NSG 5003 Week 1–10 Knowledge Check Quizzes
– Advanced Pathophysiology | Questions,
Answers & Rationales
WEEK 1 — Cellular Biology, Homeostasis & Adaptation
1. Which process is primarily responsible for maintaining a stable internal
environment despite external changes?
A. Apoptosis
B. Homeostasis
C. Hypertrophy
D. Necrosis
Answer: B. Homeostasis
Rationale: Homeostasis maintains relatively stable physiologic conditions
through regulatory mechanisms such as negative feedback.
2. Which cellular adaptation involves an increase in cell size?
A. Hyperplasia
B. Atrophy
C. Hypertrophy
D. Metaplasia
Answer: C. Hypertrophy
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in individual cell size, commonly
occurring when cells experience increased workload.
3. An increase in the number of cells within a tissue is called:
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
,C. Atrophy
D. Dysplasia
Answer: B. Hyperplasia
Rationale: Hyperplasia results from increased cellular proliferation and
produces an increase in tissue or organ size.
4. Which cellular adaptation occurs when cells decrease in size because of
reduced workload?
A. Atrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Hypertrophy
Answer: A. Atrophy
Rationale: Atrophy is a reduction in cell size and often occurs with decreased
workload, inadequate nutrition, loss of innervation, or reduced blood supply.
5. Metaplasia refers to:
A. Irreversible cell death
B. Replacement of one mature cell type by another mature cell type
C. Increase in cell size
D. Abnormal chromosome replication
Answer: B. Replacement of one mature cell type by another mature cell type
Rationale: Metaplasia is usually an adaptive response to chronic irritation or
stress and may be reversible if the stimulus is removed.
6. Which organelle is primarily responsible for ATP production?
,A. Ribosome
B. Lysosome
C. Mitochondrion
D. Golgi apparatus
Answer: C. Mitochondrion
Rationale: Mitochondria generate most cellular ATP through oxidative
phosphorylation.
7. The sodium-potassium pump normally moves:
A. 3 Na⁺ into the cell and 2 K⁺ out
B. 2 Na⁺ into the cell and 3 K⁺ out
C. 3 Na⁺ out of the cell and 2 K⁺ into the cell
D. Equal amounts of Na⁺ and K⁺ in both directions
Answer: C. 3 Na⁺ out of the cell and 2 K⁺ into the cell
Rationale: Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase uses ATP to move three sodium ions out and two
potassium ions into the cell.
8. What is apoptosis?
A. Accidental cellular destruction caused by trauma
B. Programmed cellular death
C. Cellular swelling caused by hypoxia
D. Uncontrolled cell division
Answer: B. Programmed cellular death
Rationale: Apoptosis is a regulated process of cellular self-destruction that
generally causes little surrounding inflammation.
9. Which finding is most characteristic of cellular injury caused by hypoxia?
, A. Increased ATP production
B. Cellular swelling
C. Increased protein synthesis
D. Increased oxidative phosphorylation
Answer: B. Cellular swelling
Rationale: ATP depletion impairs membrane ion pumps, resulting in sodium
and water accumulation inside cells.
10. Free radicals cause cellular injury primarily through:
A. Increasing ATP synthesis
B. Lipid peroxidation and protein/DNA damage
C. Increasing oxygen delivery
D. Stimulating normal apoptosis only
Answer: B. Lipid peroxidation and protein/DNA damage
Rationale: Reactive oxygen species can damage cellular membranes, proteins,
enzymes, and nucleic acids.
11. Which type of cellular injury is generally reversible?
A. Severe membrane rupture
B. Mild cellular swelling
C. Extensive nuclear fragmentation
D. Complete mitochondrial destruction
Answer: B. Mild cellular swelling
Rationale: Early cellular swelling can resolve when the underlying insult is
removed before irreversible damage occurs.
12. Necrosis differs from apoptosis because necrosis typically:
– Advanced Pathophysiology | Questions,
Answers & Rationales
WEEK 1 — Cellular Biology, Homeostasis & Adaptation
1. Which process is primarily responsible for maintaining a stable internal
environment despite external changes?
A. Apoptosis
B. Homeostasis
C. Hypertrophy
D. Necrosis
Answer: B. Homeostasis
Rationale: Homeostasis maintains relatively stable physiologic conditions
through regulatory mechanisms such as negative feedback.
2. Which cellular adaptation involves an increase in cell size?
A. Hyperplasia
B. Atrophy
C. Hypertrophy
D. Metaplasia
Answer: C. Hypertrophy
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in individual cell size, commonly
occurring when cells experience increased workload.
3. An increase in the number of cells within a tissue is called:
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
,C. Atrophy
D. Dysplasia
Answer: B. Hyperplasia
Rationale: Hyperplasia results from increased cellular proliferation and
produces an increase in tissue or organ size.
4. Which cellular adaptation occurs when cells decrease in size because of
reduced workload?
A. Atrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Hypertrophy
Answer: A. Atrophy
Rationale: Atrophy is a reduction in cell size and often occurs with decreased
workload, inadequate nutrition, loss of innervation, or reduced blood supply.
5. Metaplasia refers to:
A. Irreversible cell death
B. Replacement of one mature cell type by another mature cell type
C. Increase in cell size
D. Abnormal chromosome replication
Answer: B. Replacement of one mature cell type by another mature cell type
Rationale: Metaplasia is usually an adaptive response to chronic irritation or
stress and may be reversible if the stimulus is removed.
6. Which organelle is primarily responsible for ATP production?
,A. Ribosome
B. Lysosome
C. Mitochondrion
D. Golgi apparatus
Answer: C. Mitochondrion
Rationale: Mitochondria generate most cellular ATP through oxidative
phosphorylation.
7. The sodium-potassium pump normally moves:
A. 3 Na⁺ into the cell and 2 K⁺ out
B. 2 Na⁺ into the cell and 3 K⁺ out
C. 3 Na⁺ out of the cell and 2 K⁺ into the cell
D. Equal amounts of Na⁺ and K⁺ in both directions
Answer: C. 3 Na⁺ out of the cell and 2 K⁺ into the cell
Rationale: Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase uses ATP to move three sodium ions out and two
potassium ions into the cell.
8. What is apoptosis?
A. Accidental cellular destruction caused by trauma
B. Programmed cellular death
C. Cellular swelling caused by hypoxia
D. Uncontrolled cell division
Answer: B. Programmed cellular death
Rationale: Apoptosis is a regulated process of cellular self-destruction that
generally causes little surrounding inflammation.
9. Which finding is most characteristic of cellular injury caused by hypoxia?
, A. Increased ATP production
B. Cellular swelling
C. Increased protein synthesis
D. Increased oxidative phosphorylation
Answer: B. Cellular swelling
Rationale: ATP depletion impairs membrane ion pumps, resulting in sodium
and water accumulation inside cells.
10. Free radicals cause cellular injury primarily through:
A. Increasing ATP synthesis
B. Lipid peroxidation and protein/DNA damage
C. Increasing oxygen delivery
D. Stimulating normal apoptosis only
Answer: B. Lipid peroxidation and protein/DNA damage
Rationale: Reactive oxygen species can damage cellular membranes, proteins,
enzymes, and nucleic acids.
11. Which type of cellular injury is generally reversible?
A. Severe membrane rupture
B. Mild cellular swelling
C. Extensive nuclear fragmentation
D. Complete mitochondrial destruction
Answer: B. Mild cellular swelling
Rationale: Early cellular swelling can resolve when the underlying insult is
removed before irreversible damage occurs.
12. Necrosis differs from apoptosis because necrosis typically:
