NURS6501 ADVANCED
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY FINAL EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
1. A 65-year-old patient with chronic hypertension presents with ventricular hypertrophy.
This cellular adaptation is primarily characterized by which of the following?
A. An increase in the number of cardiac myocytes
B. A decrease in the metabolic demands of the myocardium
C. The replacement of myocytes with fibrous connective tissue
D. An increase in the size of individual cardiac myocytes
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Hypertrophy refers to an increase in the size of cells, not the
number. In the heart, this occurs in response to increased workload, such as hypertension,
resulting in increased protein synthesis and organelle size.
2. Which mechanism is primarily responsible for the cellular injury caused by exposure to
ionizing radiation?
A. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA strand breaks
,B. Direct damage to the cell membrane by lipid peroxidation
C. Inactivation of the sodium-potassium pump
D. Lysosomal enzyme leakage causing autophagic digestion
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: Ionizing radiation causes cellular damage primarily through the
production of free radicals (ROS) and by directly breaking DNA strands, which can lead to
cell death or mutations.
3. A patient is diagnosed with Huntington disease. Which genetic pattern describes the
transmission of this disorder?
A. Autosomal recessive with incomplete penetrance
B. X-linked recessive involving the dystrophin gene
C. Autosomal dominant with age-dependent penetrance
D. Mitochondrial inheritance from the maternal line
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: Huntington disease is an autosomal dominant disorder
characterized by CAG triplet repeats. It exhibits age-dependent penetrance, where
symptoms typically do not appear until middle age.
4. Which of the following describes the epigenetic process of DNA methylation?
A. Modification of mRNA to prevent translation by ribosomes
, B. Removal of methyl groups from histones to enhance transcription
C. Attachment of methyl groups to adenine to increase protein synthesis
D. Addition of a methyl group to cytosine, typically silencing gene expression
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: DNA methylation involves the addition of a methyl group to a
cytosine base (usually in a CpG island). This process typically leads to the silencing of gene
expression or transcriptional repression.
5. During the inflammatory response, which plasma protein system results in the formation
of a MAC (Membrane Attack Complex)?
A. The Complement system
B. The Clotting system
C. The Kinin system
D. The Fibrinolytic system
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: The complement system, specifically the activation of C5
through C9, leads to the formation of the Membrane Attack Complex (MAC), which creates
pores in bacterial membranes, causing lysis.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY FINAL EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
1. A 65-year-old patient with chronic hypertension presents with ventricular hypertrophy.
This cellular adaptation is primarily characterized by which of the following?
A. An increase in the number of cardiac myocytes
B. A decrease in the metabolic demands of the myocardium
C. The replacement of myocytes with fibrous connective tissue
D. An increase in the size of individual cardiac myocytes
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Hypertrophy refers to an increase in the size of cells, not the
number. In the heart, this occurs in response to increased workload, such as hypertension,
resulting in increased protein synthesis and organelle size.
2. Which mechanism is primarily responsible for the cellular injury caused by exposure to
ionizing radiation?
A. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA strand breaks
,B. Direct damage to the cell membrane by lipid peroxidation
C. Inactivation of the sodium-potassium pump
D. Lysosomal enzyme leakage causing autophagic digestion
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: Ionizing radiation causes cellular damage primarily through the
production of free radicals (ROS) and by directly breaking DNA strands, which can lead to
cell death or mutations.
3. A patient is diagnosed with Huntington disease. Which genetic pattern describes the
transmission of this disorder?
A. Autosomal recessive with incomplete penetrance
B. X-linked recessive involving the dystrophin gene
C. Autosomal dominant with age-dependent penetrance
D. Mitochondrial inheritance from the maternal line
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: Huntington disease is an autosomal dominant disorder
characterized by CAG triplet repeats. It exhibits age-dependent penetrance, where
symptoms typically do not appear until middle age.
4. Which of the following describes the epigenetic process of DNA methylation?
A. Modification of mRNA to prevent translation by ribosomes
, B. Removal of methyl groups from histones to enhance transcription
C. Attachment of methyl groups to adenine to increase protein synthesis
D. Addition of a methyl group to cytosine, typically silencing gene expression
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: DNA methylation involves the addition of a methyl group to a
cytosine base (usually in a CpG island). This process typically leads to the silencing of gene
expression or transcriptional repression.
5. During the inflammatory response, which plasma protein system results in the formation
of a MAC (Membrane Attack Complex)?
A. The Complement system
B. The Clotting system
C. The Kinin system
D. The Fibrinolytic system
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: The complement system, specifically the activation of C5
through C9, leads to the formation of the Membrane Attack Complex (MAC), which creates
pores in bacterial membranes, causing lysis.
