Q&A with Detailed Rationales | 100% Verified | Pass Guaranteed – A+ Graded
Exam 1: Cellular Adaptation, Immunity & Inflammation
Q1: A 58-year-old male with chronic hypertension presents for follow-up. His
echocardiogram reveals a left ventricular wall thickness of 14 mm (normal <11 mm).
Which cellular adaptation best explains this finding?
A. Hyperplasia of cardiac myocytes due to increased workload [CORRECT]
B. Hypertrophy of cardiac myocytes due to increased workload
C. Metaplasia of cardiac myocytes into skeletal muscle cells
D. Dysplasia of cardiac myocytes with disorganized growth
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Cardiac myocytes are terminally differentiated cells incapable of mitosis;
therefore, they undergo hypertrophy (increase in cell size), not hyperplasia (increase in
cell number), in response to chronic pressure overload from hypertension. Metaplasia
involves replacement of one differentiated cell type with another, and dysplasia
represents disordered growth with loss of polarity—not adaptations to hemodynamic
stress.
,Q2: A 45-year-old woman with a history of chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease
undergoes endoscopy. Biopsy of the distal esophagus reveals columnar epithelium
replacing the normal squamous epithelium. This cellular adaptation is classified as:
A. Hyperplasia of squamous cells in response to acid injury
B. Hypertrophy of squamous cells attempting to increase mucosal thickness
C. Metaplasia of squamous epithelium to columnar epithelium [CORRECT]
D. Dysplasia with premalignant transformation to adenocarcinoma
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one differentiated cell type by
another mature cell type, as seen in Barrett's esophagus where chronic acid exposure
causes squamous-to-columnar epithelial transformation. This is an adaptive response,
not hyperplasia (increased cell number), hypertrophy (increased cell size), or dysplasia
(disordered, premalignant growth).
Q3: A 72-year-old male with prostate cancer is started on androgen deprivation therapy.
Six months later, his bone density scan shows significant osteopenia. Which cellular
adaptation is primarily responsible for this finding?
A. Hypertrophy of osteoclasts leading to increased bone resorption
B. Atrophy of osteoblasts due to androgen deficiency [CORRECT]
C. Hyperplasia of osteocytes causing trabecular thickening
,D. Metaplasia of bone marrow into adipose tissue
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Androgens stimulate osteoblast activity and inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone
resorption; androgen deprivation causes osteoblast atrophy (decrease in cell
size/function), leading to decreased bone formation and osteoporosis. This is not
hypertrophy (cell enlargement), hyperplasia (increased cell number), or metaplasia (cell
type transformation).
Q4: A 35-year-old woman presents with jaundice and right upper quadrant pain. Liver
biopsy reveals hepatocyte ballooning, Mallory-Denk bodies, and steatosis. Which
pattern of cell death is most likely present?
A. Apoptosis with caspase activation and cell shrinkage
B. Coagulative necrosis due to ischemic injury
C. Fatty change with reversible cellular injury [CORRECT]
D. Liquefactive necrosis with enzymatic digestion
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Steatosis (fatty change), hepatocyte ballooning, and Mallory-Denk bodies
represent reversible cellular injury characteristic of alcoholic or non-alcoholic fatty liver
disease, not cell death. Apoptosis involves programmed cell death with cell shrinkage;
coagulative necrosis preserves tissue architecture in ischemia; liquefactive necrosis
involves enzymatic digestion seen in abscesses or brain infarcts.
, Q5: A 62-year-old male suffers an acute myocardial infarction. Reperfusion therapy is
initiated within 90 minutes. Despite restoration of blood flow, myocardial damage
worsens. This phenomenon is best explained by:
A. Coagulative necrosis from persistent ischemia despite reperfusion
B. Ischemia-reperfusion injury with free radical generation and calcium overload
[CORRECT]
C. Apoptosis triggered by restoration of oxygen delivery
D. Liquefactive necrosis from neutrophil enzymatic digestion
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Ischemia-reperfusion injury occurs when restoration of blood flow to
ischemic tissue paradoxically exacerbates damage through generation of reactive
oxygen species (free radicals), calcium overload, and activation of inflammatory
mediators. This is distinct from coagulative necrosis (which occurs during ischemia),
apoptosis (programmed cell death), or liquefactive necrosis (enzymatic tissue
digestion).
Q6: A 28-year-old woman presents with acute onset of facial swelling, urticaria, and
wheezing after eating shellfish. Her blood pressure is 78/42 mmHg. Which
hypersensitivity reaction is occurring?
A. Type II (cytotoxic) hypersensitivity mediated by IgG antibodies
B. Type III (immune complex) hypersensitivity with complement activation