NRSG 310 Pathophysiology Exam 1 2026 Practice Questions & Verified
Answers | Nursing Pathophysiology Review.
Cellular Adaptation, Injury, & Death (Q1–20)
1. A patient with chronic hypertension develops increased left ventricular muscle
mass. This is an example of:
A. Hyperplasia
B. Metaplasia
C. Hypertrophy
D. Dysplasia
Answer: C. Hypertrophy
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size due to increased workload,
common in cardiac muscle from hypertension.
2. Barrett esophagus, where normal squamous epithelium is replaced by
columnar epithelium, is which adaptation?
A. Hyperplasia
B. Metaplasia
C. Dysplasia
,D. Atrophy
Answer: B. Metaplasia
Rationale: Metaplasia is a reversible change of one differentiated cell type to
another.
3. Reversible cell injury is characterized by:
A. Nuclear pyknosis
B. Cellular swelling and fatty change
C. Karyorrhexis
D. Caseous necrosis
Answer: B. Cellular swelling and fatty change
Rationale: Cellular swelling (due to Na+/K+ pump failure) and fatty change are
early reversible changes.
4. Irreversible cell injury is marked by:
A. Mitochondrial swelling only
B. Loss of membrane integrity and nuclear changes
C. Decreased ATP production
,D. Ribosome detachment
Answer: B. Loss of membrane integrity and nuclear changes
Rationale: Irreversibility occurs when membranes fail (e.g., lysosomal enzymes
leak) and nuclei show pyknosis, karyorrhexis, or karyolysis.
5. Which type of necrosis is most commonly seen in the heart after a myocardial
infarction?
A. Coagulative necrosis
B. Liquefactive necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Answer: A. Coagulative necrosis
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis (tissue architecture preserved for days) occurs in
solid organs except brain.
6. Liquefactive necrosis is typical in:
A. Kidney infarction
B. Brain infarction
, C. Lung tuberculosis
D. Pancreatitis
Answer: B. Brain infarction
Rationale: Brain has high lipid content and few connective tissues, leading to
enzymatic liquefaction.
7. Caseous necrosis is pathognomonic for:
A. Ischemic injury
B. TB infection
C. Acute pancreatitis
D. Frostbite
Answer: B. TB infection
Rationale: Caseous necrosis has a cheese-like, granular appearance due to TB.
8. Fat necrosis commonly results from:
A. Trauma to the liver
B. Acute pancreatitis
Answers | Nursing Pathophysiology Review.
Cellular Adaptation, Injury, & Death (Q1–20)
1. A patient with chronic hypertension develops increased left ventricular muscle
mass. This is an example of:
A. Hyperplasia
B. Metaplasia
C. Hypertrophy
D. Dysplasia
Answer: C. Hypertrophy
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size due to increased workload,
common in cardiac muscle from hypertension.
2. Barrett esophagus, where normal squamous epithelium is replaced by
columnar epithelium, is which adaptation?
A. Hyperplasia
B. Metaplasia
C. Dysplasia
,D. Atrophy
Answer: B. Metaplasia
Rationale: Metaplasia is a reversible change of one differentiated cell type to
another.
3. Reversible cell injury is characterized by:
A. Nuclear pyknosis
B. Cellular swelling and fatty change
C. Karyorrhexis
D. Caseous necrosis
Answer: B. Cellular swelling and fatty change
Rationale: Cellular swelling (due to Na+/K+ pump failure) and fatty change are
early reversible changes.
4. Irreversible cell injury is marked by:
A. Mitochondrial swelling only
B. Loss of membrane integrity and nuclear changes
C. Decreased ATP production
,D. Ribosome detachment
Answer: B. Loss of membrane integrity and nuclear changes
Rationale: Irreversibility occurs when membranes fail (e.g., lysosomal enzymes
leak) and nuclei show pyknosis, karyorrhexis, or karyolysis.
5. Which type of necrosis is most commonly seen in the heart after a myocardial
infarction?
A. Coagulative necrosis
B. Liquefactive necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Answer: A. Coagulative necrosis
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis (tissue architecture preserved for days) occurs in
solid organs except brain.
6. Liquefactive necrosis is typical in:
A. Kidney infarction
B. Brain infarction
, C. Lung tuberculosis
D. Pancreatitis
Answer: B. Brain infarction
Rationale: Brain has high lipid content and few connective tissues, leading to
enzymatic liquefaction.
7. Caseous necrosis is pathognomonic for:
A. Ischemic injury
B. TB infection
C. Acute pancreatitis
D. Frostbite
Answer: B. TB infection
Rationale: Caseous necrosis has a cheese-like, granular appearance due to TB.
8. Fat necrosis commonly results from:
A. Trauma to the liver
B. Acute pancreatitis
