NC PATHOLOGY EXAM - FUNERAL DIRECTOR
EXAM Complete Exam-Style Questions with Detailed
Rationales | 100% Verified | Pass Guaranteed – A+ Graded
MOST RECENT VERSION - UPDATED FOR 2026
CORE DOMAINS COVERED
1. General Pathology - Cell injury, necrosis, inflammation, healing, and tissue
response to disease
2. Systemic Pathology - Diseases of body systems (cardiovascular,
respiratory, digestive, nervous, etc.)
3. Infectious Diseases - Pathogens, transmission, prevention, and disease
classification
4. Neoplasia - Benign and malignant tumors, classifications, and
characteristics
5. Postmortem Changes - Decomposition, autolysis, and changes after death
6. Embalming & Restoration - Chemistry, techniques, and restorative art
principles
7. Legal & Ethical Considerations - Funeral service laws, regulations, and
professional ethics
8. Mortality & Thanatology - Death studies, grief, and funeral service
psychology
SECTION 1: GENERAL PATHOLOGY
1. Cellular death in a living body is a type of?
A) Syncope
B) Necrosis
C) Hypertrophy
D) Hyperplasia
,Rationale: Necrosis is the term for the death of cells or tissues while the organism
is still alive, often resulting from injury, infection, or loss of blood supply. Syncope
is fainting, hypertrophy is an increase in cell size, and hyperplasia is an increase in
cell number.
2. The study of the cause of disease is known as:
A) Myology
B) Etiology
C) Immunology
D) Nosology
Rationale: Etiology is the specific branch of science that deals with the causes or
origins of diseases. Myology is the study of muscles, immunology studies the
immune system, and nosology is the classification of diseases.
3. An abnormal accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity is called:
A) Anasarca
B) Hydrothorax
C) Extravasation
D) Hydrocephalus
Rationale: Hydrothorax (ascites) is the abnormal accumulation of serous fluid in
the peritoneal cavity. Anasarca is generalized edema, extravasation is leakage of
fluid, and hydrocephalus is fluid in the brain's ventricles.
4. Rickets is due to a deficiency in which vitamin?
A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
Rationale: Rickets, a disease causing softening and weakening of bones in
children, is caused by a prolonged deficiency of Vitamin D, which is essential for
calcium absorption and bone mineralization.
,5. Which of the following is a malignant epithelial tissue tumor?
A) Myoma
B) Lymphangioma
C) Adenocarcinoma
D) Fibrosarcoma
Rationale: Adenocarcinoma is a type of malignant (cancerous) tumor that
originates in glandular epithelial tissue. Myoma is a benign muscle tumor,
lymphangioma is a benign lymphatic tumor, and fibrosarcoma is a malignant
tumor of fibrous tissue.
6. Which of the following describes a disease of unknown origin?
A) Sporadic
B) Endemic
C) Idiopathic
D) Pandemic
Rationale: "Idiopathic" is the medical term for a disease or condition that arises
spontaneously or for which the cause is unknown. Sporadic refers to isolated cases,
endemic means regularly found in a population, and pandemic is worldwide
spread.
7. A localized area of ischemic necrosis resulting from circulatory
insufficiency is:
A) Atrophy
B) Infarct
C) Emboli
D) Hemorrhage
Rationale: An infarct is an area of tissue death (necrosis) caused by a loss of
adequate blood supply (ischemia) due to obstruction of circulation, such as from a
blood clot or arterial blockage.
, 8. Which of the following is characterized by a sudden onset and a relatively
short duration?
A) Chronic
B) Acute
C) Endemic
D) Deficiency
Rationale: An acute disease has a sudden onset and short duration, whereas
chronic diseases develop slowly and last a long time. Endemic diseases are
constantly present in a population.
9. Necrosis due to impairment of blood supply accompanied by putrefactive
changes in the tissue is known as:
A) Algor Mortis
B) Hypotactic Congestion
C) Coma
D) Gangrene
Rationale: Gangrene is necrosis with putrefaction (bacterial decomposition). It
results from ischemia and subsequent bacterial infection. Algor mortis is
postmortem cooling, and hypostatic congestion is pooling of blood after death.
10. The process by which white blood cells engulf and destroy microorganisms
is called:
A) Diapedesis
B) Chemotaxis
C) Phagocytosis
D) Exudation
Rationale: Phagocytosis is the process where white blood cells (phagocytes)
engulf and digest foreign particles, bacteria, and cellular debris. Diapedesis is the
movement of cells through vessel walls, chemotaxis is movement toward chemical
stimuli, and exudation is fluid leakage.
