NURS 231 Pathophysiology All Modules |
Portage Learning Exam Review
Section I: Cellular Adaptation, Injury, and Death (Questions 1–15)
1. Which of the following best defines pathophysiology?
A. The study of the structure of the human body
B. The study of the functional changes in the body that result from disease
C. The study of the causes of disease
D. The study of the treatment of disease
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pathophysiology encompasses not only the cellular and organ
changes that occur with disease, but also the effects these changes have on total
body function . Option A describes anatomy. Option C describes etiology. Option D
describes therapeutics.
2. A bodybuilder's muscles increasing in size due to resistance training is an
example of which cellular adaptation?
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size, which can be physiologic
(as in exercise-induced muscle growth) or pathologic . Hyperplasia (A) involves an
increase in cell number. Atrophy (C) is a decrease in cell size. Metaplasia (D) is
the reversible replacement of one mature cell type by another .
3. Which of the following is the most common cause of cellular injury in
clinical practice?
,A. Physical trauma
B. Hypoxia
C. Infectious agents
D. Genetic mutations
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, is the most common cause of
cellular injury and death. It can result from reduced oxygen in the air, loss of
hemoglobin, or decreased blood flow (ischemia) . While trauma, infections, and
genetics can all cause injury, hypoxia is the most frequent final common pathway
to cell death.
4. A patient's biopsy reveals Barrett esophagus. This is an example of which
cellular adaptation?
A. Dysplasia
B. Hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Neoplasia
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Barrett esophagus is a classic example of metaplasia, where
normal stratified squamous epithelium is replaced by columnar epithelium in
response to chronic acid reflux . Dysplasia (A) refers to disordered growth, not a
change from one mature cell type to another.
5. Programmed cell death that is a normal part of development and tissue
homeostasis is called:
A. Necrosis
B. Apoptosis
C. Ischemia
D. Infarction
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale: Apoptosis is programmed cell death, while necrosis is
unprogrammed cell death resulting from injury . Ischemia (C) is reduced blood
flow. Infarction (D) is tissue death due to ischemia.
6. Which organelle is the primary site of ATP production through oxidative
phosphorylation?
A. Ribosome
B. Endoplasmic reticulum
C. Mitochondria
D. Golgi apparatus
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Mitochondria are the site of cellular respiration and ATP
production and also play a key role in apoptosis . Ribosomes synthesize proteins.
The endoplasmic reticulum is involved in protein and lipid synthesis. The Golgi
apparatus modifies and packages proteins.
7. A 72-year-old patient experiences a stroke, resulting in permanent damage
to a region of brain tissue. Which type of cell death is most likely responsible
for this irreversible injury?
A. Apoptosis
B. Necrosis
C. Autophagy
D. Metaplasia
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Necrosis is unprogrammed cell death resulting from severe injury
such as ischemia, as occurs in stroke. Apoptosis (A) is programmed and
physiological. Autophagy (C) is a survival mechanism involving self-digestion of
damaged organelles. Metaplasia (D) is a cellular adaptation, not a form of cell
death.
, 8. Which of the following is a characteristic of reversible cell injury?
A. Cell membrane rupture
B. Cellular swelling
C. Nuclear dissolution
D. Enzyme leakage into serum
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cellular swelling is a hallmark of reversible cell injury due to
failure of the Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase pump and influx of water. Membrane rupture (A),
nuclear dissolution (C), and significant enzyme leakage (D) are features of
irreversible injury and necrosis.
9. A patient with chronic hypertension develops thickening of the left
ventricular myocardium. This is an example of:
A. Pathologic hyperplasia
B. Physiologic hypertrophy
C. Pathologic hypertrophy
D. Atrophy
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size. When it occurs in the heart
due to chronic pressure overload (hypertension), it is pathologic hypertrophy.
Physiologic hypertrophy (B) occurs with exercise. Hyperplasia (A) involves cell
number, not size. Atrophy (D) is shrinkage.
