MARYVILLE PATHO NURS 611 EXAM 1 LATEST 2026/2027 PRACTICE
QUESTIONS COMPLETE ACCURATE EXAM APPROVED QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT VERIFIED SOLUTIONS WITH DETAILED RATIONALES
(RELIABLE ANSWERS) CURRENTLY UPDATED VERSION 2026 EDITION
|GUARANTEED SUCCESS A+ (BRAND NEW!) FULL REVISED
MARYVILLE NUR EXAM 1
1. A patient is diagnosed with cardiac ischemia. At a cellular level, what is the most
likely primary mechanism of injury?
A. Free radical injury from reperfusion
B. Chemical injury from lipid accumulation
C. Apoptosis from genetic programming
D. Hypoxic injury due to inadequate blood flow
Correct Answer: D. Ischemia is the most common cause of hypoxia, resulting from
reduced blood flow (oxygen delivery) to tissues. While reperfusion injury can occur
when flow is restored, the primary mechanism of injury during ischemia is hypoxia
.
2. A pathologist notes that the heart of a patient with long-standing hypertension
shows an increased muscle mass with larger myocytes. This is best described as:
A. Hyperplasia
B. Metaplasia
C. Hypertrophy
D. Dysplasia
Correct Answer: C. Hypertrophy refers to an increase in the size of cells, leading to
an increase in the size of the organ. In hypertension, cardiac myocytes enlarge to
compensate for increased workload. Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number .
3. Which cellular adaptation is considered irreversible and is a hallmark of high-
grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) in the cervix?
,A. Atrophy
B. Metaplasia
C. Dysplasia
D. Hyperplasia
Correct Answer: C. Dysplasia is characterized by abnormal, disordered cellular
growth and is considered a precancerous lesion, not a true adaptive change. It is often
a hallmark of HSIL .
4. In a patient with chronic bronchitis, the normal columnar ciliated epithelial cells
of the bronchial lining are replaced by stratified squamous epithelial cells. This
process is known as:
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Correct Answer: C. Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one differentiated
cell type with another. In chronic irritation from smoking, the columnar epithelium
is replaced by more resilient squamous epithelium .
5. What is the primary mechanism of damage to DNA by ionizing radiation?
A. Direct breakage of DNA strands
B. Generation of reactive oxygen species from reactions with free radicals by
radiolysis of water
C. Inhibition of DNA polymerase
D. Disruption of DNA helicase
Correct Answer: B. Ionizing radiation damages DNA primarily through the
generation of reactive oxygen species from reactions with free radicals by radiolysis
of water. This mechanism causes significant DNA injury .
,6. What is the consequence of leakage of lysosomes during chemical injury?
A. Increased ATP production
B. Enzymatic digestion of cellular organelles, halting synthesis of DNA and RNA
C. Enhanced cellular repair
D. Increased protein synthesis
Correct Answer: B. Lysosomes contain digestive enzymes. When they leak during
chemical injury, enzymatic digestion of cellular organelles ensues, including the
nucleus and nucleolus, halting synthesis of DNA and RNA .
7. During ischemia, what effect does the loss of ATP levels have on cells?
A. A reduction in ATP levels causes the plasma membrane's Na+/K+ pump to fail,
leading to cellular swelling
B. ATP levels increase due to anaerobic metabolism
C. The Na+/K+ pump works more efficiently
D. Calcium is pumped out of the cell, preventing injury
Correct Answer: A. A reduction in ATP causes the failure of the Na+ K+ pump and
the Na+ Calcium exchange, leading to an intracellular accumulation of Na+ and
Calcium, diffusion of K+ out of the cell, and cellular swelling .
8. What is the #1 major cause of cellular injury leading to necrosis?
A. Free radicals
B. Chemical injury
C. Hypoxia
D. Physical trauma
Correct Answer: C. Hypoxia is the #1 major cause of cellular injury leading to
necrosis, especially to the kidneys and heart (myocardial infarction) .
, 9. Which of the following best characterizes necrosis?
A. Programmed cell death with no inflammation
B. Rapid loss of plasma membrane structure, organelle swelling, and mitochondrial
dysfunction
C. Cellular shrinkage and apoptotic body formation
D. Reversible cellular changes
Correct Answer: B. Necrosis is characterized by rapid loss of the plasma membrane
structure, organelle swelling, and mitochondrial dysfunction. It is an unprogrammed,
pathologic form of cell death that typically triggers inflammation .
10. What is a physiologic example of atrophy?
A. Cardiac hypertrophy in hypertension
B. Thymus gland atrophy in childhood
C. Endometrial hyperplasia
D. Barrett esophagus
Correct Answer: B. Physiologic atrophy occurs as a normal developmental process.
The thymus gland atrophies during childhood as part of normal development .
11. Which of the following is an example of compensatory hyperplasia?
A. Endometrial hyperplasia
B. Removal of 70% of the liver—can regenerate in about 2 weeks
C. Cardiac myocyte enlargement
D. Bronchial epithelial metaplasia
Correct Answer: B. Compensatory hyperplasia enables regeneration of tissue when
a portion is removed. The liver can regenerate after surgical removal of up to 70%
of its mass within approximately 2 weeks .
