WGU D236 EXAM WGU D236
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY EXAM 2025-2026 (A NEW
UPDATED VERSION) ACTUAL EXAM QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS (VERIFIED
ANSWERS) WITH RATIONALES ALREADY A GRADED
Why is it important to maintain a homeostatic balance of glucose in the
blood (ie describe the pathogenesis of diabetes)? - ANSWER ->Insulin is
the hormone responsible for initiating the uptake of glucose by the
cells. Cells use glucose to produce energy (ATP).
In a normal individual, when blood glucose increases, the pancreas is
signaled to produced in insulin, which binds to insulin receptors on a
cells surface and initiates the uptake of glucose.
Glucose is a very reactive molecule and if left in the blood, it can start
to bind to other proteins and lipids, which can lead to loss of function.
AGEs are advanced glycation end products that are a result of glucose
reacting with the endothelial lining, which can lead to damage in the
heart and kidneys.
Compare and contrast Type I and Type II Diabetes - ANSWER ->Type I
diabetes is caused by lack of insulin. With out insulin signaling, glucose
will not be taken into the cell and leads to high blood glucose
(hyperglycemia). Type I is usually treated with insulin injections.
,Type II diabetes is caused by a desensitization to insulin signaling. The
insulin receptors are no longer responding to insulin, which also leads
to hyperglycemia.
Type II is usually treated with drugs to increase the sensitization to
insulin (metformin), dietary and life-style changes or insulin injections.
Describe some reasons for a patient needing dialysis - ANSWER
>AEIOU-acidosis. Electrolytes, Intoxication/Ingestion, overload, uremia.
Patients with kidney or heart failure.
A build up of phosphates, urea and magnesium are removed from the
blood using a semi-permeable membrane and dialysate.
AEIOU:
A—acidosis;
E—electrolytes principally hyperkalemia;
I—ingestions or overdose of medications/drugs;
O—overload of fluid causing heart failure;
U—uremia leading to encephalitis/pericarditis
Compare and contrast hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
What are some reasons for a patient choosing one over the other? -
ANSWER ->Hemodialysis uses a machine to pump blood from the body
in one tube while dialysate (made of water, electrolytes and salts) is
pumped in the separate tube in the opposite direction. Waste from the
blood diffuses through the semipermeable membrane separating the
blood from the dialysate.
,Peritoneal Dialysis does not use a machine, but instead injects a
solution of water and glucose into the abdominal cavity. The
peritoneum acts as the membrane instead of dialysis tubing. The waste
products diffuse into the abdominal cavity and the waste solution is
then drained from the body.
Peritoneal dialysis offers continuous filtration and is less disruption to
the patient's daily routines. However, it does require some training of
the patient and is not recommended for individuals who are
overweight or have severe kidney failure.
Hemodialysis provides medical care, but 3 times a week for several
hours sitting at a hospital or clinic. Individuals with acute kidney failure
are recommended to use hemodialysis.
How does homeostasis and maintaining optimal physiological health
impact your wellbeing? - ANSWER ->Homeostasis acts to create a
constant and stable environment in the body despite internal and
external changes. Proteins and other cellular processes require optimal
conditions in order to carry out their functions.
Alterations in pH, salt concentration, temperature, glucose levels, etc.
can have negative effects on health, so it is vital for mechanisms that
regulate homeostasis to function properly for maintaining good health
Differentiate between Innate Immunity and Adaptive Immunity ? -
ANSWER ->The innate immune system encompasses physical barriers
and chemical and cellular defenses. Physical barriers protect the body
from invasion. These include things like the skin and eyelashes.
, Chemical barriers are defense mechanisms that can destroy harmful
agent. Examples include tears, mucous, and stomach acid.
Cellular defenses of the innate immune response are non-specific.
These cellular defenses identify pathogens and substances that are
potentially dangerous and takes steps to neutralize or destroy them.
Adaptive immunity is an organism's acquired immunity to a specific
pathogen. As such, it's also referred to as acquired immunity. Adaptive
immunity is not immediate, nor does it always last throughout an
organism's entire lifespan, although it can.
The adaptive immune response is marked by clonal expansion of T and
B lymphocytes, releasing many antibody copies to neutralize or destroy
their target antigen
What is a way that Adaptive Immunity can recruit innate immunity? -
ANSWER ->The innate immune response to microbes stimulates
adaptive immune responses and influences the nature of the adaptive
responses.
