PATHOPHYSIOLOGY 1000 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
RATED A+ UPDATED.
1. How does the term pathogenesis differ from
pathophysiology?
Pathogenesis= disease beginning before it presents itself
Pathophysiology= is concerned with etiology, pathogenesis and clinical
manifestation of a disease; this involves the analysis of cellular, tissue, organ and
body system changes that occur in a disease state.
2. List and describe the 4 types of etiologies
i. Multifactorial= unknown; having more than one genetic and/or
environmental causing event
ii. Idiopathic= no known etiology
iii. Nosocomial= disease is the result of exposure to infection in the health care
environment ex. When a child gets varicella (chicken pox) while being a
patient in the hospital
iv. Iatrogenic= disease are those that are the inadvertent result of medical
treatment ex. Patient who develops UTI from the placement of a urinary
catheter
3. What does the term syndrome mean?
Syndrome= a cluster of clinical manifestations and laboratory and other
diagnostic tests that fit a recognizable, predictable pattern
4. Describe the difference between signs and symptoms Signs=
related to a specific disease, observable or measurable expression of the
altered health condition ex. Vesicles appearing on skin for chicken pox
Symptoms= “subjective”, indicator that is reported by someone ex. Not feeling
well (general terms)
5. Differentiate between remission, exacerbation and insidious
i. Remission= symptom free period
ii. Exacerbation= a period in which symptoms flare and can be severe
iii. Insidious= gradual in onset
6. What is epidemiology?
, The study of disease in populations
7. How does mortality and morbidity differ?
Mortality= death rate resulting from a disease Morbidity= poor
quality of life resulting from a disease
8. How does incidence and prevalence differ?
Incidence= the rate of occurrence of a health condition at any given rate
Prevalence= percentage of a population that is affected by a particular disease at a
given time
9. What are 3 responses cells can do in relation to being faced with a
stressor? Describe each
Change in size, number and structure.
10. Why would atrophy occur in a cell?
-When a cell signal is removed, often hormones
-Decrease in the functional demand on a cell prompts a decrease in cell size, this
often occurs when a limb is immobilized in a cast and active muscle movement is
impaired leading to decreased cell size.
-Decreased oxygen supply (ischemia) can also decrease cell size.
-Can occur secondary to blockage in cell supply, reduces delivery of O2
-Neural signals are removed from cells dependent on them for normal functioning
-Nutritional deprivation and process of aging decrease cell size as well as organ size
Ex. Spinal Muscular Atrophy – resulting from a disease caused by impaired neural
innervation to muscle tissue
11. Why is menopause considered an example for atrophy?
It is the loss of hormone secretions of estrogen and progesterone associated with the
ovarian cycles (organs), this decreases the cell size of the reproductive organs.
12. What would happen if cells did not have the ability to adapt to a
stressor?
See questions above or below.
13. How does lack of oxygen (ischemia) contribute to atrophy?
, Lack of oxygen deprives the cell of carrying essential nutrients to the rest of the
body and accumulates wastes produces (Co2, free radicals), causing the cell to
shrink in size.
14. How does hyperplasia differ from hypertrophy? What would cause a
cell to undergo these adaptations?
Hyperplasia= increase in the number of cells; also, can be caused by hormone
signaling and increase in workload ex. Period, uterus increases in cells when
building up endometrial wall before period
Hypertrophy= increase in the cell size; react in this way from the increase in in
trophic or growth signals ex. Increased breast cells during pregnancy so they can
hold/ deliver breast milk
15. Why can cardiac muscle when faced with increased workload
only adapt by hypertrophy?
Right Ventricle= because of increased pressure in the systemic circulation from
hypertension
Left Ventricle= in systemic hypertension, heart may be forced to pump harder
because of an increase in outflow pressure from a stiff aortic valve or increased
pressure in the aorta
- Main pump of the heart; impaired pumping leads to decreased arterial output
from the heart and congestion or backflow of blood into the left atrium and the
pulmonary circulation
16. Describe metaplasia. Is this condition reversible?
Metaplasia= changing of one cell type to another, when the stressor is
removed cells often
return to their normal state.
Ex. Smoking; columnar cells turn into squamous cells in the cells attempt to survive
the exposure of the toxins
17. Describe dysplasia and how this leads to mutations Dysplasia=
refers to the actual change in cell size, shape, uniformity, arrangement and
structure, caused by abnormal differentiation of dividing cells and is considered a
problem in regulating cell growth, this causes mutations to develop in the DNA
when cells reproduce because of how the cells are divide and proliferate
18. Why is the cervix an area at risk for metaplasia and dysplasia
adaptations? What virus is responsible for these changes?
