South College NSG 5140 Final Exam 2026/2027 | Advanced Pathophysiology | Questions & Correct Answers with Rationales | New Update

South College NSG 5140 Final Exam
300 QUESTIONS




TABLE OF CONTENTS

# TOPIC

1 South College NSG 5140 Final Exam




Page 1

,Q1
A patient with chronic hypertension develops left ventricular hypertrophy. Which cellular
adaptation best explains this change?

A) Hyperplasia

B) Hypertrophy CORRECT

C) Metaplasia

D) Dysplasia


Rationale
Cardiac muscle cells are terminally differentiated and respond to increased workload by increasing in
size (hypertrophy), not number (hyperplasia).



Q2
A chronic smoker develops replacement of normal ciliated respiratory epithelium with stratified
squamous epithelium. This process is known as:

A) Hyperplasia

B) Hypertrophy

C) Metaplasia CORRECT

D) Dysplasia


Rationale
Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one mature cell type with another better able to tolerate
chronic irritation.



Q3
Which cellular adaptation is considered reversible after removal of the stressor?

A) Dysplasia

B) Neoplasia

C) Atrophy CORRECT

D) Anaplasia



Page 2

,Rationale
Atrophy is a decrease in cell size due to reduced workload, diminished blood supply, aging, or loss of
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stimulation. If the cause is corrected, the tissue may regain normal size and function.
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Q4
A pathologist examining a kidney specimen notes coagulative necrosis. This type of necrosis is
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most commonly associated with:
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A) Ischemia
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B) Tuberculosis
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C) Pancreatitis
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D) Bacterial infection
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Rationale
Coagulative necrosis is the most common type and is typically caused by ischemia in solid organs such as
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the kidney, heart, and liver.
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Q5
The irreversible marker of cell death on electron microscopy is:
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A) Cellular swelling
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B) Nuclear pyknosis
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C) Mitochondrial amorphous densities
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D) Membrane blebbing
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Rationale
Flocculent densities in the mitochondrial matrix are an irreversible marker of cell death.
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Q6
What is the earliest reversible morphologic sign of cell injury?
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A) Nuclear fragmentation
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B) Cellular swelling (hydropic change)
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Page 3

, C) Karyolysis
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D) Fatty change
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Rationale
Cellular swelling is the earliest reversible sign of cell injury, caused by ATP depletion leading to failure of
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the Na⁺/K⁺ pump.
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Q7
A patient with chronic alcoholism develops thiamine deficiency leading to Wernicke-Korsakoff
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syndrome. The cellular injury is best described as:
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A) Hypoxic injury
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B) Nutritional injury
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C) Chemical injury
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D) Physical injury
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Rationale
Thiamine deficiency is a nutritional cause of cellular injury.
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Q8
A patient with chronic liver disease develops cirrhosis. The liver tissue shows extensive scarring
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and nodule formation. This is best described as:
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A) Regeneration
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B) Repair by fibrosis
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C) Resolution
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D) Hyperplasia
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Rationale
Fibrosis replaces damaged tissue with collagenous scar tissue when regeneration is not possible.
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