ADVANCED PATHO NURS 5315 EXAM 1| QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS 2025
Action potential - CORRECT ANSWER - The process by which excitable cells transmit
information from one to another.
How is the action potential altered by a potassium imbalance? (Hyperkalemia) -
CORRECT ANSWER - The ECF has more K+ ions. The membrane potential
becomes more positive (hypopolarized).
Cells become MORE excitable.
T waves peak.
QRS complexes widen.
Causes dysrhythmias, weakness, paresthesia.
{If membrane potential becomes equal to threshold potential cardiac standstill occurs}
How is the action potential altered by a potassium imbalance? (Hypokalemia) -
CORRECT ANSWER - The ECF has less K+ ions. The membrane potential becomes
more negative or hyper-polarized.
The cell becomes less excitable, depolarization takes longer, and takes a stronger
stimulus.
Causes weakness, atony, cardiac dystrhythmias.
How is the action potential altered by a calcium imbalance? (hypercalemia) - CORRECT
ANSWER - Increase in ECF calcium to >10.5 mg/dl. It decreases the cell permeability to
calcium.
The cell becomes hyperpolarized (the distance between membrane potential and
threshold potential widens).
The cell is less excitable and take more stimulus to depolarize.
Causes: weakness, hyporeflexia, lethargy, confusion, shortened QT wave, depressed T
wave.
,How is the action potential altered by a calcium imbalance? (hypocalemia) - CORRECT
ANSWER - Decreased ECF calcium <9.0 mg/dl. <5.5 ionized.
Increases the cell permeability to Na+. Resting membrane potential gets hypo-
polarized.
Cells become excitable and threshold and membrane potential get closer.
Causes: tetany, hyperreflexia, parathesias, seizures, dysrhythmias.
Atrophy - CORRECT ANSWER - Catabolism of intracellular organelles causing a
reduction in the intracellular contents.
The cell shrinks
-The thymus gland shrinks in childhood
-Disuse atrophy
Hypertrophy - CORRECT ANSWER - Hormonal stimulation in response to increased
demand than causes an increase in cellular protien.
The cell gets larger - eventually causing the whole organ to get larger.
-Skeletal muscle hypertrophy in the weight lifter.
-Cardiomegaly in response to hypertensive heart disease.
Hyperplasia - CORRECT ANSWER - Increase in the number of growth factor cell
receptors that activate cellular proliferation. Only happens in cell capable of mitosis.
-Increased number of cells.
-Uterine and mammary glands in pregnancy.
-Increased production of endometrial cells due to estrogen/progesterone imbalance.
Dysplasia - CORRECT ANSWER - abnormal changes in cell size, shape or organization
in response to cell injury or irritation.
Not a true adaptive process.
-Cervical dysplasia.
, Metaplasia - CORRECT ANSWER - Mature cell type is replaced by a different mature
cell type.
-Reversible, but can induce metestatic change.
-Result of chronic stressor to the cell.
-Chronic smokers who loose normal ciliated epithelial cells (columnar) and the cells are
replaced with squamous cells.
-Barrett's esophagus: Normal esophogeal epithelial cells are replaced with columnar
type cells that are more like the intestine to withstand the acidity of reflux.
Hypoxic injury - CORRECT ANSWER - Most common type of cellular injury. Caused by
lack of oxygen, loss of hemoglobin, decrease in RBC production, cardiopulmonary
disease, ischemia and inflammation. Causes mitochondrial disfunction ↓ decreased ATP
production, ↑ anaerobic metabolism, metabolism ceases, cell dies.
-Ischemia progresses to hypoxia. Causes intracellular enzymes to show up in labs.
-Creatinine kinase - indicates muscle injury.
-LDH - muscle, liver, lungs, heart, rbcs and brain.
-AST - liver cells
-ALT - liver cells
-Troponin - heart
Reperfusion injury - CORRECT ANSWER - Occurs when O2 supply is restored to
ischemic tissues.
Causes ph alterations.
Trigger reactive oxygen intermediates to be produced causing cell membrane damage
and mitochondrial calcium overload. Causes opening of MPTP allowing ATP to escape
causing apatosis.
Free radical and Reactive Oxygen Species - CORRECT ANSWER - Caused by a
molecule with one unpaired electron. They will steal from another electron and cause
that electron to become a free radical. ROS can overwhelm the mitochondria (they are a
free radical subspecies)
-Caused by endothelial injury and leads to atherosclerosis.