10. Which of the following cellular adaptations involves a decrease in cell size
and often results from disuse or denervation?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Correct Answer: C
Portage Learning Exam Review
Section I: Cellular Adaptation, Injury, and Death (Questions 1–15)
1. Which of the following best defines pathophysiology?
A. The study of the structure of the human body
B. The study of the functional changes in the body that result from disease
C. The study of the causes of disease
D. The study of the treatment of disease
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pathophysiology encompasses not only the cellular and organ
changes that occur with disease, but also the effects these changes have on total
body function . Option A describes anatomy. Option C describes etiology. Option D
describes therapeutics.
2. A bodybuilder's muscles increasing in size due to resistance training is an
example of which cellular adaptation?
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size, which can be physiologic
(as in exercise-induced muscle growth) or pathologic . Hyperplasia (A) involves an
increase in cell number. Atrophy (C) is a decrease in cell size. Metaplasia (D) is
the reversible replacement of one mature cell type by another .
3. Which of the following is the most common cause of cellular injury in
clinical practice?
,A. Physical trauma
B. Hypoxia
C. Infectious agents
D. Genetic mutations
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, is the most common cause of
cellular injury and death. It can result from reduced oxygen in the air, loss of
hemoglobin, or decreased blood flow (ischemia) . While trauma, infections, and
genetics can all cause injury, hypoxia is the most frequent final common pathway
to cell death.
4. A patient's biopsy reveals Barrett esophagus. This is an example of which
cellular adaptation?
A. Dysplasia
B. Hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Neoplasia
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Barrett esophagus is a classic example of metaplasia, where
normal stratified squamous epithelium is replaced by columnar epithelium in
response to chronic acid reflux . Dysplasia (A) refers to disordered growth, not a
change from one mature cell type to another.
5. Programmed cell death that is a normal part of development and tissue
homeostasis is called:
A. Necrosis
B. Apoptosis
C. Ischemia
D. Infarction
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale: Apoptosis is programmed cell death, while necrosis is
unprogrammed cell death resulting from injury . Ischemia (C) is reduced blood
flow. Infarction (D) is tissue death due to ischemia.
6. Which organelle is the primary site of ATP production through oxidative
phosphorylation?
A. Ribosome
B. Endoplasmic reticulum
C. Mitochondria
D. Golgi apparatus
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Mitochondria are the site of cellular respiration and ATP
production and also play a key role in apoptosis . Ribosomes synthesize proteins.
The endoplasmic reticulum is involved in protein and lipid synthesis. The Golgi
apparatus modifies and packages proteins.
7. A 72-year-old patient experiences a stroke, resulting in permanent damage
to a region of brain tissue. Which type of cell death is most likely responsible
for this irreversible injury?
A. Apoptosis
B. Necrosis
C. Autophagy
D. Metaplasia
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Necrosis is unprogrammed cell death resulting from severe injury
such as ischemia, as occurs in stroke. Apoptosis (A) is programmed and
physiological. Autophagy (C) is a survival mechanism involving self-digestion of
damaged organelles. Metaplasia (D) is a cellular adaptation, not a form of cell
death.
, 8. Which of the following is a characteristic of reversible cell injury?
A. Cell membrane rupture
B. Cellular swelling
C. Nuclear dissolution
D. Enzyme leakage into serum
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cellular swelling is a hallmark of reversible cell injury due to
failure of the Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase pump and influx of water. Membrane rupture (A),
nuclear dissolution (C), and significant enzyme leakage (D) are features of
irreversible injury and necrosis.
9. A patient with chronic hypertension develops thickening of the left
ventricular myocardium. This is an example of:
A. Pathologic hyperplasia
B. Physiologic hypertrophy
C. Pathologic hypertrophy
D. Atrophy
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size. When it occurs in the heart
due to chronic pressure overload (hypertension), it is pathologic hypertrophy.
Physiologic hypertrophy (B) occurs with exercise. Hyperplasia (A) involves cell
number, not size. Atrophy (D) is shrinkage.
10. Which of the following cellular adaptations involves a decrease in cell size
and often results from disuse or denervation?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Correct Answer: C
