PATHO 370 Midterm Exam| Complete Exam Study Guide with
100% Verified Correct Answers with Detailed Informative
Rationales – Latest Update 2026
Question 1. A nurse is reviewing the basic mechanisms of disease. Which
statement best describes pathophysiology?
A. The study of normal body structure
B. The study of how abnormal changes affect normal body function
C. The study of microorganisms only
D. The study of medications and their effects
Answer: B. The study of how abnormal changes affect normal body
function
Rationale: Pathophysiology examines the functional changes that occur when
cells, tissues, organs, or body systems are affected by disease. Understanding
these changes helps explain the signs and symptoms observed in patients.
Question 2. Which cellular adaptation occurs when cells increase in size in
response to increased workload?
A. Atrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Hypertrophy
D. Metaplasia
Answer: C. Hypertrophy
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of individual cells, resulting
in enlargement of the affected tissue or organ. It commonly occurs in tissues
such as skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle in response to increased workload.
Question 3. A patient has decreased muscle size after prolonged
immobilization. Which cellular adaptation has occurred?
[1]
,A. Hypertrophy
B. Atrophy
C. Hyperplasia
D. Dysplasia
Answer: B. Atrophy
Rationale: Atrophy is a reduction in cell size and consequently a decrease in
the size of the affected tissue or organ. It can occur because of disuse,
inadequate nutrition, reduced blood supply, loss of nerve stimulation, or
hormonal changes.
Question 4. Which cellular adaptation involves an increase in the number of
cells?
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Atrophy
D. Necrosis
Answer: A. Hyperplasia
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in the number of cells within a tissue or
organ. It can occur as a normal physiologic response, such as hormonal
stimulation, or as a pathologic response to excessive hormonal or growth-
factor stimulation.
Question 5. A patient who has chronic irritation of the respiratory tract
develops replacement of normal ciliated columnar epithelium with stratified
squamous epithelium. Which adaptation is this?
A. Atrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Hypertrophy
Answer: C. Metaplasia
[2]
,Rationale: Metaplasia is a reversible change in which one mature cell type is
replaced by another mature cell type that is better able to tolerate persistent
stress. Although protective initially, prolonged metaplasia can increase the
risk of dysplasia and malignant transformation.
Question 6. Which feature best distinguishes apoptosis from necrosis?
A. Apoptosis always causes severe inflammation
B. Apoptosis is programmed cell death
C. Necrosis is always physiologic
D. Apoptosis causes uncontrolled cellular swelling
Answer: B. Apoptosis is programmed cell death
Rationale: Apoptosis is a regulated form of cell death that removes damaged
or unnecessary cells with minimal inflammation. Necrosis generally results
from significant cellular injury and is associated with membrane disruption
and inflammation.
Question 7. A cell exposed to severe hypoxia develops swelling because of
failure of ATP-dependent ion pumps. Which change is occurring?
A. Cellular injury
B. Cellular regeneration
C. Hyperplasia
D. Metaplasia
Answer: A. Cellular injury
Rationale: ATP depletion interferes with the sodium-potassium pump,
causing sodium and water to accumulate inside the cell. Cellular swelling is an
important early and potentially reversible manifestation of cellular injury.
[3]
, Question 8. Which substance is most directly responsible for the rapid
vasodilation and increased vascular permeability associated with acute
inflammation?
A. Histamine
B. Insulin
C. Hemoglobin
D. Albumin
Answer: A. Histamine
Rationale: Histamine is released primarily from mast cells and contributes to
vasodilation and increased vascular permeability during acute inflammation.
These changes allow plasma proteins and inflammatory cells to move into the
affected tissue.
Question 9. Which leukocyte is typically the predominant cell during the
early stages of acute inflammation?
A. Lymphocyte
B. Neutrophil
C. Plasma cell
D. Eosinophil
Answer: B. Neutrophil
Rationale: Neutrophils are usually the first major leukocytes to migrate into
tissues during acute inflammation. They help destroy invading
microorganisms through phagocytosis and release of antimicrobial
substances.
