NURS 5315 FINAL EXAM 2025 – LATEST
ADVANCED PATHOPHYSIOLOGY QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS (VERIFIED & UPDATED)
What ABG value is consistent with a patient in respiratory distress breathing 33
breaths per minute? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅PCO2 15, indicating
hyperventilation and respiratory alkalosis.
What is the likely cause of disorientation and lethargy in a patient with a
sodium level of 115 mEq/L? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Water has shifted
into the neurons, causing them to swell.
Which electrolyte imbalance should be monitored in a patient experiencing
dehydration? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Hyperkalemia, due to increased
serum osmolality pulling potassium into the intravascular space.
What is the chance that a baby will inherit an autosomal recessive disease if
one parent has the disease and the other is heterozygous? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅25% chance of having the disease.
How many pairs of chromosomes are present in each human cell? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✅✅✅23 pairs, totaling 46 chromosomes.
What are the first 22 pairs of chromosomes known as? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅Autosomes.
What genetic information does the 23rd pair of chromosomes determine? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅The genetic information for gender.
,What chromosome pair do females have? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Two X
chromosomes (XX).
What chromosome pair do males have? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅One X
and one Y chromosome (XY).
What process separates chromosomes into two identical sets during cell
division? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Mitosis or meiosis.
What is the significance of chromosomes during cell division? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✅✅✅They transfer genetic information to daughter cells.
What happens to neurons during hypernatremia? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅Water shifts out of the cell into the intravascular space, causing
dehydration of the neurons.
What is the pH value indicative of respiratory alkalosis? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅A pH greater than 7.45.
What is the expected effect of hyperventilation on CO2 levels? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✅✅✅It results in low PCO2 levels.
What is the relationship between serum osmolality and potassium during
dehydration? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Increased serum osmolality
causes potassium to shift into the intravascular space.
What is the definition of hyperpolarization in relation to action potentials? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅It is when the action potential becomes more
negative, making it less likely to fire.
,What does hypopolarization refer to in the context of action potentials? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅It is when the action potential becomes less
negative, making it more likely to fire.
What is the clinical significance of a sodium level of 115 mEq/L? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✅✅✅It indicates severe hyponatremia, leading to neurological
symptoms.
What is the typical clinical presentation of a patient with hyperkalemia? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Symptoms may include muscle weakness, fatigue,
and cardiac arrhythmias.
What is the primary cause of neurologic symptoms associated with sodium
imbalances? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Fluid shifting into or out of the
neurons.
What is the expected pH value for a patient experiencing respiratory acidosis? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅A pH less than 7.35.
What is the role of chromosomes in genetic inheritance? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅They carry genetic information that is passed from parents to
offspring.
What is the effect of dehydration on serum sodium levels? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅It typically causes an increase in serum sodium levels.
What is the consequence of a chromosome abnormality during cell division? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅It can lead to genetic disorders or diseases.
, What does it mean for autosomal chromosomes to be autologous? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✅✅✅They do not carry genetic information pertaining to gender.
On which pairs of chromosomes are autosomal genetic diseases carried? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅On the first 22 pairs of chromosomes.
Which pair of chromosomes carries sex-linked diseases? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅The 23rd pair of chromosomes.
How are autosomal chromosomes described in relation to each other? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅They are nearly identical and considered
homologous.
What are alleles? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Identical genes carried by
each autosomal chromosome in a pair that occupy the same site and code for
the same genetic trait.
What are the two types of alleles? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Dominant
and recessive.
When is a recessive allele expressed in the phenotype? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅When both alleles are recessive.
How is a dominant allele represented in genetic notation? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅With a capital letter.
How is a recessive allele represented in genetic notation? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅With a lowercase letter.
ADVANCED PATHOPHYSIOLOGY QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS (VERIFIED & UPDATED)
What ABG value is consistent with a patient in respiratory distress breathing 33
breaths per minute? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅PCO2 15, indicating
hyperventilation and respiratory alkalosis.
What is the likely cause of disorientation and lethargy in a patient with a
sodium level of 115 mEq/L? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Water has shifted
into the neurons, causing them to swell.
Which electrolyte imbalance should be monitored in a patient experiencing
dehydration? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Hyperkalemia, due to increased
serum osmolality pulling potassium into the intravascular space.
What is the chance that a baby will inherit an autosomal recessive disease if
one parent has the disease and the other is heterozygous? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅25% chance of having the disease.
How many pairs of chromosomes are present in each human cell? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✅✅✅23 pairs, totaling 46 chromosomes.
What are the first 22 pairs of chromosomes known as? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅Autosomes.
What genetic information does the 23rd pair of chromosomes determine? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅The genetic information for gender.
,What chromosome pair do females have? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Two X
chromosomes (XX).
What chromosome pair do males have? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅One X
and one Y chromosome (XY).
What process separates chromosomes into two identical sets during cell
division? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Mitosis or meiosis.
What is the significance of chromosomes during cell division? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✅✅✅They transfer genetic information to daughter cells.
What happens to neurons during hypernatremia? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅Water shifts out of the cell into the intravascular space, causing
dehydration of the neurons.
What is the pH value indicative of respiratory alkalosis? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅A pH greater than 7.45.
What is the expected effect of hyperventilation on CO2 levels? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✅✅✅It results in low PCO2 levels.
What is the relationship between serum osmolality and potassium during
dehydration? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Increased serum osmolality
causes potassium to shift into the intravascular space.
What is the definition of hyperpolarization in relation to action potentials? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅It is when the action potential becomes more
negative, making it less likely to fire.
,What does hypopolarization refer to in the context of action potentials? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅It is when the action potential becomes less
negative, making it more likely to fire.
What is the clinical significance of a sodium level of 115 mEq/L? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✅✅✅It indicates severe hyponatremia, leading to neurological
symptoms.
What is the typical clinical presentation of a patient with hyperkalemia? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Symptoms may include muscle weakness, fatigue,
and cardiac arrhythmias.
What is the primary cause of neurologic symptoms associated with sodium
imbalances? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Fluid shifting into or out of the
neurons.
What is the expected pH value for a patient experiencing respiratory acidosis? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅A pH less than 7.35.
What is the role of chromosomes in genetic inheritance? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅They carry genetic information that is passed from parents to
offspring.
What is the effect of dehydration on serum sodium levels? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅It typically causes an increase in serum sodium levels.
What is the consequence of a chromosome abnormality during cell division? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅It can lead to genetic disorders or diseases.
, What does it mean for autosomal chromosomes to be autologous? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✅✅✅They do not carry genetic information pertaining to gender.
On which pairs of chromosomes are autosomal genetic diseases carried? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅On the first 22 pairs of chromosomes.
Which pair of chromosomes carries sex-linked diseases? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅The 23rd pair of chromosomes.
How are autosomal chromosomes described in relation to each other? -
CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅They are nearly identical and considered
homologous.
What are alleles? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Identical genes carried by
each autosomal chromosome in a pair that occupy the same site and code for
the same genetic trait.
What are the two types of alleles? - CORRECT ANSWER ✅✅✅Dominant
and recessive.
When is a recessive allele expressed in the phenotype? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅When both alleles are recessive.
How is a dominant allele represented in genetic notation? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅With a capital letter.
How is a recessive allele represented in genetic notation? - CORRECT ANSWER
✅✅✅With a lowercase letter.
