PRACTICE ATI QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
2026 CERTIFICATION STUDY PACK WITH
SOLVED ANSWERS
◉ atrophy. Answer: decrease in cell size, resulting in reduced tissue
mass. Causes incl: reduced use of tissue, insufficient nutrition,
decreased neurologic or hormonal stimulation, aging
◉ hyperplasia. Answer: increase in number of cells resulting in an
enlarged tissue mass. May be compensatory - to meet increased
demands; or pathologic - when there is a hormonal imbalance. May
increase risk of cancer.
◉ hypertrophy. Answer: increase in size of cells resulting in enlarged
tissue mass. May be from additional work by tissue (ex- enlarged
heart due to increased work demand; enlarged skel musc due to
exercise).
◉ metaplasia. Answer: one mature cell type is replaced by a
different mature cell type. May be adaptive to provide more resistant
tissue (ex stratified squamous epithelium replaces ciliated columnar
epithelium in respiratory tracts of smokers.)
,◉ dysplasia. Answer: tissue cells vary in size and shape, atypical
cells, often with large nuclei, increased rate of mitosis. May be from
chronic irritation infection or may be precancer.
◉ anaplasia. Answer: cells that are undifferentiated with variable
nuclear and cell structures and numerous mitotic figures.
Characteristic of cancer, basis for grading aggressiveness of tumor.
◉ neoplasia. Answer: new growth. Commonly called tumor, benign
or malignant. Unique appearance and growth pattern.
◉ 2 stages of cell death. Answer: 1. Initial - cell damage causes
alteration in metabolic reation.
2. Loss of function. May be recovered if damaging factor is removed
quickly. Or may cause morphologic changes.
◉ achlorhydria. Answer: Absence of hydrochloric acid from the
gastric juice.
◉ agglutination. Answer: An antibody-mediated immune response
in which bacteria or viruses are clumped together, effectively
neutralized, and opsonized.
◉ autoregulation. Answer: Local control of blood distribution
(through vasodilation) in response to a tissue's changing metabolic
, needs. A compensatory mechanism that affects the cerebral vessel
tone, their resistance, and the diameter of the blood vessel.
Responds to pressure, CO2 and O2 changes.
◉ bilirubin. Answer: An orange pigment which is formed by the liver
as a result of heme breakdown and excreted in the bile.
◉ cyanotic. Answer: The bluish color of the mucous membranes, nail
beds, and skin that occurs when blood is not picking up an adequate
amount of oxygen from the lungs
◉ demyelination. Answer: Loss of the myelin sheath provided by
Schwann cells, resulting in reduced or disorganized propagation of
action potentials. This prevents nerve impulses from reaching their
target. This causes tremors, paralysis, and speech disturbances.
◉ deoxyhemoglobin. Answer: Hemoglobin that is not fully saturated
with oxygen (meaning iron ion in heme groups binds with 3 or less
oxygen molecules)
◉ diapedesis. Answer: WBCs migrate through endothelial walls of
capillaries and venules and enter tissue spaces by this process.
There they initiate inflammation and the immune response if they
encounter sites of injury or infection.
2026 CERTIFICATION STUDY PACK WITH
SOLVED ANSWERS
◉ atrophy. Answer: decrease in cell size, resulting in reduced tissue
mass. Causes incl: reduced use of tissue, insufficient nutrition,
decreased neurologic or hormonal stimulation, aging
◉ hyperplasia. Answer: increase in number of cells resulting in an
enlarged tissue mass. May be compensatory - to meet increased
demands; or pathologic - when there is a hormonal imbalance. May
increase risk of cancer.
◉ hypertrophy. Answer: increase in size of cells resulting in enlarged
tissue mass. May be from additional work by tissue (ex- enlarged
heart due to increased work demand; enlarged skel musc due to
exercise).
◉ metaplasia. Answer: one mature cell type is replaced by a
different mature cell type. May be adaptive to provide more resistant
tissue (ex stratified squamous epithelium replaces ciliated columnar
epithelium in respiratory tracts of smokers.)
,◉ dysplasia. Answer: tissue cells vary in size and shape, atypical
cells, often with large nuclei, increased rate of mitosis. May be from
chronic irritation infection or may be precancer.
◉ anaplasia. Answer: cells that are undifferentiated with variable
nuclear and cell structures and numerous mitotic figures.
Characteristic of cancer, basis for grading aggressiveness of tumor.
◉ neoplasia. Answer: new growth. Commonly called tumor, benign
or malignant. Unique appearance and growth pattern.
◉ 2 stages of cell death. Answer: 1. Initial - cell damage causes
alteration in metabolic reation.
2. Loss of function. May be recovered if damaging factor is removed
quickly. Or may cause morphologic changes.
◉ achlorhydria. Answer: Absence of hydrochloric acid from the
gastric juice.
◉ agglutination. Answer: An antibody-mediated immune response
in which bacteria or viruses are clumped together, effectively
neutralized, and opsonized.
◉ autoregulation. Answer: Local control of blood distribution
(through vasodilation) in response to a tissue's changing metabolic
, needs. A compensatory mechanism that affects the cerebral vessel
tone, their resistance, and the diameter of the blood vessel.
Responds to pressure, CO2 and O2 changes.
◉ bilirubin. Answer: An orange pigment which is formed by the liver
as a result of heme breakdown and excreted in the bile.
◉ cyanotic. Answer: The bluish color of the mucous membranes, nail
beds, and skin that occurs when blood is not picking up an adequate
amount of oxygen from the lungs
◉ demyelination. Answer: Loss of the myelin sheath provided by
Schwann cells, resulting in reduced or disorganized propagation of
action potentials. This prevents nerve impulses from reaching their
target. This causes tremors, paralysis, and speech disturbances.
◉ deoxyhemoglobin. Answer: Hemoglobin that is not fully saturated
with oxygen (meaning iron ion in heme groups binds with 3 or less
oxygen molecules)
◉ diapedesis. Answer: WBCs migrate through endothelial walls of
capillaries and venules and enter tissue spaces by this process.
There they initiate inflammation and the immune response if they
encounter sites of injury or infection.
