NUR 631 Final Study Guide: Advanced
Physiology and Pathophysiology
200 Exam Questions & Answers with
Rationales | GCU | 2026/2027
SECTION 1: CELLULAR FUNCTION & ADAPTATION (Questions 1-20)
1. Removal of part of the liver leads to the remaining liver cells undergoing
which type of cellular adaptation?
A. Compensatory hypertrophy
B. Compensatory hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Answer: B. Compensatory hyperplasia
Rationale: Compensatory hyperplasia is an adaptive mechanism that enables
certain organs to regenerate. Removal of part of the liver leads to hyperplasia of
the remaining hepatocytes to compensate for the loss. This is a reversible process
that restores tissue mass.
2. A 45-year-old patient with chronic anemia is most likely experiencing which
cellular adaptation in response to decreased oxygen delivery?
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Answer: B. Hypertrophy
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size in response to increased
workload or demand. Chronic anemia leads to decreased oxygen delivery, causing
,cardiac myocytes to hypertrophy to compensate for the increased workload
required to pump blood with reduced oxygen-carrying capacity.
3. What is the term for programmed cell death?
A. Necrosis
B. Apoptosis
C. Autophagy
D. Pyroptosis
Answer: B. Apoptosis
Rationale: Apoptosis is a highly regulated, energy-dependent process of
programmed cell death. It serves to eliminate damaged, unnecessary, or potentially
dangerous cells without triggering an inflammatory response, unlike necrosis
which is unregulated and causes inflammation.
4. Which cellular organelle is primarily responsible for ATP production?
A. Ribosomes
B. Golgi apparatus
C. Mitochondria
D. Endoplasmic reticulum
Answer: C. Mitochondria
Rationale: Mitochondria are the site of aerobic metabolism and ATP production
via oxidative phosphorylation. They are often called the "powerhouse" of the cell
and contain their own DNA.
5. The mammary glands enlarge during pregnancy primarily as a
consequence of which type of hormonal event?
A. Metaplasia
B. Atrophy
,C. Hyperplasia
D. Dysplasia
Answer: C. Hyperplasia
Rationale: Hormonal hyperplasia occurs when cells proliferate in response to
hormonal stimulation, such as the enlargement of mammary glands during
pregnancy. This is a normal, reversible adaptive response.
6. Reversible replacement of one mature cell type by another is called:
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Answer: C. Metaplasia
Rationale: Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one differentiated cell type
with another mature cell type, often in response to chronic irritation or
inflammation, such as the bronchial epithelium changes seen in smokers.
7. A patient has impaired sodium-potassium pump function. What is the most
likely immediate effect at the cellular level?
A. Increased intracellular potassium
B. Increased intracellular sodium and water accumulation
C. Decreased intracellular calcium
D. Hyperpolarization of the cell membrane
Answer: B. Increased intracellular sodium and water accumulation
Rationale: The sodium-potassium ATPase pump maintains Na⁺/K⁺ gradients.
Impairment leads to sodium accumulation in cells; water follows by osmosis,
causing cellular swelling and potentially lysis.
8. What is the largest cytoplasmic organelle?
, A. Mitochondria
B. Golgi apparatus
C. Nucleus
D. Endoplasmic reticulum
Answer: C. Nucleus
Rationale: The nucleus is the largest cytoplasmic organelle and serves as the
control center of the cell, containing the majority of the cell's genetic material
(DNA).
9. Abnormal changes in the size, shape, and organization of mature cells that
can lead to cervical cancer are called:
A. Metaplasia
B. Hyperplasia
C. Dysplasia
D. Hypertrophy
Answer: C. Dysplasia
Rationale: Dysplasia refers to abnormal changes in the size, shape, and
organization of mature cells. It is considered a pre-cancerous condition and is
often detected on Pap smears.
10. In carbon monoxide poisoning, tissue damage occurs because:
A. Increased oxygen saturation due to hemoglobin binding
B. CO binds to hemoglobin preventing oxygen from binding
C. Decreased carbon dioxide levels
D. Increased red blood cell production
Answer: B. CO binds to hemoglobin preventing oxygen from binding
Rationale: Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin with approximately 250 times
greater affinity than oxygen, preventing oxygen from binding to those sites and
leading to tissue hypoxia and damage.
