NSG 5140 Advanced Pathophysiology | Midterm Exam
150 Practice Questions with Verified Answers & Detailed
Rationales
South College | 2026/2027 Edition | Graded A+
Instructions
This comprehensive test bank contains 150 practice questions covering key concepts for the
NSG 5140 Advanced Pathophysiology Midterm Exam at South College. Questions are
organized by topic area and include verified correct answers with detailed rationales based on
course materials .
SECTION 1: CELLULAR ADAPTATION & INJURY (Questions 1-25)
Question 1
Which of the following best describes the primary mechanism of cellular injury in hypoxia?
A) Free radical damage
B) ATP depletion leading to loss of ion homeostasis
C) DNA mutation
D) Lipid peroxidation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Hypoxia limits oxidative phosphorylation, decreasing ATP production. This leads to
failure of the Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase pump, causing cellular swelling and eventual cell death .
Question 2
A patient with chronic hypertension develops left ventricular wall thickening. Which mechanism
best explains this adaptation?
A) Increased myocyte number due to cell division
B) Increased myocyte size due to increased workload
C) Replacement of cardiac cells with fibrous tissue
,D) Transformation of cardiac cells into smooth muscle
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cardiac myocytes are terminally differentiated and respond to increased workload
(afterload) by hypertrophy (increased cell size), not hyperplasia .
Question 3
Which of the following is the hallmark of reversible cell injury?
A) Nuclear pyknosis
B) Cellular swelling
C) Karyorrhexis
D) Apoptosis
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Reversible injury often involves failure of ion pumps leading to water influx and cell
swelling. This occurs before irreversible changes like nuclear pyknosis or karyorrhexis .
Question 4
What is the primary function of the sodium-potassium pump?
A) Promote passive diffusion
B) Create equilibrium of ions
C) Maintain resting membrane potential
D) Facilitate protein synthesis
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase pump moves 3 sodium ions out of the cell and 2 potassium ions
into the cell, creating an electrochemical gradient essential for maintaining the resting
membrane potential .
Question 5
Which type of necrosis is most commonly associated with myocardial infarction?
A) Coagulative necrosis
,B) Liquefactive necrosis
C) Caseous necrosis
D) Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis preserves tissue architecture for several days and is typical of
ischemic injury in solid organs such as the heart and kidney .
Question 6
Liquefactive necrosis is characteristic of which type of tissue injury?
A) Myocardial infarction
B) Brain infarction (stroke)
C) Tuberculosis
D) Pancreatic injury
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In the brain, ischemic injury leads to enzymatic digestion of dead cells resulting in
liquefactive necrosis. This creates a cystic space as the tissue is broken down .
Question 7
Apoptosis is best described as:
A) Uncontrolled cell death with inflammation
B) Programmed cell death without inflammation
C) Necrosis due to ischemia
D) Cellular swelling due to ATP depletion
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Apoptosis is an orderly process for removing damaged or unneeded cells without
inflammation. The caspase cascade mediates programmed cell death by cleaving cellular
substrates .
Question 8
Which intracellular signaling pathway is most directly involved in apoptosis?
, A) MAPK
B) Caspase cascade
C) JAK/STAT
D) PI3K/Akt
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Caspases mediate programmed cell death by cleaving cellular substrates. Activation
of the caspase cascade is the central execution pathway in apoptosis .
Question 9
Which cellular organelle is known as the "powerhouse" of the cell?
A) Ribosome
B) Golgi apparatus
C) Mitochondria
D) Endoplasmic reticulum
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Mitochondria are responsible for oxidative phosphorylation and ATP generation,
earning them the designation as the "powerhouse" of the cell .
Question 10
In which organelle do the TCA cycle and fatty acid oxidation occur?
A) Cytosol
B) Nucleus
C) Mitochondrion
D) Endoplasmic reticulum
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Both the TCA (Krebs) cycle and fatty acid oxidation occur within the mitochondria,
highlighting their central role in cellular energy metabolism .
