WGU D115 Advanced Pathophysiology OA –
150-Question Practice Exam (2026/2027)
Section I: Cellular Injury, Adaptation, and Death (1–25)
1. Which cellular adaptation involves an increase in the number of cells in a tissue?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in the number of cells in a tissue or organ, often in
response to hormonal stimulation. Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size.
2. A client's cardiac muscle enlarges in response to chronic hypertension. This is an example of:
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Metaplasia
D. Atrophy
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cardiac muscle cells cannot divide, so they enlarge (hypertrophy) in response to
increased workload.
3. Which cellular adaptation involves the replacement of one mature cell type with another?
A. Atrophy
B. Hypertrophy
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one mature cell type with another,
often in response to chronic irritation (e.g., smoking causing squamous metaplasia in the
airways).
,4. Which finding is characteristic of dysplasia?
A. Normal cell structure
B. Disordered cell growth and maturation
C. Increased cell size
D. Decreased cell number
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Dysplasia is disordered cellular growth and maturation, often a precursor to
malignancy.
5. Which type of cell death is programmed and does not trigger inflammation?
A. Necrosis
B. Apoptosis
C. Gangrene
D. Coagulation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Apoptosis is programmed cell death that does not trigger an inflammatory
response.
6. Which type of necrosis is characteristic of ischemic injury in the heart?
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis occurs in ischemic injury to the heart, kidney, and spleen.
7. Which type of necrosis is associated with tuberculosis?
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
, Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Caseous necrosis is a combination of coagulative and liquefactive necrosis,
characteristic of tuberculosis.
8. Which type of necrosis occurs in the brain after a stroke?
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Liquefactive necrosis occurs in the brain and in bacterial abscesses.
9. Which type of necrosis occurs in acute pancreatitis?
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Fat necrosis occurs in acute pancreatitis due to enzymatic digestion of fat.
10. Which of the following is a cause of cellular injury?
A. Hypoxia
B. Free radicals
C. Physical trauma
D. All of the above
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Hypoxia, free radicals, physical trauma, chemicals, and infections can all cause
cellular injury.
11. Which mechanism of cellular injury involves the lack of oxygen?
A. Hypoxia
B. Ischemia
, C. Reperfusion injury
D. Oxidative stress
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Hypoxia is a lack of oxygen that leads to cellular injury and death.
12. Which mechanism of cellular injury involves the restoration of blood flow to ischemic
tissue?
A. Hypoxia
B. Ischemia
C. Reperfusion injury
D. Oxidative stress
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Reperfusion injury occurs when blood flow is restored to ischemic tissue, causing
additional damage from free radicals and inflammation.
13. Which ion accumulates in the cell during hypoxia, leading to cellular swelling?
A. Potassium
B. Sodium
C. Calcium
D. Magnesium
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: During hypoxia, ATP depletion causes the Na+/K+ ATPase pump to fail, leading to
sodium and water accumulation and cellular swelling.
14. Which of the following is a hallmark of reversible cellular injury?
A. Cellular swelling
B. Nuclear dissolution
C. Membrane rupture
D. Calcification
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Cellular swelling is a hallmark of reversible cellular injury.
150-Question Practice Exam (2026/2027)
Section I: Cellular Injury, Adaptation, and Death (1–25)
1. Which cellular adaptation involves an increase in the number of cells in a tissue?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in the number of cells in a tissue or organ, often in
response to hormonal stimulation. Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size.
2. A client's cardiac muscle enlarges in response to chronic hypertension. This is an example of:
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Metaplasia
D. Atrophy
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cardiac muscle cells cannot divide, so they enlarge (hypertrophy) in response to
increased workload.
3. Which cellular adaptation involves the replacement of one mature cell type with another?
A. Atrophy
B. Hypertrophy
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one mature cell type with another,
often in response to chronic irritation (e.g., smoking causing squamous metaplasia in the
airways).
,4. Which finding is characteristic of dysplasia?
A. Normal cell structure
B. Disordered cell growth and maturation
C. Increased cell size
D. Decreased cell number
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Dysplasia is disordered cellular growth and maturation, often a precursor to
malignancy.
5. Which type of cell death is programmed and does not trigger inflammation?
A. Necrosis
B. Apoptosis
C. Gangrene
D. Coagulation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Apoptosis is programmed cell death that does not trigger an inflammatory
response.
6. Which type of necrosis is characteristic of ischemic injury in the heart?
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis occurs in ischemic injury to the heart, kidney, and spleen.
7. Which type of necrosis is associated with tuberculosis?
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
, Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Caseous necrosis is a combination of coagulative and liquefactive necrosis,
characteristic of tuberculosis.
8. Which type of necrosis occurs in the brain after a stroke?
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Liquefactive necrosis occurs in the brain and in bacterial abscesses.
9. Which type of necrosis occurs in acute pancreatitis?
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Fat necrosis occurs in acute pancreatitis due to enzymatic digestion of fat.
10. Which of the following is a cause of cellular injury?
A. Hypoxia
B. Free radicals
C. Physical trauma
D. All of the above
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Hypoxia, free radicals, physical trauma, chemicals, and infections can all cause
cellular injury.
11. Which mechanism of cellular injury involves the lack of oxygen?
A. Hypoxia
B. Ischemia
, C. Reperfusion injury
D. Oxidative stress
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Hypoxia is a lack of oxygen that leads to cellular injury and death.
12. Which mechanism of cellular injury involves the restoration of blood flow to ischemic
tissue?
A. Hypoxia
B. Ischemia
C. Reperfusion injury
D. Oxidative stress
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Reperfusion injury occurs when blood flow is restored to ischemic tissue, causing
additional damage from free radicals and inflammation.
13. Which ion accumulates in the cell during hypoxia, leading to cellular swelling?
A. Potassium
B. Sodium
C. Calcium
D. Magnesium
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: During hypoxia, ATP depletion causes the Na+/K+ ATPase pump to fail, leading to
sodium and water accumulation and cellular swelling.
14. Which of the following is a hallmark of reversible cellular injury?
A. Cellular swelling
B. Nuclear dissolution
C. Membrane rupture
D. Calcification
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Cellular swelling is a hallmark of reversible cellular injury.
