NUR 2063 EXAM 1
ESSENTIALS OF PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
RASMUSSEN 2026/2027
150 REAL EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH CORRECT VERIFIED ANSWERS
A+ PREMIUM
6 Complete Sections | Detailed Rationales | Answer Key
LATEST EDITION - GUARANTEED ACCURATE
Prepared by Academic Subject Matter Experts
,Section 1: Cellular Adaptation, Injury, and Death Page 0 of 0
Section 1: Cellular Adaptation, Injury, and Death
Q1. A 58-year-old male with a 40 pack-year smoking history presents with a chronic cough. A lung biopsy reveals
enlarged cells with abundant cytoplasm and increased nuclear size. The pathologist describes this change
as adaptive. Which type of cellular adaptation is most likely?
A. Atrophy
B. Hypertrophy
C. Hyperplasia
D. Metaplasia
Q2. A postmenopausal woman presents with vaginal dryness. Histology shows a reduction in epithelial thickness.
This is best described as:
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Atrophy
D. Dysplasia
Q3. A patient with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has a biopsy showing columnar epithelium
replacing squamous epithelium in the distal esophagus. This change is termed:
A. Hyperplasia
B. Metaplasia
C. Dysplasia
D. Anaplasia
Q4. Which of the following is the most common cause of cellular injury?
A. Genetic defects
B. Hypoxia
C. Autoimmune disease
D. Nutritional excess
Q5. A patient suffers a myocardial infarction. Within the first 24 hours, histology reveals eosinophilic cytoplasm
and loss of nuclei. This is best described as:
A. Coagulative necrosis
B. Liquefactive necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Q6. A patient with a history of alcohol abuse presents with epigastric pain. CT shows calcifications in the
pancreas. Which type of necrosis is associated with this finding?
A. Coagulative necrosis
B. Liquefactive necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Q7. A patient with tuberculosis has a granuloma with a central area of amorphous, eosinophilic debris. This type
of necrosis is called:
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Caseous necrosis
C. Coagulative necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Q8. Which intracellular accumulation is associated with Tay-Sachs disease?
NUR 2063 Exam 1 - Rasmussen 2026/2027 | A+ Premium Verified Content
,Section 1: Cellular Adaptation, Injury, and Death Page 0 of 0
A. Glycogen
B. Lipids
C. Proteins
D. Pigments
Q9. A patient with chronic liver disease has yellow-brown granular pigment in hepatocytes. This pigment is most
likely:
A. Melanin
B. Hemosiderin
C. Bilirubin
D. Lipofuscin
Q10.Which of the following is a reversible change in cell injury?
A. Karyolysis
B. Cellular swelling
C. Karyorrhexis
D. Pyknosis
Q11.A biopsy of the liver in a patient with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency shows round, eosinophilic cytoplasmic
inclusions. This represents accumulation of:
A. Glycogen
B. Protein
C. Lipid
D. Pigment
Q12.A patient with emphysema has enlarged air spaces. The underlying mechanism involves destruction of
alveolar walls by:
A. Elastase
B. Collagenase
C. Hyaluronidase
D. Lipase
Q13.Which cellular process is primarily responsible for programmed cell death?
A. Necrosis
B. Apoptosis
C. Autophagy
D. Metaplasia
Q14.A patient with retinitis pigmentosa has progressive vision loss. The mechanism involves:
A. Apoptosis of photoreceptors
B. Necrosis of photoreceptors
C. Hypertrophy of photoreceptors
D. Hyperplasia of photoreceptors
Q15.Which type of cellular adaptation is considered pre-neoplastic?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Q16.A patient with cervical cancer has a biopsy showing full-thickness dysplasia without invasion through the
basement membrane. This is termed:
A. Carcinoma in situ
NUR 2063 Exam 1 - Rasmussen 2026/2027 | A+ Premium Verified Content
, Section 1: Cellular Adaptation, Injury, and Death Page 0 of 0
B. Invasive carcinoma
C. Metaplasia
D. Hyperplasia
Q17.Which mechanism is responsible for free radical injury in reperfusion after ischemia?
A. Decreased ATP production
B. Oxidative phosphorylation failure
C. Production of reactive oxygen species
D. Lysosomal enzyme leakage
Q18.A patient with a brain infarct has a softened, liquefied area in the cerebral cortex. This type of necrosis is:
A. Coagulative necrosis
B. Liquefactive necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Q19.Which of the following is a hallmark of apoptosis?
A. Inflammation
B. Cell membrane rupture
C. Caspase activation
D. Mitochondrial swelling
Q20.A patient with atherosclerosis has cholesterol crystals in an arterial plaque. This represents:
A. Lipid accumulation
B. Protein accumulation
C. Glycogen accumulation
D. Pigment accumulation
Q21.Which cellular response to stress involves the formation of double-membrane vesicles that engulf
cytoplasmic components?
A. Apoptosis
B. Necrosis
C. Autophagy
D. Metaplasia
Q22.A patient with hemochromatosis has skin bronzing and hepatomegaly. The intracellular pigment is:
A. Lipofuscin
B. Melanin
C. Hemosiderin
D. Bilirubin
Q23.Which of the following causes cloudy swelling in cells?
A. Protein accumulation
B. Lipid accumulation
C. Water accumulation
D. Pigment accumulation
Q24.A patient with chronic renal failure has brown discoloration of the skin. This is due to accumulation of:
A. Hemosiderin
B. Lipofuscin
C. Urochrome
D. Melanin
Q25.