Question 11
150 Practice Questions with Verified Answers & Detailed
Rationales
South College | 2026/2027 Edition | Graded A+
Instructions
This comprehensive test bank contains 150 practice questions covering key concepts for the
NSG 5140 Advanced Pathophysiology Midterm Exam at South College. Questions are
organized by topic area and include verified correct answers with detailed rationales based on
course materials .
SECTION 1: CELLULAR ADAPTATION & INJURY (Questions 1-25)
Question 1
Which of the following best describes the primary mechanism of cellular injury in hypoxia?
A) Free radical damage
B) ATP depletion leading to loss of ion homeostasis
C) DNA mutation
D) Lipid peroxidation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Hypoxia limits oxidative phosphorylation, decreasing ATP production. This leads to
failure of the Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase pump, causing cellular swelling and eventual cell death .
Question 2
A patient with chronic hypertension develops left ventricular wall thickening. Which mechanism
best explains this adaptation?
A) Increased myocyte number due to cell division
B) Increased myocyte size due to increased workload
C) Replacement of cardiac cells with fibrous tissue
,D) Transformation of cardiac cells into smooth muscle
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cardiac myocytes are terminally differentiated and respond to increased workload
(afterload) by hypertrophy (increased cell size), not hyperplasia .
Question 3
Which of the following is the hallmark of reversible cell injury?
A) Nuclear pyknosis
B) Cellular swelling
C) Karyorrhexis
D) Apoptosis
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Reversible injury often involves failure of ion pumps leading to water influx and cell
swelling. This occurs before irreversible changes like nuclear pyknosis or karyorrhexis .
Question 4
What is the primary function of the sodium-potassium pump?
A) Promote passive diffusion
B) Create equilibrium of ions
C) Maintain resting membrane potential
D) Facilitate protein synthesis
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase pump moves 3 sodium ions out of the cell and 2 potassium ions
into the cell, creating an electrochemical gradient essential for maintaining the resting
membrane potential .
Question 5
Which type of necrosis is most commonly associated with myocardial infarction?
A) Coagulative necrosis
,B) Liquefactive necrosis
C) Caseous necrosis
D) Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis preserves tissue architecture for several days and is typical of
ischemic injury in solid organs such as the heart and kidney .
Question 6
Liquefactive necrosis is characteristic of which type of tissue injury?
A) Myocardial infarction
B) Brain infarction (stroke)
C) Tuberculosis
D) Pancreatic injury
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In the brain, ischemic injury leads to enzymatic digestion of dead cells resulting in
liquefactive necrosis. This creates a cystic space as the tissue is broken down .
Question 7
Apoptosis is best described as:
A) Uncontrolled cell death with inflammation
B) Programmed cell death without inflammation
C) Necrosis due to ischemia
D) Cellular swelling due to ATP depletion
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Apoptosis is an orderly process for removing damaged or unneeded cells without
inflammation. The caspase cascade mediates programmed cell death by cleaving cellular
substrates .
Question 8
Which intracellular signaling pathway is most directly involved in apoptosis?
, A) MAPK
B) Caspase cascade
C) JAK/STAT
D) PI3K/Akt
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Caspases mediate programmed cell death by cleaving cellular substrates. Activation
of the caspase cascade is the central execution pathway in apoptosis .
Question 9
Which cellular organelle is known as the "powerhouse" of the cell?
A) Ribosome
B) Golgi apparatus
C) Mitochondria
D) Endoplasmic reticulum
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Mitochondria are responsible for oxidative phosphorylation and ATP generation,
earning them the designation as the "powerhouse" of the cell .
Question 10
In which organelle do the TCA cycle and fatty acid oxidation occur?
A) Cytosol
B) Nucleus
C) Mitochondrion
D) Endoplasmic reticulum
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Both the TCA (Krebs) cycle and fatty acid oxidation occur within the mitochondria,
highlighting their central role in cellular energy metabolism .
Question 11
