NUR 240 Pathophysiology Exam Bank Comprehensive updated
2026 Questions and answers with explained Rationale for
Success .
Pathophysiology |is |the |study |of |the |disordered |physiological |processes |associated |with |disease |or
|injury. |In |the |context |of |nursing |and |medical |education, |understanding |pathophysiology |is |crucial
|as |it |helps |healthcare |providers |understand |the |underlying |mechanisms |of |diseases, |which |in |turn
|informs |diagnosis |and |treatment |strategies. |
What |is |the |primary |cause |of |ischemia |and |the |accumulation |of |intracellular |calcium |in |injured |cells?
A) |Hypoxia
B) |Free |radical |injury
C) |Calcium |overload
D) |Dysplasia
Answer: |A) |Hypoxia
Explanation: |Ischemia |is |primarily |caused |by |a |lack |of |oxygen |(hypoxia), |leading |to |insufficient |energy
|production |and |the |accumulation |of |intracellular |calcium.
2. |Which |cellular |change |is |characterized |by |cell |shrinkage |rather |than |rupture?
A) |Apoptosis
B) |Necrosis
C) |Inflammation
D) |Dysplasia
Answer: |A) |Apoptosis
Explanation: |Apoptosis |is |a |regulated |process |of |programmed |cell |death |that |typically |results |in |cell
|shrinkage, |unlike |necrosis, |which |involves |cell |rupture |and |inflammation.
3. |A |patient |presents |with |swollen, |injured |cells. |What |is |the |primary |mechanism |causing |this?
,A) |Accumulation |of |calcium |in |the |cell
B) |Impaired |protein |synthesis
C) |Cellular |rupture
D) |Failure |of |the |sodiumpotassium |pump
Answer: |D) |Failure |of |the |sodiumpotassium |pump
Explanation: |Failure |of |the |sodiumpotassium |pump |leads |to |sodium |retention |and |water |influx,
|causing |cell |swelling.
4. |Which |of |the |following |best |describes |metaplasia?
A) |Reversible |replacement |of |one |mature |cell |type |with |another
B) |An |increase |in |the |number |of |cells |due |to |chronic |irritation
C) |Abnormal |cell |development
D) |Reduction |in |cell |size |due |to |lack |of |use
Answer: |A) |Reversible |replacement |of |one |mature |cell |type |with |another
Explanation: |Metaplasia |is |the |process |where |one |differentiated |cell |type |is |replaced |by |another,
|usually |in |response |to |stress.
5. |A |patient |with |free |radical |injury |is |most |likely |to |exhibit |which |of |the |following |signs/symptoms?
A) |Hypercalcemia
B) |Increased |ATP |production
C) |DNA |damage
D) |Increased |cellular |hydration
Answer: |C) |DNA |damage
Explanation: |Free |radicals |can |cause |oxidative |damage, |leading |to |significant |DNA |damage |in |affected
|cells.
6. |Gangrene |is |most |commonly |a |result |of |which |of |the |following?
,A) |Apoptosis
B) |Bacterial |infection
C) |Ischemia
D) |Hypocalcemia
Answer: |C) |Ischemia
Explanation: |Gangrene |often |results |from |ischemia, |which |leads |to |tissue |death |and |subsequent
|bacterial |infection.
7. |What |is |a |key |systemic |sign |of |infection |in |a |patient?
A) |Redness |and |swelling |at |the |site
B) |Localized |pain
C) |Fever |and |malaise
D) |Cyanosis
Answer: |C) |Fever |and |malaise
Explanation: |Fever |and |malaise |are |systemic |responses |to |infection, |indicating |the |body's |immune
|reaction.
8. |Which |of |the |following |is |the |primary |mediator |of |vasodilation |during |inflammation?
A) |Histamine
B) |Serotonin
C) |Bradykinin
D) |Nitric |oxide
Answer: |A) |Histamine
Explanation: |Histamine |is |a |key |mediator |that |causes |vasodilation |and |increases |vascular |permeability
|during |the |inflammatory |response.
9. |Which |patient |is |most |at |risk |for |developing |deep |vein |thrombosis |(DVT)?
, A) |A |35yearold |woman |with |asthma
B) |A |70yearold |man |with |a |sedentary |lifestyle
C) |A |22yearold |athlete
D) |A |40yearold |with |a |fever
Answer: |B) |A |70yearold |man |with |a |sedentary |lifestyle
Explanation: |Sedentary |lifestyles, |especially |in |older |adults, |significantly |increase |the |risk |of |DVT |due
|to |reduced |blood |flow.
10. |Which |route |of |temperature |measurement |is |most |accurate |for |assessing |core |body |temperature
|in |a |febrile |adult |patient?
A) |Oral
B) |Axillary
C) |Rectal
D) |Tympanic
Answer: |C) |Rectal
Explanation: |Rectal |temperature |measurement |is |considered |the |most |accurate |method |for |assessing
|core |body |temperature.
11. |What |is |a |Type |I |hypersensitivity |reaction |characterized |by?
A) |Tcell |mediated |destruction |of |cells
B) |IgEmediated |mast |cell |degranulation
C) |Antigenantibody |complex |formation
D) |Production |of |antibodies |against |cell |surface |antigens
Answer: |B) |IgEmediated |mast |cell |degranulation
Explanation: |Type |I |hypersensitivity |involves |IgE |antibodies |binding |to |allergens |and |triggering |mast
|cell |degranulation, |resulting |in |an |allergic |response.