QUESTIONS COMPLETE ACCURATE EXAM APPROVED QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT VERIFIED SOLUTIONS WITH DETAILED RATIONALES
(RELIABLE ANSWERS) CURRENTLY UPDATED VERSION 2026 EDITION
|GUARANTEED SUCCESS A+ (BRAND NEW!) FULL REVISED
MARYVILLE NUR EXAM 1
1. A patient is diagnosed with cardiac ischemia. At a cellular level, what is the most
likely primary mechanism of injury?
A. Free radical injury from reperfusion
B. Chemical injury from lipid accumulation
C. Apoptosis from genetic programming
D. Hypoxic injury due to inadequate blood flow
Correct Answer: D. Ischemia is the most common cause of hypoxia, resulting from
reduced blood flow (oxygen delivery) to tissues. While reperfusion injury can occur
when flow is restored, the primary mechanism of injury during ischemia is hypoxia
.
2. A pathologist notes that the heart of a patient with long-standing hypertension
shows an increased muscle mass with larger myocytes. This is best described as:
A. Hyperplasia
B. Metaplasia
C. Hypertrophy
D. Dysplasia
Correct Answer: C. Hypertrophy refers to an increase in the size of cells, leading to
an increase in the size of the organ. In hypertension, cardiac myocytes enlarge to
compensate for increased workload. Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number .
3. Which cellular adaptation is considered irreversible and is a hallmark of high-
grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) in the cervix?
,A. Atrophy
B. Metaplasia
C. Dysplasia
D. Hyperplasia
Correct Answer: C. Dysplasia is characterized by abnormal, disordered cellular
growth and is considered a precancerous lesion, not a true adaptive change. It is often
a hallmark of HSIL .
4. In a patient with chronic bronchitis, the normal columnar ciliated epithelial cells
of the bronchial lining are replaced by stratified squamous epithelial cells. This
process is known as:
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Correct Answer: C. Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one differentiated
cell type with another. In chronic irritation from smoking, the columnar epithelium
is replaced by more resilient squamous epithelium .
5. What is the primary mechanism of damage to DNA by ionizing radiation?
A. Direct breakage of DNA strands
B. Generation of reactive oxygen species from reactions with free radicals by
radiolysis of water
C. Inhibition of DNA polymerase
D. Disruption of DNA helicase
Correct Answer: B. Ionizing radiation damages DNA primarily through the
generation of reactive oxygen species from reactions with free radicals by radiolysis
of water. This mechanism causes significant DNA injury .
,6. What is the consequence of leakage of lysosomes during chemical injury?
A. Increased ATP production
B. Enzymatic digestion of cellular organelles, halting synthesis of DNA and RNA
C. Enhanced cellular repair
D. Increased protein synthesis
Correct Answer: B. Lysosomes contain digestive enzymes. When they leak during
chemical injury, enzymatic digestion of cellular organelles ensues, including the
nucleus and nucleolus, halting synthesis of DNA and RNA .
7. During ischemia, what effect does the loss of ATP levels have on cells?
A. A reduction in ATP levels causes the plasma membrane's Na+/K+ pump to fail,
leading to cellular swelling
B. ATP levels increase due to anaerobic metabolism
C. The Na+/K+ pump works more efficiently
D. Calcium is pumped out of the cell, preventing injury
Correct Answer: A. A reduction in ATP causes the failure of the Na+ K+ pump and
the Na+ Calcium exchange, leading to an intracellular accumulation of Na+ and
Calcium, diffusion of K+ out of the cell, and cellular swelling .
8. What is the #1 major cause of cellular injury leading to necrosis?
A. Free radicals
B. Chemical injury
C. Hypoxia
D. Physical trauma
Correct Answer: C. Hypoxia is the #1 major cause of cellular injury leading to
necrosis, especially to the kidneys and heart (myocardial infarction) .
, 9. Which of the following best characterizes necrosis?
A. Programmed cell death with no inflammation
B. Rapid loss of plasma membrane structure, organelle swelling, and mitochondrial
dysfunction
C. Cellular shrinkage and apoptotic body formation
D. Reversible cellular changes
Correct Answer: B. Necrosis is characterized by rapid loss of the plasma membrane
structure, organelle swelling, and mitochondrial dysfunction. It is an unprogrammed,
pathologic form of cell death that typically triggers inflammation .
10. What is a physiologic example of atrophy?
A. Cardiac hypertrophy in hypertension
B. Thymus gland atrophy in childhood
C. Endometrial hyperplasia
D. Barrett esophagus
Correct Answer: B. Physiologic atrophy occurs as a normal developmental process.
The thymus gland atrophies during childhood as part of normal development .
11. Which of the following is an example of compensatory hyperplasia?
A. Endometrial hyperplasia
B. Removal of 70% of the liver—can regenerate in about 2 weeks
C. Cardiac myocyte enlargement
D. Bronchial epithelial metaplasia
Correct Answer: B. Compensatory hyperplasia enables regeneration of tissue when
a portion is removed. The liver can regenerate after surgical removal of up to 70%
of its mass within approximately 2 weeks .
