NURSING EXAM 1 PATHOPHYSIOLOGY 252
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS 2025/2026
- pathophysiology is the functional changes in the body as a result from disease
- when the normal is disrupted
- it includes aspects of pathology, which describes structural changes in body
tissues caused by disease. - CORRECT ANSWER describe pathophysiology. what
makes it different than A+P?
programmed cell death
- ex: after 120 days, RBC apoptosis. apoptosis is a normal occurrence in the body -
CORRECT ANSWER what is apoptosis?
- physical agents such as excessive heat or cold or radiation exposure
- mechanical damage: the pressure or tearing of tissue
- chemical toxins
- microorganisms
- nutritional deficits
- imbalance of fluids or electrolytes
- oxygen balance - CORRECT ANSWER in addition to apoptosis, what are other
mechanisms of cell damage?
- obstruction and ischemia
- obstruction is when it blocks oxygen but not through arterial blood supply;
ischemia is when it disrupts arterial blood supply
,- examples of obstruction are asthma and pneumonia
- examples of ischemia is thrombus (clot), injury, and compression (tourniquet) -
CORRECT ANSWER what are the two types of local disruption of oxygen balance?
- systemic is all over the body
- decrease in oxygen intake and anemia are examples of systemic
- when oxygen intake decreases, we go into anaerobic respiration which releases
lactic acid. - CORRECT ANSWER what are the two types of systemic disruptions in
oxygen balance?
a lack of oxygen in the tissues
- local obstructions and ischemia as well as a decrease in oxygen intake and
anemia can lead to hypoxia - CORRECT ANSWER what is hypoxia?
- necrosis is cell death. unlike apoptosis, this is a bad form of cell death.
- infarction is the result of hypoxia and leads to necrosis
- infection and inflammation can also lead to necrosis - CORRECT ANSWER as a
result of hypoxia, necrosis can occur. what is necrosis and what leads to such?
- atrophy is the decrease in size of cells
- it is commonly found in skeletal muscle, cardiac tissue, secondary sex organs,
and the brain
- it is caused by decreased workload, use, nutritional intake, nervous/hormonal
stimulation, aging, and ischemia
,- it results in decreased tissue mass because the environment can't support the
metabolic needs. - CORRECT ANSWER what is atrophy and where is it most
commonly found? what are the causes of atrophy?
- hypertrophy is the increase in the size of cells.
- it is commonly found in the heart, kidneys, and skeletal muscle
- physiologic hypertrophy is good and usually due to exercise creating new blood
flow and mitochondria
- pathological hypertrophy is an increase in size without support; it is bad!
- caused by excessive hormonal stimulation, exercise, additional work by tissues,
increased demand
- results in enlarged tissue mass and can lead to hypertension/ischemia - CORRECT
ANSWER what is hypertrophy and where is it most commonly found? what are the
causes of hypertrophy?
- hyperplasia is an increased number of cells
- most commonly found in the skin, liver, bone marrow, and glands
- it is caused by compensation to meet increased needs or a hormonal imbalance.
- found only in epithelium and glandular tissue
- results in enlarged tissue mass and increased risk for cancer - CORRECT ANSWER
what is hyperplasia and where is it most commonly found? what are the causes of
hyperplasia?
- metaplasia is when a mature cell type is replaced by a different mature cell type.
it can be reversed.
, - it is caused by vitamin deficiency, a protective mechanism (such as a smoker), or
response to chronic inflammation (GERD)
- smokers replace cells with more durable cells that are less elastic. - CORRECT
ANSWER what is metaplasia and where is it most commonly found? what are the
causes and results of metaplasia?
- dysplasia is when cells vary in size and shape within a tissue. it’s usually
immature or the wrong cell type
- caused by a chronic infection or a precancerous change
- results in an increased rate of mitosis - CORRECT ANSWER what is dysplasia?
what are the causes and results of dysplasia?
- undifferentiated cells with variable nuclear and cell structures that spreads.
- cancer
- neoplasia = new growth - CORRECT ANSWER what is neoplasia? what are the
causes and results?
- electrolytes: cations (+) and anions (-)
- fluids: divided between 4 compartments - intracellular fluids, extracellular fluids:
interstitial fluids (such as lymph and transcellular fluids) and plasma (intravascular)
- CORRECT ANSWER your body's fluid composition is made up of two groups of
particles. what are these two groups and what subtypes do they contain?
train station - CORRECT ANSWER the interstitial space is a ____ _____. things are
not meant to stay here for long, such as lymph, neutrophils, basophils,
transcellular fluids, etc.