2026 Questions and answers with explained Rationale for
Success .
Pathophysiology |is |the |study |of |the |disordered |physiological |processes |associated |with |disease |or
|injury. |In |the |context |of |nursing |and |medical |education, |understanding |pathophysiology |is |crucial
|as |it |helps |healthcare |providers |understand |the |underlying |mechanisms |of |diseases, |which |in |turn
|informs |diagnosis |and |treatment |strategies. |
What |is |the |primary |cause |of |ischemia |and |the |accumulation |of |intracellular |calcium |in |injured |cells?
A) |Hypoxia
B) |Free |radical |injury
C) |Calcium |overload
D) |Dysplasia
Answer: |A) |Hypoxia
Explanation: |Ischemia |is |primarily |caused |by |a |lack |of |oxygen |(hypoxia), |leading |to |insufficient |energy
|production |and |the |accumulation |of |intracellular |calcium.
2. |Which |cellular |change |is |characterized |by |cell |shrinkage |rather |than |rupture?
A) |Apoptosis
B) |Necrosis
C) |Inflammation
D) |Dysplasia
Answer: |A) |Apoptosis
Explanation: |Apoptosis |is |a |regulated |process |of |programmed |cell |death |that |typically |results |in |cell
|shrinkage, |unlike |necrosis, |which |involves |cell |rupture |and |inflammation.
3. |A |patient |presents |with |swollen, |injured |cells. |What |is |the |primary |mechanism |causing |this?
,A) |Accumulation |of |calcium |in |the |cell
B) |Impaired |protein |synthesis
C) |Cellular |rupture
D) |Failure |of |the |sodiumpotassium |pump
Answer: |D) |Failure |of |the |sodiumpotassium |pump
Explanation: |Failure |of |the |sodiumpotassium |pump |leads |to |sodium |retention |and |water |influx,
|causing |cell |swelling.
4. |Which |of |the |following |best |describes |metaplasia?
A) |Reversible |replacement |of |one |mature |cell |type |with |another
B) |An |increase |in |the |number |of |cells |due |to |chronic |irritation
C) |Abnormal |cell |development
D) |Reduction |in |cell |size |due |to |lack |of |use
Answer: |A) |Reversible |replacement |of |one |mature |cell |type |with |another
Explanation: |Metaplasia |is |the |process |where |one |differentiated |cell |type |is |replaced |by |another,
|usually |in |response |to |stress.
5. |A |patient |with |free |radical |injury |is |most |likely |to |exhibit |which |of |the |following |signs/symptoms?
A) |Hypercalcemia
B) |Increased |ATP |production
C) |DNA |damage
D) |Increased |cellular |hydration
Answer: |C) |DNA |damage
Explanation: |Free |radicals |can |cause |oxidative |damage, |leading |to |significant |DNA |damage |in |affected
|cells.
6. |Gangrene |is |most |commonly |a |result |of |which |of |the |following?
,A) |Apoptosis
B) |Bacterial |infection
C) |Ischemia
D) |Hypocalcemia
Answer: |C) |Ischemia
Explanation: |Gangrene |often |results |from |ischemia, |which |leads |to |tissue |death |and |subsequent
|bacterial |infection.
7. |What |is |a |key |systemic |sign |of |infection |in |a |patient?
A) |Redness |and |swelling |at |the |site
B) |Localized |pain
C) |Fever |and |malaise
D) |Cyanosis
Answer: |C) |Fever |and |malaise
Explanation: |Fever |and |malaise |are |systemic |responses |to |infection, |indicating |the |body's |immune
|reaction.
8. |Which |of |the |following |is |the |primary |mediator |of |vasodilation |during |inflammation?
A) |Histamine
B) |Serotonin
C) |Bradykinin
D) |Nitric |oxide
Answer: |A) |Histamine
Explanation: |Histamine |is |a |key |mediator |that |causes |vasodilation |and |increases |vascular |permeability
|during |the |inflammatory |response.
9. |Which |patient |is |most |at |risk |for |developing |deep |vein |thrombosis |(DVT)?
, A) |A |35yearold |woman |with |asthma
B) |A |70yearold |man |with |a |sedentary |lifestyle
C) |A |22yearold |athlete
D) |A |40yearold |with |a |fever
Answer: |B) |A |70yearold |man |with |a |sedentary |lifestyle
Explanation: |Sedentary |lifestyles, |especially |in |older |adults, |significantly |increase |the |risk |of |DVT |due
|to |reduced |blood |flow.
10. |Which |route |of |temperature |measurement |is |most |accurate |for |assessing |core |body |temperature
|in |a |febrile |adult |patient?
A) |Oral
B) |Axillary
C) |Rectal
D) |Tympanic
Answer: |C) |Rectal
Explanation: |Rectal |temperature |measurement |is |considered |the |most |accurate |method |for |assessing
|core |body |temperature.
11. |What |is |a |Type |I |hypersensitivity |reaction |characterized |by?
A) |Tcell |mediated |destruction |of |cells
B) |IgEmediated |mast |cell |degranulation
C) |Antigenantibody |complex |formation
D) |Production |of |antibodies |against |cell |surface |antigens
Answer: |B) |IgEmediated |mast |cell |degranulation
Explanation: |Type |I |hypersensitivity |involves |IgE |antibodies |binding |to |allergens |and |triggering |mast
|cell |degranulation, |resulting |in |an |allergic |response.