EXAM Complete Exam-Style Questions with Detailed
Rationales | 100% Verified | Pass Guaranteed – A+ Graded
MOST RECENT VERSION - UPDATED FOR 2026
CORE DOMAINS COVERED
1. General Pathology - Cell injury, necrosis, inflammation, healing, and tissue
response to disease
2. Systemic Pathology - Diseases of body systems (cardiovascular,
respiratory, digestive, nervous, etc.)
3. Infectious Diseases - Pathogens, transmission, prevention, and disease
classification
4. Neoplasia - Benign and malignant tumors, classifications, and
characteristics
5. Postmortem Changes - Decomposition, autolysis, and changes after death
6. Embalming & Restoration - Chemistry, techniques, and restorative art
principles
7. Legal & Ethical Considerations - Funeral service laws, regulations, and
professional ethics
8. Mortality & Thanatology - Death studies, grief, and funeral service
psychology
SECTION 1: GENERAL PATHOLOGY
1. Cellular death in a living body is a type of?
A) Syncope
B) Necrosis
C) Hypertrophy
D) Hyperplasia
,Rationale: Necrosis is the term for the death of cells or tissues while the organism
is still alive, often resulting from injury, infection, or loss of blood supply. Syncope
is fainting, hypertrophy is an increase in cell size, and hyperplasia is an increase in
cell number.
2. The study of the cause of disease is known as:
A) Myology
B) Etiology
C) Immunology
D) Nosology
Rationale: Etiology is the specific branch of science that deals with the causes or
origins of diseases. Myology is the study of muscles, immunology studies the
immune system, and nosology is the classification of diseases.
3. An abnormal accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity is called:
A) Anasarca
B) Hydrothorax
C) Extravasation
D) Hydrocephalus
Rationale: Hydrothorax (ascites) is the abnormal accumulation of serous fluid in
the peritoneal cavity. Anasarca is generalized edema, extravasation is leakage of
fluid, and hydrocephalus is fluid in the brain's ventricles.
4. Rickets is due to a deficiency in which vitamin?
A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
Rationale: Rickets, a disease causing softening and weakening of bones in
children, is caused by a prolonged deficiency of Vitamin D, which is essential for
calcium absorption and bone mineralization.
,5. Which of the following is a malignant epithelial tissue tumor?
A) Myoma
B) Lymphangioma
C) Adenocarcinoma
D) Fibrosarcoma
Rationale: Adenocarcinoma is a type of malignant (cancerous) tumor that
originates in glandular epithelial tissue. Myoma is a benign muscle tumor,
lymphangioma is a benign lymphatic tumor, and fibrosarcoma is a malignant
tumor of fibrous tissue.
6. Which of the following describes a disease of unknown origin?
A) Sporadic
B) Endemic
C) Idiopathic
D) Pandemic
Rationale: "Idiopathic" is the medical term for a disease or condition that arises
spontaneously or for which the cause is unknown. Sporadic refers to isolated cases,
endemic means regularly found in a population, and pandemic is worldwide
spread.
7. A localized area of ischemic necrosis resulting from circulatory
insufficiency is:
A) Atrophy
B) Infarct
C) Emboli
D) Hemorrhage
Rationale: An infarct is an area of tissue death (necrosis) caused by a loss of
adequate blood supply (ischemia) due to obstruction of circulation, such as from a
blood clot or arterial blockage.
, 8. Which of the following is characterized by a sudden onset and a relatively
short duration?
A) Chronic
B) Acute
C) Endemic
D) Deficiency
Rationale: An acute disease has a sudden onset and short duration, whereas
chronic diseases develop slowly and last a long time. Endemic diseases are
constantly present in a population.
9. Necrosis due to impairment of blood supply accompanied by putrefactive
changes in the tissue is known as:
A) Algor Mortis
B) Hypotactic Congestion
C) Coma
D) Gangrene
Rationale: Gangrene is necrosis with putrefaction (bacterial decomposition). It
results from ischemia and subsequent bacterial infection. Algor mortis is
postmortem cooling, and hypostatic congestion is pooling of blood after death.
10. The process by which white blood cells engulf and destroy microorganisms
is called:
A) Diapedesis
B) Chemotaxis
C) Phagocytosis
D) Exudation
Rationale: Phagocytosis is the process where white blood cells (phagocytes)
engulf and digest foreign particles, bacteria, and cellular debris. Diapedesis is the
movement of cells through vessel walls, chemotaxis is movement toward chemical
stimuli, and exudation is fluid leakage.