Question 10. A patient has redness, warmth, swelling, and pain surrounding a
wound. These findings are primarily associated with:
A. Acute inflammation
B. Cellular atrophy
[4]
100% Verified Correct Answers with Detailed Informative
Rationales – Latest Update 2026
Question 1. A nurse is reviewing the basic mechanisms of disease. Which
statement best describes pathophysiology?
A. The study of normal body structure
B. The study of how abnormal changes affect normal body function
C. The study of microorganisms only
D. The study of medications and their effects
Answer: B. The study of how abnormal changes affect normal body
function
Rationale: Pathophysiology examines the functional changes that occur when
cells, tissues, organs, or body systems are affected by disease. Understanding
these changes helps explain the signs and symptoms observed in patients.
Question 2. Which cellular adaptation occurs when cells increase in size in
response to increased workload?
A. Atrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Hypertrophy
D. Metaplasia
Answer: C. Hypertrophy
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of individual cells, resulting
in enlargement of the affected tissue or organ. It commonly occurs in tissues
such as skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle in response to increased workload.
Question 3. A patient has decreased muscle size after prolonged
immobilization. Which cellular adaptation has occurred?
[1]
,A. Hypertrophy
B. Atrophy
C. Hyperplasia
D. Dysplasia
Answer: B. Atrophy
Rationale: Atrophy is a reduction in cell size and consequently a decrease in
the size of the affected tissue or organ. It can occur because of disuse,
inadequate nutrition, reduced blood supply, loss of nerve stimulation, or
hormonal changes.
Question 4. Which cellular adaptation involves an increase in the number of
cells?
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Atrophy
D. Necrosis
Answer: A. Hyperplasia
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in the number of cells within a tissue or
organ. It can occur as a normal physiologic response, such as hormonal
stimulation, or as a pathologic response to excessive hormonal or growth-
factor stimulation.
Question 5. A patient who has chronic irritation of the respiratory tract
develops replacement of normal ciliated columnar epithelium with stratified
squamous epithelium. Which adaptation is this?
A. Atrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Hypertrophy
Answer: C. Metaplasia
[2]
,Rationale: Metaplasia is a reversible change in which one mature cell type is
replaced by another mature cell type that is better able to tolerate persistent
stress. Although protective initially, prolonged metaplasia can increase the
risk of dysplasia and malignant transformation.
Question 6. Which feature best distinguishes apoptosis from necrosis?
A. Apoptosis always causes severe inflammation
B. Apoptosis is programmed cell death
C. Necrosis is always physiologic
D. Apoptosis causes uncontrolled cellular swelling
Answer: B. Apoptosis is programmed cell death
Rationale: Apoptosis is a regulated form of cell death that removes damaged
or unnecessary cells with minimal inflammation. Necrosis generally results
from significant cellular injury and is associated with membrane disruption
and inflammation.
Question 7. A cell exposed to severe hypoxia develops swelling because of
failure of ATP-dependent ion pumps. Which change is occurring?
A. Cellular injury
B. Cellular regeneration
C. Hyperplasia
D. Metaplasia
Answer: A. Cellular injury
Rationale: ATP depletion interferes with the sodium-potassium pump,
causing sodium and water to accumulate inside the cell. Cellular swelling is an
important early and potentially reversible manifestation of cellular injury.
[3]
, Question 8. Which substance is most directly responsible for the rapid
vasodilation and increased vascular permeability associated with acute
inflammation?
A. Histamine
B. Insulin
C. Hemoglobin
D. Albumin
Answer: A. Histamine
Rationale: Histamine is released primarily from mast cells and contributes to
vasodilation and increased vascular permeability during acute inflammation.
These changes allow plasma proteins and inflammatory cells to move into the
affected tissue.
Question 9. Which leukocyte is typically the predominant cell during the
early stages of acute inflammation?
A. Lymphocyte
B. Neutrophil
C. Plasma cell
D. Eosinophil
Answer: B. Neutrophil
Rationale: Neutrophils are usually the first major leukocytes to migrate into
tissues during acute inflammation. They help destroy invading
microorganisms through phagocytosis and release of antimicrobial
substances.
Question 10. A patient has redness, warmth, swelling, and pain surrounding a
wound. These findings are primarily associated with:
A. Acute inflammation
B. Cellular atrophy
[4]
