Walden University NURS 6501N Final Exam Prep NURS 6501 / NURS 6501N Advanced Pathophysiology Final Exam Study Guide: 200 Practice Questions with Detailed Rationales (Latest / )

Walden University NURS 6501N Final Exam Prep NURS
6501 / NURS 6501N Advanced Pathophysiology Final
Exam Study Guide: 200 Practice Questions with Detailed
Rationales (Latest / 2025-2026)

Cellular Function & Adaptation

Question 1: An aide asks the nurse why people who have neurofibromatosis will show varying
degrees of the disease. Which genetic principle should the nurse explain to the aide?

 Selected ☑ Correct Answer: Expressivity

 Correct ☑ Correct Answer: Expressivity

 Rationale: Expressivity refers to the degree to which a trait is expressed in an individual
with a genetic disorder. Variable expressivity explains why individuals with the same
genetic condition (like neurofibromatosis) can show different signs and symptoms of
varying severity .

Question 2: Why is potassium able to diffuse easily in and out of cells?

 Selected ☑ Correct Answer: Because the resting plasma membrane is more
permeable to potassium

 Correct ☑ Correct Answer: Because the resting plasma membrane is more
permeable to potassium

 Rationale: At rest, cell membranes have many open potassium leak channels, making
them highly permeable to K⁺. This permeability allows potassium to move freely down
its concentration gradient out of the cell, establishing the resting membrane potential .

Question 3: A 15-year-old female is diagnosed with Prader-Willi syndrome. This condition is an
example of:

,  Selected ☑ Correct Answer: Gene imprinting

 Correct ☑ Correct Answer: Gene imprinting

 Rationale: Prader-Willi syndrome results from gene imprinting—specifically, loss of
function of paternal genes on chromosome 15. Imprinting means certain genes are
expressed depending on which parent they came from .

Question 4: A nurse is reading a chart and sees the term oncotic pressure. The nurse recalls
that oncotic pressure (colloid osmotic pressure) is determined by:

 Selected ☑ Correct Answer: Plasma proteins

 Correct ☑ Correct Answer: Plasma proteins

 Rationale: Oncotic pressure is the osmotic pressure exerted by plasma proteins
(primarily albumin) that pulls fluid into the capillaries. It opposes hydrostatic pressure
that pushes fluid out .

Question 5: During childhood, the thymus decreases in size, and this is referred to as _____
atrophy.

 Selected ☑ Correct Answer: Physiologic

 Correct ☑ Correct Answer: Physiologic

 Rationale: Physiologic atrophy is normal, age-related reduction in organ size. The
thymus naturally shrinks after puberty as part of normal development, unlike pathologic
atrophy caused by disease .

Question 6: What is the role of cytokines in cell reproduction?

 Selected ☑ Correct Answer: Provide growth factor for tissue growth and
development

 Correct ☑ Correct Answer: Provide growth factor for tissue growth and
development

,  Rationale: Cytokines are signaling molecules that regulate cell growth, differentiation,
and proliferation. They act as growth factors to stimulate tissue development and
repair .

Question 7: What causes the rapid change in the resting membrane potential that initiates an
action potential?

 Selected ☑ Correct Answer: Sodium gates open, and sodium rushes into the cell,
changing the membrane potential from negative to positive

 Correct ☑ Correct Answer: Sodium gates open, and sodium rushes into the cell,
changing the membrane potential from negative to positive

 Rationale: Depolarization occurs when voltage-gated sodium channels open rapidly,
allowing Na⁺ influx down its electrochemical gradient. This rapid influx reverses the
membrane potential from negative to positive .

Question 8: A runner has depleted all the oxygen available for muscle energy. Which of the
following will facilitate his continued muscle performance?

 Selected ☑ Correct Answer: Anaerobic glycolysis

 Correct ☑ Correct Answer: Anaerobic glycolysis

 Rationale: When oxygen is depleted, muscles switch to anaerobic glycolysis, producing
ATP without oxygen. This process generates lactate but allows continued energy
production during intense exercise .

Question 9: The early dilation (swelling) of the cell's endoplasmic reticulum results in:

 Selected ☑ Correct Answer: Reduced protein synthesis

 Correct ☑ Correct Answer: Reduced protein synthesis

,  Rationale: ER dilation indicates cellular injury that disrupts protein synthesis. Swelling of
the rough ER separates ribosomes from the ER membrane, impairing their ability to
synthesize and process proteins .

Question 10: A patient has a heart attack that leads to progressive cell injury that causes cell
death with severe cell swelling and breakdown of organelles. What term would the nurse use to
define this process?

 Selected ☑ Correct Answer: Necrosis

 Correct ☑ Correct Answer: Necrosis

 Rationale: Necrosis is unprogrammed cell death resulting from injury (like ischemia
from a heart attack). It is characterized by cell swelling, organelle breakdown,
membrane rupture, and inflammation—distinct from programmed apoptosis .

Question 11: How are potassium and sodium transported across plasma membranes?

 Selected ☑ Correct Answer: By adenosine triphosphate enzyme (ATPase)

 Correct ☑ Correct Answer: By adenosine triphosphate enzyme (ATPase)

 Rationale: The Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase pump actively transports 3 sodium ions out and 2
potassium ions into the cell using ATP. This maintains concentration gradients essential
for resting potential and secondary active transport .

Question 12: The nurse would be correct in identifying the predominant extracellular cation as:

 Selected ☑ Correct Answer: Sodium

 Correct ☑ Correct Answer: Sodium

 Rationale: Sodium (Na⁺) is the primary extracellular cation. Its concentration is
approximately 135-145 mEq/L in extracellular fluid, compared to only 10-14 mEq/L
intracellularly .