NURS 231 Pathophysiology – All Module Exams
Portage Learning | 200 Questions & Answers |
Graded A+ Latest 2026 Update
Course: NURS 231 / BIOD 331 – Pathophysiology
Institution: Portage Learning / Geneva College
Format: 200 multiple-choice, true/false, and case-based questions with verified answers &
detailed rationales
Content: Modules 1-10 covering cellular adaptation, injury, inflammation, immunity, genetics,
neoplasia, fluid/electrolytes, acid-base, and all major body systems
MODULE 1: CELLULAR ADAPTATION, INJURY, AND DEATH (Questions 1-25)
1. True/False: A bodybuilder's muscles will display hyperplasia.
- A. True
- B. False
Answer: B. False
Rationale: Bodybuilders' muscles enlarge through hypertrophy (increase in cell size), not
hyperplasia (increase in cell number). Skeletal muscle cells are permanent cells that cannot
undergo mitosis, so they increase in size rather than number.
2. True/False: Barrett esophagus is an example of dysplasia.
- A. True
- B. False
Answer: B. False
Rationale: Barrett esophagus is an example of metaplasia, not dysplasia. It involves the
replacement of normal squamous epithelium of the esophagus with columnar epithelium in
response to chronic acid reflux. Metaplasia is a reversible adaptive change; dysplasia is
disordered cellular growth.
,3. True/False: Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of an organ or tissue caused by an
increase in the number of cells.
- A. True
- B. False
Answer: B. False
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of cells, not the number of cells. Hyperplasia is
the increase in the number of cells. Hypertrophy occurs in cells that cannot divide (permanent
cells like cardiac myocytes).
4. True/False: Hypertrophy can occur under normal and pathological conditions.
- A. True
- B. False
Answer: A. True
Rationale: Hypertrophy can be physiologic (e.g., skeletal muscle enlargement from exercise) or
pathologic (e.g., left ventricular hypertrophy from chronic hypertension).
5. A cardiac myocyte enlarges in response to chronic hypertension. This adaptation is called:
- A. Hyperplasia
- B. Hypertrophy
- C. Atrophy
- D. Metaplasia
Answer: B. Hypertrophy
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size due to increased workload. Hypertension
increases afterload, causing left ventricular hypertrophy. Hyperplasia = increased cell number.
Atrophy = decreased size. Metaplasia = one cell type replaces another.
6. Which of the following is an example of physiologic hyperplasia?
- A. Endometrial hyperplasia
- B. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
- C. Liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy
,- D. Psoriasis
Answer: C. Liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy
Rationale: Physiologic hyperplasia is normal and controlled (liver regeneration, breast/uterine
enlargement during pregnancy). Endometrial hyperplasia and BPH are pathologic but
hormonally driven. Psoriasis is pathologic hyperplasia.
7. A pathologist notes nuclear pyknosis, karyorrhexis, and karyolysis in a tissue sample. These
findings indicate:
- A. Reversible cell injury
- B. Irreversible cell injury (necrosis)
- C. Apoptosis
- D. Normal mitotic activity
Answer: B. Irreversible cell injury (necrosis)
Rationale: Pyknosis (nuclear condensation), karyorrhexis (fragmentation), and karyolysis
(dissolution) are hallmarks of irreversible injury/necrosis. Reversible injury shows cellular
swelling and fatty change.
8. Which type of necrosis is most characteristic of the brain after a stroke?
- A. Coagulative necrosis
- B. Liquefactive necrosis
- C. Caseous necrosis
- D. Fat necrosis
Answer: B. Liquefactive necrosis
Rationale: Brain infarcts undergo liquefactive necrosis due to abundant lysosomal enzymes
from microglia and neutrophils. The tissue becomes liquid and is eventually removed, leaving a
cystic cavity. Coagulative necrosis is typical of ischemic injury in solid organs like the heart and
kidney.
9. Which type of necrosis is most commonly seen in myocardial infarction?
- A. Liquefactive necrosis
- B. Coagulative necrosis
- C. Caseous necrosis
, - D. Fat necrosis
Answer: B. Coagulative necrosis
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis is the most common type of necrosis and results from ischemia
in solid organs. It is characterized by protein denaturation, with preservation of cellular
architecture for several days. This is the classic finding in myocardial infarction.
10. Which type of necrosis is associated with tuberculosis?
- A. Liquefactive necrosis
- B. Coagulative necrosis
- C. Caseous necrosis
- D. Fat necrosis
Answer: C. Caseous necrosis
Rationale: Caseous necrosis is a distinctive form of necrosis seen in tuberculosis. It has a
cheese-like (caseous) appearance, is soft and granular, and represents a combination of
coagulative and liquefactive necrosis. It is associated with granulomatous inflammation.
11. Which type of necrosis is most commonly associated with acute pancreatitis?
- A. Liquefactive necrosis
- B. Coagulative necrosis
- C. Caseous necrosis
- D. Fat necrosis
Answer: D. Fat necrosis
Rationale: Fat necrosis occurs when pancreatic enzymes (lipases) are released into the
peritoneal cavity and digest adipose tissue. This is most commonly seen in acute pancreatitis.
The necrotic fat appears as chalky white areas (saponification) due to calcium deposition.
