Actual Exam 2026/2027 | Questions with Verified
Answers | 100% Correct | Pass Guaranteed
SECTION 1: Cellular Foundations & Genetic Disorders (15 Questions)
Q1: A 45-year-old with chronic alcohol use shows ballooned hepatocytes on biopsy. The
primary cellular mechanism producing this adaptation is:
A. Decreased protein synthesis
B. Accumulation of triglycerides → hepatocyte swelling (ballooning degeneration)
C. Apoptotic shrinkage
D. Collagen deposition
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pathophysiological chain: Alcohol → acetaldehyde → oxidative stress →
microtubule damage → impaired VLDL export → triglyceride accumulation → ballooned
appearance.
NP link: Recognize as reversible if alcohol stops; guides abstinence counseling.
Distractors: A = atrophy; C = irreversible cell death; D = fibrosis, not acute swelling.
Q2: Which inheritance pattern is consistent with X-linked recessive transmission?
A. Father-to-son only
,B. Maternal uncle and grandson affected; no father-to-son cases
C. Equal male–female expression every generation
D. Skips generations only in females
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: X-linked recessive: males manifest; females are carriers.
Mechanism: Mutation on X chromosome → no second X in males → full expression.
Clinical pearl: Check family history for “uncle–nephew” pattern; carrier mothers have 50
% chance of transmitting to sons.
Q3: A smoker’s bronchial biopsy shows stratified squamous epithelium replacing
ciliated columnar cells. This is:
A. Dysplasia
B. Metaplasia (adaptive cell-type switch)
C. Hyperplasia
D. Anaplasia
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Chronic cigarette smoke → chemical irritation → reserve basal cells
differentiate into squamous for protection.
Warning: Persistent metaplasia can progress to dysplasia/cancer; reinforces
smoking-cessation urgency.
Q4: The G1/S checkpoint is lost in many cancers because of mutation in:
, A. TP53 tumor-suppressor gene
B. KIT proto-oncogene
C. BCR-ABL fusion
D. VEGF promoter
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: TP53 → p21 → halts cycle for DNA repair; loss allows unrestricted
replication.
Therapy note: TP53-mutated tumors resist DNA-damaging chemo; may need targeted
agents.
Q5: A child with cystic fibrosis has thick airway secretions. The primary molecular
defect is:
A. Absent chloride channel transcription
B. misfolded ΔF508-CFTR retained in ER → ↓ membrane insertion → ↓ chloride
secretion
C. Overactive sodium reabsorption channel (ENaC) mutation
D. Excess DNAse release
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: ΔF508 causes improper protein folding → proteasomal degradation → ↓
luminal chloride → water stays in interstitium → thick mucus.