NUR 2063 Exam 1 - Rasmussen 2026/2027 | A+ Premium Verified Content
ESSENTIALS OF PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
RASMUSSEN 2026/2027
150 REAL EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH CORRECT VERIFIED ANSWERS
A+ PREMIUM
6 Complete Sections | Detailed Rationales | Answer Key
LATEST EDITION - GUARANTEED ACCURATE
Prepared by Academic Subject Matter Experts
,Section 1: Cellular Adaptation, Injury, and Death Page 0 of 0
Section 1: Cellular Adaptation, Injury, and Death
Q1. A 58-year-old male with a 40 pack-year smoking history presents with a chronic cough. A lung biopsy reveals
enlarged cells with abundant cytoplasm and increased nuclear size. The pathologist describes this change
as adaptive. Which type of cellular adaptation is most likely?
A. Atrophy
B. Hypertrophy
C. Hyperplasia
D. Metaplasia
Q2. A postmenopausal woman presents with vaginal dryness. Histology shows a reduction in epithelial thickness.
This is best described as:
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Atrophy
D. Dysplasia
Q3. A patient with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has a biopsy showing columnar epithelium
replacing squamous epithelium in the distal esophagus. This change is termed:
A. Hyperplasia
B. Metaplasia
C. Dysplasia
D. Anaplasia
Q4. Which of the following is the most common cause of cellular injury?
A. Genetic defects
B. Hypoxia
C. Autoimmune disease
D. Nutritional excess
Q5. A patient suffers a myocardial infarction. Within the first 24 hours, histology reveals eosinophilic cytoplasm
and loss of nuclei. This is best described as:
A. Coagulative necrosis
B. Liquefactive necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Q6. A patient with a history of alcohol abuse presents with epigastric pain. CT shows calcifications in the
pancreas. Which type of necrosis is associated with this finding?
A. Coagulative necrosis
B. Liquefactive necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Q7. A patient with tuberculosis has a granuloma with a central area of amorphous, eosinophilic debris. This type
of necrosis is called:
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Caseous necrosis
C. Coagulative necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Q8. Which intracellular accumulation is associated with Tay-Sachs disease?
NUR 2063 Exam 1 - Rasmussen 2026/2027 | A+ Premium Verified Content
,Section 1: Cellular Adaptation, Injury, and Death Page 0 of 0
A. Glycogen
B. Lipids
C. Proteins
D. Pigments
Q9. A patient with chronic liver disease has yellow-brown granular pigment in hepatocytes. This pigment is most
likely:
A. Melanin
B. Hemosiderin
C. Bilirubin
D. Lipofuscin
Q10.Which of the following is a reversible change in cell injury?
A. Karyolysis
B. Cellular swelling
C. Karyorrhexis
D. Pyknosis
Q11.A biopsy of the liver in a patient with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency shows round, eosinophilic cytoplasmic
inclusions. This represents accumulation of:
A. Glycogen
B. Protein
C. Lipid
D. Pigment
Q12.A patient with emphysema has enlarged air spaces. The underlying mechanism involves destruction of
alveolar walls by:
A. Elastase
B. Collagenase
C. Hyaluronidase
D. Lipase
Q13.Which cellular process is primarily responsible for programmed cell death?
A. Necrosis
B. Apoptosis
C. Autophagy
D. Metaplasia
Q14.A patient with retinitis pigmentosa has progressive vision loss. The mechanism involves:
A. Apoptosis of photoreceptors
B. Necrosis of photoreceptors
C. Hypertrophy of photoreceptors
D. Hyperplasia of photoreceptors
Q15.Which type of cellular adaptation is considered pre-neoplastic?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Q16.A patient with cervical cancer has a biopsy showing full-thickness dysplasia without invasion through the
basement membrane. This is termed:
A. Carcinoma in situ
NUR 2063 Exam 1 - Rasmussen 2026/2027 | A+ Premium Verified Content
, Section 1: Cellular Adaptation, Injury, and Death Page 0 of 0
B. Invasive carcinoma
C. Metaplasia
D. Hyperplasia
Q17.Which mechanism is responsible for free radical injury in reperfusion after ischemia?
A. Decreased ATP production
B. Oxidative phosphorylation failure
C. Production of reactive oxygen species
D. Lysosomal enzyme leakage
Q18.A patient with a brain infarct has a softened, liquefied area in the cerebral cortex. This type of necrosis is:
A. Coagulative necrosis
B. Liquefactive necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Q19.Which of the following is a hallmark of apoptosis?
A. Inflammation
B. Cell membrane rupture
C. Caspase activation
D. Mitochondrial swelling
Q20.A patient with atherosclerosis has cholesterol crystals in an arterial plaque. This represents:
A. Lipid accumulation
B. Protein accumulation
C. Glycogen accumulation
D. Pigment accumulation
Q21.Which cellular response to stress involves the formation of double-membrane vesicles that engulf
cytoplasmic components?
A. Apoptosis
B. Necrosis
C. Autophagy
D. Metaplasia
Q22.A patient with hemochromatosis has skin bronzing and hepatomegaly. The intracellular pigment is:
A. Lipofuscin
B. Melanin
C. Hemosiderin
D. Bilirubin
Q23.Which of the following causes cloudy swelling in cells?
A. Protein accumulation
B. Lipid accumulation
C. Water accumulation
D. Pigment accumulation
Q24.A patient with chronic renal failure has brown discoloration of the skin. This is due to accumulation of:
A. Hemosiderin
B. Lipofuscin
C. Urochrome
D. Melanin
Q25.
NUR 2063 Exam 1 - Rasmussen 2026/2027 | A+ Premium Verified Content
