Answer: cell death
◉ Injurious stimuli. Answer: chemical agents, decreased oxygen
(hypoxia), free radicals which can be from excessive O2 infectious
agents, physical damage, immunologic reactions, nutrition
imbalances, mutant genes (look at person holistically)
◉ What is the point of no return for the cell. Answer: Once changes
to the nucleus occur and cell membranes are disrupted, the cell
moves to irreversible injury and death
◉ What is the most common cause of cellular injury. Answer:
hypoxic injury
◉ Hypoxic injuries result from. Answer: decrease amount O2 in air,
loss of hemoglobin or efficacy of hemoglobin (max response avb),
decrease production of RBC, respiratory and CV diseases, poisoning
of oxidative enzymes within the cells, ischemia
, ◉ Ischemia. Answer: reduced blood supply (MOST COMMON CAUSE
OF HYPOXIA)
◉ Ischemia reperfusion injury. Answer: additional injury caused by
restoration: blood flow of O2
◉ Cellular injury mechanisms. Answer: oxidative stress, increased
intracellular calcium, inflammation, complement activation, anoxia
◉ Cellular response to cellular injury mechanisms. Answer:
decrease ATP, cause failure of sodium-potassium pump, and sodium-
calcium change, cellular swelling sodium in and water, Vacuolation
when Na moves into the cell, Reperfusion injury (water drawn into
the cell=cellular/organ swelling)
◉ Hypoxic cellular injury what happens to the cell. Answer:
decrease ATP, damage to mitochondria, free radicals formed and
cause damage, calcium ions enter the cell in large numbers, damage
to cell membranes, fluid and electrolyte balance disturbed in cell,
damage to cellular proteins, damage to the DNA, bottom line = CELL
DEATH
EDITION HUETHER & MCCANCE 2026
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
◉ Neoplasm. Answer: can be benign or malignant growth of tissue
(i.e. polyps in colon)
◉ Pathologic hyperplasia common in. Answer: endometrium, and
prostate, if hormone imbalance correction hyperplasia regresses
◉ metaplasia. Answer: reversible replacement of one cell type with
another cell type
◉ Metaplasia in respiratory tract. Answer: replacement of normal
columnar ciliated cells in the bronchi with stratified squamous cells
(major cause smoking) Stratified squamous do not secrete mucous
or have cilia. Reversible if stimulus removed i.e. smoking. Strong
association with progression to esophageal cancer
◉ Dysplasia. Answer: atypical hyperplasia, abnormal changes in
size, shape, number and organization of the cells
◉ Where might one see Dysplasia. Answer: pap smear, colonoscopy
,◉ What happens during cellular injury. Answer: cell unable to
maintain homeostasis
◉ Reversible injury. Answer: cell recovery
◉ Irreversible injury. Answer: cell death
◉ Injurious stimuli. Answer: chemical agents, decreased oxygen
(hypoxia), free radicals which can be from excessive O2 infectious
agents, physical damage, immunologic reactions, nutrition
imbalances, mutant genes (look at person holistically)
◉ What is the point of no return for the cell. Answer: Once changes
to the nucleus occur and cell membranes are disrupted, the cell
moves to irreversible injury and death
◉ What is the most common cause of cellular injury. Answer:
hypoxic injury
◉ Hypoxic injuries result from. Answer: decrease amount O2 in air,
loss of hemoglobin or efficacy of hemoglobin (max response avb),
decrease production of RBC, respiratory and CV diseases, poisoning
of oxidative enzymes within the cells, ischemia
, ◉ Ischemia. Answer: reduced blood supply (MOST COMMON CAUSE
OF HYPOXIA)
◉ Ischemia reperfusion injury. Answer: additional injury caused by
restoration: blood flow of O2
◉ Cellular injury mechanisms. Answer: oxidative stress, increased
intracellular calcium, inflammation, complement activation, anoxia
◉ Cellular response to cellular injury mechanisms. Answer:
decrease ATP, cause failure of sodium-potassium pump, and sodium-
calcium change, cellular swelling sodium in and water, Vacuolation
when Na moves into the cell, Reperfusion injury (water drawn into
the cell=cellular/organ swelling)
◉ Hypoxic cellular injury what happens to the cell. Answer:
decrease ATP, damage to mitochondria, free radicals formed and
cause damage, calcium ions enter the cell in large numbers, damage
to cell membranes, fluid and electrolyte balance disturbed in cell,
damage to cellular proteins, damage to the DNA, bottom line = CELL
DEATH