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS 2025/2026
- pathophysiology is the functional changes in the body as a result from disease
- when the normal is disrupted
- it includes aspects of pathology, which describes structural changes in body
tissues caused by disease. - CORRECT ANSWER describe pathophysiology. what
makes it different than A+P?
programmed cell death
- ex: after 120 days, RBC apoptosis. apoptosis is a normal occurrence in the body -
CORRECT ANSWER what is apoptosis?
- physical agents such as excessive heat or cold or radiation exposure
- mechanical damage: the pressure or tearing of tissue
- chemical toxins
- microorganisms
- nutritional deficits
- imbalance of fluids or electrolytes
- oxygen balance - CORRECT ANSWER in addition to apoptosis, what are other
mechanisms of cell damage?
- obstruction and ischemia
- obstruction is when it blocks oxygen but not through arterial blood supply;
ischemia is when it disrupts arterial blood supply
,- examples of obstruction are asthma and pneumonia
- examples of ischemia is thrombus (clot), injury, and compression (tourniquet) -
CORRECT ANSWER what are the two types of local disruption of oxygen balance?
- systemic is all over the body
- decrease in oxygen intake and anemia are examples of systemic
- when oxygen intake decreases, we go into anaerobic respiration which releases
lactic acid. - CORRECT ANSWER what are the two types of systemic disruptions in
oxygen balance?
a lack of oxygen in the tissues
- local obstructions and ischemia as well as a decrease in oxygen intake and
anemia can lead to hypoxia - CORRECT ANSWER what is hypoxia?
- necrosis is cell death. unlike apoptosis, this is a bad form of cell death.
- infarction is the result of hypoxia and leads to necrosis
- infection and inflammation can also lead to necrosis - CORRECT ANSWER as a
result of hypoxia, necrosis can occur. what is necrosis and what leads to such?
- atrophy is the decrease in size of cells
- it is commonly found in skeletal muscle, cardiac tissue, secondary sex organs,
and the brain
- it is caused by decreased workload, use, nutritional intake, nervous/hormonal
stimulation, aging, and ischemia
,- it results in decreased tissue mass because the environment can't support the
metabolic needs. - CORRECT ANSWER what is atrophy and where is it most
commonly found? what are the causes of atrophy?
- hypertrophy is the increase in the size of cells.
- it is commonly found in the heart, kidneys, and skeletal muscle
- physiologic hypertrophy is good and usually due to exercise creating new blood
flow and mitochondria
- pathological hypertrophy is an increase in size without support; it is bad!
- caused by excessive hormonal stimulation, exercise, additional work by tissues,
increased demand
- results in enlarged tissue mass and can lead to hypertension/ischemia - CORRECT
ANSWER what is hypertrophy and where is it most commonly found? what are the
causes of hypertrophy?
- hyperplasia is an increased number of cells
- most commonly found in the skin, liver, bone marrow, and glands
- it is caused by compensation to meet increased needs or a hormonal imbalance.
- found only in epithelium and glandular tissue
- results in enlarged tissue mass and increased risk for cancer - CORRECT ANSWER
what is hyperplasia and where is it most commonly found? what are the causes of
hyperplasia?
- metaplasia is when a mature cell type is replaced by a different mature cell type.
it can be reversed.
, - it is caused by vitamin deficiency, a protective mechanism (such as a smoker), or
response to chronic inflammation (GERD)
- smokers replace cells with more durable cells that are less elastic. - CORRECT
ANSWER what is metaplasia and where is it most commonly found? what are the
causes and results of metaplasia?
- dysplasia is when cells vary in size and shape within a tissue. it’s usually
immature or the wrong cell type
- caused by a chronic infection or a precancerous change
- results in an increased rate of mitosis - CORRECT ANSWER what is dysplasia?
what are the causes and results of dysplasia?
- undifferentiated cells with variable nuclear and cell structures that spreads.
- cancer
- neoplasia = new growth - CORRECT ANSWER what is neoplasia? what are the
causes and results?
- electrolytes: cations (+) and anions (-)
- fluids: divided between 4 compartments - intracellular fluids, extracellular fluids:
interstitial fluids (such as lymph and transcellular fluids) and plasma (intravascular)
- CORRECT ANSWER your body's fluid composition is made up of two groups of
particles. what are these two groups and what subtypes do they contain?
train station - CORRECT ANSWER the interstitial space is a ____ _____. things are
not meant to stay here for long, such as lymph, neutrophils, basophils,
transcellular fluids, etc.
