WGU D236 – Pathophysiology Final Exam | Western
Governors University | 2026 Verified Questions & Correct
Answers | A+ Rated Study Guide
Homeostasis, Cellular Adaptation, Injury & Death (50 Q)
1. A client's blood glucose rises after a meal, and the pancreas releases insulin to return
it to normal. This is an example of:
A. Positive feedback
B. Negative feedback
C. Feed-forward control
D. Homeostatic failure
Answer: B. Negative feedback reverses a deviation from the set point. Insulin lowering
glucose is the classic example.
2. Which is an example of positive feedback?
A. Insulin release
B. Uterine contractions during labor
C. Temperature regulation
D. Blood pressure regulation
Answer: B. Positive feedback amplifies the original stimulus (oxytocin → stronger
contractions) until a defined endpoint (birth).
3. A cell that increases in size in response to increased workload is demonstrating:
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Answer: B. Hypertrophy = larger cells. Hyperplasia = more cells (only in tissues that can
divide).
,4. The thymus shrinking with age is an example of:
A. Physiologic atrophy
B. Pathologic atrophy
C. Hyperplasia
D. Dysplasia
Answer: A. Physiologic atrophy is a normal age-related involution.
5. A smoker's bronchial epithelium changes from columnar to squamous. This is:
A. Dysplasia
B. Metaplasia
C. Anaplasia
D. Neoplasia
Answer: B. Metaplasia is a reversible substitution of one mature cell type for another in
response to stress.
6. Which adaptation is considered pre-malignant?
A. Atrophy
B. Hypertrophy
C. Dysplasia
D. Metaplasia
Answer: C. Dysplasia = disordered, atypical growth; can progress to carcinoma if the
stimulus persists.
7. The most common cause of cellular injury is:
A. Radiation
B. Hypoxia/ischemia
C. Drugs
D. Infection
Answer: B. Oxygen deprivation is the single most common mechanism of cell injury and
death.
,8. During ischemia, the Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase pump fails. The result is:
A. Cell shrinkage
B. Cellular swelling
C. Decreased intracellular sodium
D. Increased intracellular potassium
Answer: B. Without ATP, Na⁺ accumulates inside the cell, water follows → swelling.
9. Which finding indicates irreversible cell injury?
A. Cellular swelling
B. Fatty change
C. Membrane rupture with enzyme leakage
D. Reduced ATP
Answer: C. Loss of membrane integrity with leakage of intracellular enzymes (troponin,
CK) = irreversible.
10. Elevated troponin after an MI reflects:
A. Apoptosis
B. Necrosis with sarcolemmal rupture
C. Hypertrophy
D. Metaplasia
Answer: B. Troponin is intracellular; it only appears in blood when the membrane
ruptures.
11. Which type of necrosis occurs in a brain infarct?
A. Coagulative
B. Liquefactive
C. Caseous
D. Fat
Answer: B. Brain is enzyme- and lipid-rich, so ischemic death produces liquefactive
necrosis.
, 12. Coagulative necrosis is most typical of ischemia in the:
A. Brain
B. Heart and kidney
C. Pancreas
D. Lung
Answer: B. Heart, kidney, and spleen show coagulative necrosis after ischemia; tissue
architecture is temporarily preserved.
13. Caseous necrosis is characteristic of:
A. Tuberculosis
B. Myocardial infarction
C. Pancreatitis
D. Gangrene
Answer: A. Caseous ("cheese-like") necrosis is classic for TB and some fungal infections,
with granuloma formation.
14. Which best distinguishes apoptosis from necrosis?
A. Apoptosis is inflammatory; necrosis is not
B. Apoptosis is programmed and non-inflammatory; necrosis is unregulated and
inflammatory
C. Both cause membrane rupture
D. Apoptosis is always pathologic
Answer: B. Apoptosis: ATP-dependent, cell shrinks, no inflammation. Necrosis:
unregulated, cell swells and lyses, inflammation follows.
15. Apoptosis is executed by:
A. Caspases
B. Complement
C. Histamine
D. Bradykinin
Answer: A. Caspases are the cysteine proteases that carry out apoptosis; Bcl-2 family
proteins regulate the mitochondrial pathway.