RATED A+ UPDATED.
1. How does the term pathogenesis differ from
pathophysiology?
Pathogenesis= disease beginning before it presents itself
Pathophysiology= is concerned with etiology, pathogenesis and clinical
manifestation of a disease; this involves the analysis of cellular, tissue, organ and
body system changes that occur in a disease state.
2. List and describe the 4 types of etiologies
i. Multifactorial= unknown; having more than one genetic and/or
environmental causing event
ii. Idiopathic= no known etiology
iii. Nosocomial= disease is the result of exposure to infection in the health care
environment ex. When a child gets varicella (chicken pox) while being a
patient in the hospital
iv. Iatrogenic= disease are those that are the inadvertent result of medical
treatment ex. Patient who develops UTI from the placement of a urinary
catheter
3. What does the term syndrome mean?
Syndrome= a cluster of clinical manifestations and laboratory and other
diagnostic tests that fit a recognizable, predictable pattern
4. Describe the difference between signs and symptoms Signs=
related to a specific disease, observable or measurable expression of the
altered health condition ex. Vesicles appearing on skin for chicken pox
Symptoms= “subjective”, indicator that is reported by someone ex. Not feeling
well (general terms)
5. Differentiate between remission, exacerbation and insidious
i. Remission= symptom free period
ii. Exacerbation= a period in which symptoms flare and can be severe
iii. Insidious= gradual in onset
6. What is epidemiology?
, The study of disease in populations
7. How does mortality and morbidity differ?
Mortality= death rate resulting from a disease Morbidity= poor
quality of life resulting from a disease
8. How does incidence and prevalence differ?
Incidence= the rate of occurrence of a health condition at any given rate
Prevalence= percentage of a population that is affected by a particular disease at a
given time
9. What are 3 responses cells can do in relation to being faced with a
stressor? Describe each
Change in size, number and structure.
10. Why would atrophy occur in a cell?
-When a cell signal is removed, often hormones
-Decrease in the functional demand on a cell prompts a decrease in cell size, this
often occurs when a limb is immobilized in a cast and active muscle movement is
impaired leading to decreased cell size.
-Decreased oxygen supply (ischemia) can also decrease cell size.
-Can occur secondary to blockage in cell supply, reduces delivery of O2
-Neural signals are removed from cells dependent on them for normal functioning
-Nutritional deprivation and process of aging decrease cell size as well as organ size
Ex. Spinal Muscular Atrophy – resulting from a disease caused by impaired neural
innervation to muscle tissue
11. Why is menopause considered an example for atrophy?
It is the loss of hormone secretions of estrogen and progesterone associated with the
ovarian cycles (organs), this decreases the cell size of the reproductive organs.
12. What would happen if cells did not have the ability to adapt to a
stressor?
See questions above or below.
13. How does lack of oxygen (ischemia) contribute to atrophy?
, Lack of oxygen deprives the cell of carrying essential nutrients to the rest of the
body and accumulates wastes produces (Co2, free radicals), causing the cell to
shrink in size.
14. How does hyperplasia differ from hypertrophy? What would cause a
cell to undergo these adaptations?
Hyperplasia= increase in the number of cells; also, can be caused by hormone
signaling and increase in workload ex. Period, uterus increases in cells when
building up endometrial wall before period
Hypertrophy= increase in the cell size; react in this way from the increase in in
trophic or growth signals ex. Increased breast cells during pregnancy so they can
hold/ deliver breast milk
15. Why can cardiac muscle when faced with increased workload
only adapt by hypertrophy?
Right Ventricle= because of increased pressure in the systemic circulation from
hypertension
Left Ventricle= in systemic hypertension, heart may be forced to pump harder
because of an increase in outflow pressure from a stiff aortic valve or increased
pressure in the aorta
- Main pump of the heart; impaired pumping leads to decreased arterial output
from the heart and congestion or backflow of blood into the left atrium and the
pulmonary circulation
16. Describe metaplasia. Is this condition reversible?
Metaplasia= changing of one cell type to another, when the stressor is
removed cells often
return to their normal state.
Ex. Smoking; columnar cells turn into squamous cells in the cells attempt to survive
the exposure of the toxins
17. Describe dysplasia and how this leads to mutations Dysplasia=
refers to the actual change in cell size, shape, uniformity, arrangement and
structure, caused by abnormal differentiation of dividing cells and is considered a
problem in regulating cell growth, this causes mutations to develop in the DNA
when cells reproduce because of how the cells are divide and proliferate
18. Why is the cervix an area at risk for metaplasia and dysplasia
adaptations? What virus is responsible for these changes?