Physiology and Pathophysiology
200 Exam Questions & Answers with
Rationales | GCU | 2026/2027
SECTION 1: CELLULAR FUNCTION & ADAPTATION (Questions 1-20)
1. Removal of part of the liver leads to the remaining liver cells undergoing
which type of cellular adaptation?
A. Compensatory hypertrophy
B. Compensatory hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Answer: B. Compensatory hyperplasia
Rationale: Compensatory hyperplasia is an adaptive mechanism that enables
certain organs to regenerate. Removal of part of the liver leads to hyperplasia of
the remaining hepatocytes to compensate for the loss. This is a reversible process
that restores tissue mass.
2. A 45-year-old patient with chronic anemia is most likely experiencing which
cellular adaptation in response to decreased oxygen delivery?
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Answer: B. Hypertrophy
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size in response to increased
workload or demand. Chronic anemia leads to decreased oxygen delivery, causing
,cardiac myocytes to hypertrophy to compensate for the increased workload
required to pump blood with reduced oxygen-carrying capacity.
3. What is the term for programmed cell death?
A. Necrosis
B. Apoptosis
C. Autophagy
D. Pyroptosis
Answer: B. Apoptosis
Rationale: Apoptosis is a highly regulated, energy-dependent process of
programmed cell death. It serves to eliminate damaged, unnecessary, or potentially
dangerous cells without triggering an inflammatory response, unlike necrosis
which is unregulated and causes inflammation.
4. Which cellular organelle is primarily responsible for ATP production?
A. Ribosomes
B. Golgi apparatus
C. Mitochondria
D. Endoplasmic reticulum
Answer: C. Mitochondria
Rationale: Mitochondria are the site of aerobic metabolism and ATP production
via oxidative phosphorylation. They are often called the "powerhouse" of the cell
and contain their own DNA.
5. The mammary glands enlarge during pregnancy primarily as a
consequence of which type of hormonal event?
A. Metaplasia
B. Atrophy
,C. Hyperplasia
D. Dysplasia
Answer: C. Hyperplasia
Rationale: Hormonal hyperplasia occurs when cells proliferate in response to
hormonal stimulation, such as the enlargement of mammary glands during
pregnancy. This is a normal, reversible adaptive response.
6. Reversible replacement of one mature cell type by another is called:
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Answer: C. Metaplasia
Rationale: Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one differentiated cell type
with another mature cell type, often in response to chronic irritation or
inflammation, such as the bronchial epithelium changes seen in smokers.
7. A patient has impaired sodium-potassium pump function. What is the most
likely immediate effect at the cellular level?
A. Increased intracellular potassium
B. Increased intracellular sodium and water accumulation
C. Decreased intracellular calcium
D. Hyperpolarization of the cell membrane
Answer: B. Increased intracellular sodium and water accumulation
Rationale: The sodium-potassium ATPase pump maintains Na⁺/K⁺ gradients.
Impairment leads to sodium accumulation in cells; water follows by osmosis,
causing cellular swelling and potentially lysis.
8. What is the largest cytoplasmic organelle?
, A. Mitochondria
B. Golgi apparatus
C. Nucleus
D. Endoplasmic reticulum
Answer: C. Nucleus
Rationale: The nucleus is the largest cytoplasmic organelle and serves as the
control center of the cell, containing the majority of the cell's genetic material
(DNA).
9. Abnormal changes in the size, shape, and organization of mature cells that
can lead to cervical cancer are called:
A. Metaplasia
B. Hyperplasia
C. Dysplasia
D. Hypertrophy
Answer: C. Dysplasia
Rationale: Dysplasia refers to abnormal changes in the size, shape, and
organization of mature cells. It is considered a pre-cancerous condition and is
often detected on Pap smears.
10. In carbon monoxide poisoning, tissue damage occurs because:
A. Increased oxygen saturation due to hemoglobin binding
B. CO binds to hemoglobin preventing oxygen from binding
C. Decreased carbon dioxide levels
D. Increased red blood cell production
Answer: B. CO binds to hemoglobin preventing oxygen from binding
Rationale: Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin with approximately 250 times
greater affinity than oxygen, preventing oxygen from binding to those sites and
leading to tissue hypoxia and damage.