Governors University | 2026 Verified Questions & Correct
Answers | A+ Rated Study Guide
Homeostasis, Cellular Adaptation, Injury & Death (50 Q)
1. A client's blood glucose rises after a meal, and the pancreas releases insulin to return
it to normal. This is an example of:
A. Positive feedback
B. Negative feedback
C. Feed-forward control
D. Homeostatic failure
Answer: B. Negative feedback reverses a deviation from the set point. Insulin lowering
glucose is the classic example.
2. Which is an example of positive feedback?
A. Insulin release
B. Uterine contractions during labor
C. Temperature regulation
D. Blood pressure regulation
Answer: B. Positive feedback amplifies the original stimulus (oxytocin → stronger
contractions) until a defined endpoint (birth).
3. A cell that increases in size in response to increased workload is demonstrating:
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Answer: B. Hypertrophy = larger cells. Hyperplasia = more cells (only in tissues that can
divide).
,4. The thymus shrinking with age is an example of:
A. Physiologic atrophy
B. Pathologic atrophy
C. Hyperplasia
D. Dysplasia
Answer: A. Physiologic atrophy is a normal age-related involution.
5. A smoker's bronchial epithelium changes from columnar to squamous. This is:
A. Dysplasia
B. Metaplasia
C. Anaplasia
D. Neoplasia
Answer: B. Metaplasia is a reversible substitution of one mature cell type for another in
response to stress.
6. Which adaptation is considered pre-malignant?
A. Atrophy
B. Hypertrophy
C. Dysplasia
D. Metaplasia
Answer: C. Dysplasia = disordered, atypical growth; can progress to carcinoma if the
stimulus persists.
7. The most common cause of cellular injury is:
A. Radiation
B. Hypoxia/ischemia
C. Drugs
D. Infection
Answer: B. Oxygen deprivation is the single most common mechanism of cell injury and
death.
,8. During ischemia, the Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase pump fails. The result is:
A. Cell shrinkage
B. Cellular swelling
C. Decreased intracellular sodium
D. Increased intracellular potassium
Answer: B. Without ATP, Na⁺ accumulates inside the cell, water follows → swelling.
9. Which finding indicates irreversible cell injury?
A. Cellular swelling
B. Fatty change
C. Membrane rupture with enzyme leakage
D. Reduced ATP
Answer: C. Loss of membrane integrity with leakage of intracellular enzymes (troponin,
CK) = irreversible.
10. Elevated troponin after an MI reflects:
A. Apoptosis
B. Necrosis with sarcolemmal rupture
C. Hypertrophy
D. Metaplasia
Answer: B. Troponin is intracellular; it only appears in blood when the membrane
ruptures.
11. Which type of necrosis occurs in a brain infarct?
A. Coagulative
B. Liquefactive
C. Caseous
D. Fat
Answer: B. Brain is enzyme- and lipid-rich, so ischemic death produces liquefactive
necrosis.
, 12. Coagulative necrosis is most typical of ischemia in the:
A. Brain
B. Heart and kidney
C. Pancreas
D. Lung
Answer: B. Heart, kidney, and spleen show coagulative necrosis after ischemia; tissue
architecture is temporarily preserved.
13. Caseous necrosis is characteristic of:
A. Tuberculosis
B. Myocardial infarction
C. Pancreatitis
D. Gangrene
Answer: A. Caseous ("cheese-like") necrosis is classic for TB and some fungal infections,
with granuloma formation.
14. Which best distinguishes apoptosis from necrosis?
A. Apoptosis is inflammatory; necrosis is not
B. Apoptosis is programmed and non-inflammatory; necrosis is unregulated and
inflammatory
C. Both cause membrane rupture
D. Apoptosis is always pathologic
Answer: B. Apoptosis: ATP-dependent, cell shrinks, no inflammation. Necrosis:
unregulated, cell swells and lyses, inflammation follows.
15. Apoptosis is executed by:
A. Caspases
B. Complement
C. Histamine
D. Bradykinin
Answer: A. Caspases are the cysteine proteases that carry out apoptosis; Bcl-2 family
proteins regulate the mitochondrial pathway.