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS 2025
Action potential - CORRECT ANSWER - The process by which excitable cells transmit
information from one to another.
How is the action potential altered by a potassium imbalance? (Hyperkalemia) -
CORRECT ANSWER - The ECF has more K+ ions. The membrane potential
becomes more positive (hypopolarized).
Cells become MORE excitable.
T waves peak.
QRS complexes widen.
Causes dysrhythmias, weakness, paresthesia.
{If membrane potential becomes equal to threshold potential cardiac standstill occurs}
How is the action potential altered by a potassium imbalance? (Hypokalemia) -
CORRECT ANSWER - The ECF has less K+ ions. The membrane potential becomes
more negative or hyper-polarized.
The cell becomes less excitable, depolarization takes longer, and takes a stronger
stimulus.
Causes weakness, atony, cardiac dystrhythmias.
How is the action potential altered by a calcium imbalance? (hypercalemia) - CORRECT
ANSWER - Increase in ECF calcium to >10.5 mg/dl. It decreases the cell permeability to
calcium.
The cell becomes hyperpolarized (the distance between membrane potential and
threshold potential widens).
The cell is less excitable and take more stimulus to depolarize.
Causes: weakness, hyporeflexia, lethargy, confusion, shortened QT wave, depressed T
wave.
,How is the action potential altered by a calcium imbalance? (hypocalemia) - CORRECT
ANSWER - Decreased ECF calcium <9.0 mg/dl. <5.5 ionized.
Increases the cell permeability to Na+. Resting membrane potential gets hypo-
polarized.
Cells become excitable and threshold and membrane potential get closer.
Causes: tetany, hyperreflexia, parathesias, seizures, dysrhythmias.
Atrophy - CORRECT ANSWER - Catabolism of intracellular organelles causing a
reduction in the intracellular contents.
The cell shrinks
-The thymus gland shrinks in childhood
-Disuse atrophy
Hypertrophy - CORRECT ANSWER - Hormonal stimulation in response to increased
demand than causes an increase in cellular protien.
The cell gets larger - eventually causing the whole organ to get larger.
-Skeletal muscle hypertrophy in the weight lifter.
-Cardiomegaly in response to hypertensive heart disease.
Hyperplasia - CORRECT ANSWER - Increase in the number of growth factor cell
receptors that activate cellular proliferation. Only happens in cell capable of mitosis.
-Increased number of cells.
-Uterine and mammary glands in pregnancy.
-Increased production of endometrial cells due to estrogen/progesterone imbalance.
Dysplasia - CORRECT ANSWER - abnormal changes in cell size, shape or organization
in response to cell injury or irritation.
Not a true adaptive process.
-Cervical dysplasia.
, Metaplasia - CORRECT ANSWER - Mature cell type is replaced by a different mature
cell type.
-Reversible, but can induce metestatic change.
-Result of chronic stressor to the cell.
-Chronic smokers who loose normal ciliated epithelial cells (columnar) and the cells are
replaced with squamous cells.
-Barrett's esophagus: Normal esophogeal epithelial cells are replaced with columnar
type cells that are more like the intestine to withstand the acidity of reflux.
Hypoxic injury - CORRECT ANSWER - Most common type of cellular injury. Caused by
lack of oxygen, loss of hemoglobin, decrease in RBC production, cardiopulmonary
disease, ischemia and inflammation. Causes mitochondrial disfunction ↓ decreased ATP
production, ↑ anaerobic metabolism, metabolism ceases, cell dies.
-Ischemia progresses to hypoxia. Causes intracellular enzymes to show up in labs.
-Creatinine kinase - indicates muscle injury.
-LDH - muscle, liver, lungs, heart, rbcs and brain.
-AST - liver cells
-ALT - liver cells
-Troponin - heart
Reperfusion injury - CORRECT ANSWER - Occurs when O2 supply is restored to
ischemic tissues.
Causes ph alterations.
Trigger reactive oxygen intermediates to be produced causing cell membrane damage
and mitochondrial calcium overload. Causes opening of MPTP allowing ATP to escape
causing apatosis.
Free radical and Reactive Oxygen Species - CORRECT ANSWER - Caused by a
molecule with one unpaired electron. They will steal from another electron and cause
that electron to become a free radical. ROS can overwhelm the mitochondria (they are a
free radical subspecies)
-Caused by endothelial injury and leads to atherosclerosis.