12. The difference between dry gangrene and wet gangrene is that:
- A. Dry gangrene is caused by bacterial infection; wet gangrene is caused by ischemia
- B. Dry gangrene is a form of coagulative necrosis; wet gangrene involves liquefactive necrosis
with infection
- C. Dry gangrene spreads rapidly; wet gangrene spreads slowly
- D. There is no difference between the two types
Portage Learning | 200 Questions & Answers |
Graded A+ Latest 2026 Update
Course: NURS 231 / BIOD 331 – Pathophysiology
Institution: Portage Learning / Geneva College
Format: 200 multiple-choice, true/false, and case-based questions with verified answers &
detailed rationales
Content: Modules 1-10 covering cellular adaptation, injury, inflammation, immunity, genetics,
neoplasia, fluid/electrolytes, acid-base, and all major body systems
MODULE 1: CELLULAR ADAPTATION, INJURY, AND DEATH (Questions 1-25)
1. True/False: A bodybuilder's muscles will display hyperplasia.
- A. True
- B. False
Answer: B. False
Rationale: Bodybuilders' muscles enlarge through hypertrophy (increase in cell size), not
hyperplasia (increase in cell number). Skeletal muscle cells are permanent cells that cannot
undergo mitosis, so they increase in size rather than number.
2. True/False: Barrett esophagus is an example of dysplasia.
- A. True
- B. False
Answer: B. False
Rationale: Barrett esophagus is an example of metaplasia, not dysplasia. It involves the
replacement of normal squamous epithelium of the esophagus with columnar epithelium in
response to chronic acid reflux. Metaplasia is a reversible adaptive change; dysplasia is
disordered cellular growth.
,3. True/False: Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of an organ or tissue caused by an
increase in the number of cells.
- A. True
- B. False
Answer: B. False
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of cells, not the number of cells. Hyperplasia is
the increase in the number of cells. Hypertrophy occurs in cells that cannot divide (permanent
cells like cardiac myocytes).
4. True/False: Hypertrophy can occur under normal and pathological conditions.
- A. True
- B. False
Answer: A. True
Rationale: Hypertrophy can be physiologic (e.g., skeletal muscle enlargement from exercise) or
pathologic (e.g., left ventricular hypertrophy from chronic hypertension).
5. A cardiac myocyte enlarges in response to chronic hypertension. This adaptation is called:
- A. Hyperplasia
- B. Hypertrophy
- C. Atrophy
- D. Metaplasia
Answer: B. Hypertrophy
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size due to increased workload. Hypertension
increases afterload, causing left ventricular hypertrophy. Hyperplasia = increased cell number.
Atrophy = decreased size. Metaplasia = one cell type replaces another.
6. Which of the following is an example of physiologic hyperplasia?
- A. Endometrial hyperplasia
- B. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
- C. Liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy
,- D. Psoriasis
Answer: C. Liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy
Rationale: Physiologic hyperplasia is normal and controlled (liver regeneration, breast/uterine
enlargement during pregnancy). Endometrial hyperplasia and BPH are pathologic but
hormonally driven. Psoriasis is pathologic hyperplasia.
7. A pathologist notes nuclear pyknosis, karyorrhexis, and karyolysis in a tissue sample. These
findings indicate:
- A. Reversible cell injury
- B. Irreversible cell injury (necrosis)
- C. Apoptosis
- D. Normal mitotic activity
Answer: B. Irreversible cell injury (necrosis)
Rationale: Pyknosis (nuclear condensation), karyorrhexis (fragmentation), and karyolysis
(dissolution) are hallmarks of irreversible injury/necrosis. Reversible injury shows cellular
swelling and fatty change.
8. Which type of necrosis is most characteristic of the brain after a stroke?
- A. Coagulative necrosis
- B. Liquefactive necrosis
- C. Caseous necrosis
- D. Fat necrosis
Answer: B. Liquefactive necrosis
Rationale: Brain infarcts undergo liquefactive necrosis due to abundant lysosomal enzymes
from microglia and neutrophils. The tissue becomes liquid and is eventually removed, leaving a
cystic cavity. Coagulative necrosis is typical of ischemic injury in solid organs like the heart and
kidney.
9. Which type of necrosis is most commonly seen in myocardial infarction?
- A. Liquefactive necrosis
- B. Coagulative necrosis
- C. Caseous necrosis
, - D. Fat necrosis
Answer: B. Coagulative necrosis
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis is the most common type of necrosis and results from ischemia
in solid organs. It is characterized by protein denaturation, with preservation of cellular
architecture for several days. This is the classic finding in myocardial infarction.
10. Which type of necrosis is associated with tuberculosis?
- A. Liquefactive necrosis
- B. Coagulative necrosis
- C. Caseous necrosis
- D. Fat necrosis
Answer: C. Caseous necrosis
Rationale: Caseous necrosis is a distinctive form of necrosis seen in tuberculosis. It has a
cheese-like (caseous) appearance, is soft and granular, and represents a combination of
coagulative and liquefactive necrosis. It is associated with granulomatous inflammation.
11. Which type of necrosis is most commonly associated with acute pancreatitis?
- A. Liquefactive necrosis
- B. Coagulative necrosis
- C. Caseous necrosis
- D. Fat necrosis
Answer: D. Fat necrosis
Rationale: Fat necrosis occurs when pancreatic enzymes (lipases) are released into the
peritoneal cavity and digest adipose tissue. This is most commonly seen in acute pancreatitis.
The necrotic fat appears as chalky white areas (saponification) due to calcium deposition.
12. The difference between dry gangrene and wet gangrene is that:
- A. Dry gangrene is caused by bacterial infection; wet gangrene is caused by ischemia
- B. Dry gangrene is a form of coagulative necrosis; wet gangrene involves liquefactive necrosis
with infection
- C. Dry gangrene spreads rapidly; wet gangrene spreads slowly
- D. There is no difference between the two types