Conversely, adaptive immune responses often work by enhancing the
protective mechanisms of innate immunity, making them more capable
of effectively combating pathogenic microbes
Why are some infections harder on children while other infections are
harder on the elderly? - ANSWER ->Children have not been exposed to
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY EXAM 2025-2026 (A NEW
UPDATED VERSION) ACTUAL EXAM QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS (VERIFIED
ANSWERS) WITH RATIONALES ALREADY A GRADED
Why is it important to maintain a homeostatic balance of glucose in the
blood (ie describe the pathogenesis of diabetes)? - ANSWER ->Insulin is
the hormone responsible for initiating the uptake of glucose by the
cells. Cells use glucose to produce energy (ATP).
In a normal individual, when blood glucose increases, the pancreas is
signaled to produced in insulin, which binds to insulin receptors on a
cells surface and initiates the uptake of glucose.
Glucose is a very reactive molecule and if left in the blood, it can start
to bind to other proteins and lipids, which can lead to loss of function.
AGEs are advanced glycation end products that are a result of glucose
reacting with the endothelial lining, which can lead to damage in the
heart and kidneys.
Compare and contrast Type I and Type II Diabetes - ANSWER ->Type I
diabetes is caused by lack of insulin. With out insulin signaling, glucose
will not be taken into the cell and leads to high blood glucose
(hyperglycemia). Type I is usually treated with insulin injections.
,Type II diabetes is caused by a desensitization to insulin signaling. The
insulin receptors are no longer responding to insulin, which also leads
to hyperglycemia.
Type II is usually treated with drugs to increase the sensitization to
insulin (metformin), dietary and life-style changes or insulin injections.
Describe some reasons for a patient needing dialysis - ANSWER
>AEIOU-acidosis. Electrolytes, Intoxication/Ingestion, overload, uremia.
Patients with kidney or heart failure.
A build up of phosphates, urea and magnesium are removed from the
blood using a semi-permeable membrane and dialysate.
AEIOU:
A—acidosis;
E—electrolytes principally hyperkalemia;
I—ingestions or overdose of medications/drugs;
O—overload of fluid causing heart failure;
U—uremia leading to encephalitis/pericarditis
Compare and contrast hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
What are some reasons for a patient choosing one over the other? -
ANSWER ->Hemodialysis uses a machine to pump blood from the body
in one tube while dialysate (made of water, electrolytes and salts) is
pumped in the separate tube in the opposite direction. Waste from the
blood diffuses through the semipermeable membrane separating the
blood from the dialysate.
,Peritoneal Dialysis does not use a machine, but instead injects a
solution of water and glucose into the abdominal cavity. The
peritoneum acts as the membrane instead of dialysis tubing. The waste
products diffuse into the abdominal cavity and the waste solution is
then drained from the body.
Peritoneal dialysis offers continuous filtration and is less disruption to
the patient's daily routines. However, it does require some training of
the patient and is not recommended for individuals who are
overweight or have severe kidney failure.
Hemodialysis provides medical care, but 3 times a week for several
hours sitting at a hospital or clinic. Individuals with acute kidney failure
are recommended to use hemodialysis.
How does homeostasis and maintaining optimal physiological health
impact your wellbeing? - ANSWER ->Homeostasis acts to create a
constant and stable environment in the body despite internal and
external changes. Proteins and other cellular processes require optimal
conditions in order to carry out their functions.
Alterations in pH, salt concentration, temperature, glucose levels, etc.
can have negative effects on health, so it is vital for mechanisms that
regulate homeostasis to function properly for maintaining good health
Differentiate between Innate Immunity and Adaptive Immunity ? -
ANSWER ->The innate immune system encompasses physical barriers
and chemical and cellular defenses. Physical barriers protect the body
from invasion. These include things like the skin and eyelashes.
, Chemical barriers are defense mechanisms that can destroy harmful
agent. Examples include tears, mucous, and stomach acid.
Cellular defenses of the innate immune response are non-specific.
These cellular defenses identify pathogens and substances that are
potentially dangerous and takes steps to neutralize or destroy them.
Adaptive immunity is an organism's acquired immunity to a specific
pathogen. As such, it's also referred to as acquired immunity. Adaptive
immunity is not immediate, nor does it always last throughout an
organism's entire lifespan, although it can.
The adaptive immune response is marked by clonal expansion of T and
B lymphocytes, releasing many antibody copies to neutralize or destroy
their target antigen
What is a way that Adaptive Immunity can recruit innate immunity? -
ANSWER ->The innate immune response to microbes stimulates
adaptive immune responses and influences the nature of the adaptive
responses.
Conversely, adaptive immune responses often work by enhancing the
protective mechanisms of innate immunity, making them more capable
of effectively combating pathogenic microbes
Why are some infections harder on children while other infections are
harder on the elderly? - ANSWER ->Children have not been exposed to
