Portage Pathophysiology Modules 1-10
Practice Exam 100 Questions with
Verified Answers and Rationales
MODULE 1: Cellular Biology & Adaptation
Question 1
True or False: Hypertrophy can occur under normal and pathological
conditions.
Answer: True
Rationale: Hypertrophy refers to the increase in size of cells and
consequently the affected organ. It can be physiologic, such as muscle
growth from exercise, or pathologic, as in cardiac hypertrophy from
hypertension.
Question 2
True or False: Persistent metaplasia can lead to dysplasia.
Answer: True
Rationale: Metaplasia is a reversible change in which one cell type replaces
another. If the injurious stimulus persists, metaplastic tissue may undergo
additional genetic and morphologic changes, evolving into dysplasia, which
is a preneoplastic lesion and a precursor to cancer.
,Question 3
True or False: Barrett esophagus is an example of dysplasia.
Answer: False
Rationale: Barrett esophagus is characterized by the replacement of the
normal squamous epithelium of the esophagus with columnar epithelium,
which is a classic example of metaplasia, not dysplasia. While Barrett
esophagus is a precursor to dysplasia and esophageal adenocarcinoma,
the condition itself represents metaplastic change.
Question 4
True or False: Persistent dysplasia eventually results in cancer.
Answer: True
Rationale: Dysplasia denotes disordered growth with cellular atypia.
Persistent and progressive dysplasia can traverse to carcinoma in situ and
eventually invasive cancer if the inciting cause is not eliminated.
Question 5
True or False: Apoptosis is a form of programmed cell death that requires
energy.
Answer: True
Rationale: Apoptosis is an active, energy-dependent process of
programmed cell death. It requires ATP for the activation of caspases and
other cellular machinery involved in the orderly dismantling of the cell.
Unlike necrosis, which is passive and uncontrolled, apoptosis is a regulated
physiological process.
,Question 6
True or False: Necrosis always triggers an inflammatory response.
Answer: True
Rationale: Necrosis is an unprogrammed form of cell death resulting from
injury. It is characterized by cell swelling, membrane rupture, and leakage of
cellular contents into the extracellular space. These released contents act
as damage-associated molecular patterns that trigger an inflammatory
response. Inflammation is a hallmark feature that distinguishes necrosis
from apoptosis.
Question 7
True or False: Ischemia is defined as reduced blood supply to a tissue.
Answer: True
Rationale: Ischemia refers to the reduction or interruption of blood supply
to a tissue or organ. This results in decreased oxygen and nutrient delivery,
as well as impaired removal of metabolic waste products. Ischemia is a
common cause of cellular injury and can lead to infarction if severe and
prolonged.
Question 8
True or False: Hypertrophy refers to an increase in cell number.
Answer: False
Rationale: Hypertrophy refers to an increase in cell size, not cell number.
This adaptation occurs in response to increased workload or stimulation
and results in enlarged cells. An increase in cell number is termed
hyperplasia. Both hypertrophy and hyperplasia can occur together in some
tissues.
, Question 9
True or False: Hyperplasia can only occur in cells capable of mitotic
division.
Answer: True
Rationale: Hyperplasia requires cell division, which can only occur in cells
that retain their mitotic capacity. Cells such as hepatocytes, epithelial cells,
and fibroblasts can undergo hyperplasia. In contrast, permanently
nondividing cells like cardiac myocytes and neurons cannot undergo
hyperplasia; they can only respond to increased demand through
hypertrophy.
Question 10
A cell adapts to an increased workload by enlarging. This process is called:
A) Hyperplasia
B) Atrophy
C) Hypertrophy
D) Metaplasia
Answer: C – Hypertrophy
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in individual cell size, often in
response to increased demand, such as cardiac myocytes in hypertension.
Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number, atrophy is a decrease in cell size,
and metaplasia is a reversible change from one cell type to another.
Question 11
Which cellular change is reversible?
Practice Exam 100 Questions with
Verified Answers and Rationales
MODULE 1: Cellular Biology & Adaptation
Question 1
True or False: Hypertrophy can occur under normal and pathological
conditions.
Answer: True
Rationale: Hypertrophy refers to the increase in size of cells and
consequently the affected organ. It can be physiologic, such as muscle
growth from exercise, or pathologic, as in cardiac hypertrophy from
hypertension.
Question 2
True or False: Persistent metaplasia can lead to dysplasia.
Answer: True
Rationale: Metaplasia is a reversible change in which one cell type replaces
another. If the injurious stimulus persists, metaplastic tissue may undergo
additional genetic and morphologic changes, evolving into dysplasia, which
is a preneoplastic lesion and a precursor to cancer.
,Question 3
True or False: Barrett esophagus is an example of dysplasia.
Answer: False
Rationale: Barrett esophagus is characterized by the replacement of the
normal squamous epithelium of the esophagus with columnar epithelium,
which is a classic example of metaplasia, not dysplasia. While Barrett
esophagus is a precursor to dysplasia and esophageal adenocarcinoma,
the condition itself represents metaplastic change.
Question 4
True or False: Persistent dysplasia eventually results in cancer.
Answer: True
Rationale: Dysplasia denotes disordered growth with cellular atypia.
Persistent and progressive dysplasia can traverse to carcinoma in situ and
eventually invasive cancer if the inciting cause is not eliminated.
Question 5
True or False: Apoptosis is a form of programmed cell death that requires
energy.
Answer: True
Rationale: Apoptosis is an active, energy-dependent process of
programmed cell death. It requires ATP for the activation of caspases and
other cellular machinery involved in the orderly dismantling of the cell.
Unlike necrosis, which is passive and uncontrolled, apoptosis is a regulated
physiological process.
,Question 6
True or False: Necrosis always triggers an inflammatory response.
Answer: True
Rationale: Necrosis is an unprogrammed form of cell death resulting from
injury. It is characterized by cell swelling, membrane rupture, and leakage of
cellular contents into the extracellular space. These released contents act
as damage-associated molecular patterns that trigger an inflammatory
response. Inflammation is a hallmark feature that distinguishes necrosis
from apoptosis.
Question 7
True or False: Ischemia is defined as reduced blood supply to a tissue.
Answer: True
Rationale: Ischemia refers to the reduction or interruption of blood supply
to a tissue or organ. This results in decreased oxygen and nutrient delivery,
as well as impaired removal of metabolic waste products. Ischemia is a
common cause of cellular injury and can lead to infarction if severe and
prolonged.
Question 8
True or False: Hypertrophy refers to an increase in cell number.
Answer: False
Rationale: Hypertrophy refers to an increase in cell size, not cell number.
This adaptation occurs in response to increased workload or stimulation
and results in enlarged cells. An increase in cell number is termed
hyperplasia. Both hypertrophy and hyperplasia can occur together in some
tissues.
, Question 9
True or False: Hyperplasia can only occur in cells capable of mitotic
division.
Answer: True
Rationale: Hyperplasia requires cell division, which can only occur in cells
that retain their mitotic capacity. Cells such as hepatocytes, epithelial cells,
and fibroblasts can undergo hyperplasia. In contrast, permanently
nondividing cells like cardiac myocytes and neurons cannot undergo
hyperplasia; they can only respond to increased demand through
hypertrophy.
Question 10
A cell adapts to an increased workload by enlarging. This process is called:
A) Hyperplasia
B) Atrophy
C) Hypertrophy
D) Metaplasia
Answer: C – Hypertrophy
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in individual cell size, often in
response to increased demand, such as cardiac myocytes in hypertension.
Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number, atrophy is a decrease in cell size,
and metaplasia is a reversible change from one cell type to another.
Question 11
Which cellular change is reversible?
