NSG 3113 Pathophysiology Exam 1
Questions and Answers- South College
1. Hypertrophy is best defined as:
A. An increase in the number of cells in a tissue
B. An increase in the size of individual cells, leading to increased organ size
C. A decrease in cell size
D. The replacement of one cell type with another
Answer: B
Rationale: Hypertrophy refers to an increase in individual cell size (not number),
often in response to increased workload, as seen in cardiac muscle with
hypertension.
2. Hyperplasia differs from hypertrophy in that hyperplasia involves:
A. An increase in cell size only
B. An increase in the number of cells in a tissue or organ
C. Cell death
D. A decrease in the number of cells
Answer: B
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number due to increased cell
division, distinct from hypertrophy, which is an increase in the size of existing
cells.
3. Atrophy is a cellular adaptation characterized by:
A. An increase in cell size and number
B. A decrease in cell size due to loss of cellular substance, often from disuse or
reduced workload
C. Replacement of one mature cell type by another
D. Cancerous transformation
Answer: B
, Rationale: Atrophy is a reduction in cell size resulting from a decrease in
cellular components, commonly caused by disuse, malnutrition, denervation, or
reduced blood supply.
4. Metaplasia is best described as:
A. An irreversible increase in cell size
B. The reversible replacement of one differentiated cell type with another,
often in response to chronic irritation
C. Cell death from lack of oxygen
D. An abnormal increase in cell number without a stimulus
Answer: B
Rationale: Metaplasia is an adaptive, generally reversible substitution of one
mature cell type for another, such as the replacement of ciliated columnar
epithelium with squamous epithelium in the airway of smokers.
5. Dysplasia refers to:
A. Normal, well-organized cell growth
B. Disordered cellular growth with variation in cell size, shape, and
organization, considered a precancerous change
C. Complete cell death
D. Cell shrinkage from disuse
Answer: B
Rationale: Dysplasia describes abnormal changes in cell size, shape, and
organization within a tissue, and is often considered an early, potentially
reversible precursor to neoplastic transformation.
6. Which of the following is the most common cause of reversible cell injury
from oxygen deprivation?
A. Hypoxia due to reduced blood flow (ischemia) or inadequate oxygenation
B. Excess vitamin intake
C. Overhydration
D. Genetic mutation
Answer: A
Rationale: Hypoxia, most commonly resulting from ischemia (reduced blood
flow) or inadequate oxygenation of the blood, is the single most important and
common cause of cellular injury.
,7. Free radicals contribute to cell injury primarily by:
A. Stabilizing cell membranes
B. Causing oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA through unstable,
highly reactive molecules
C. Increasing ATP production efficiently
D. Repairing damaged mitochondria
Answer: B
Rationale: Free radicals are highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons
that damage cellular membranes, proteins, and DNA through oxidative stress,
contributing to cell injury and death.
8. Which of the following best distinguishes necrosis from apoptosis?
A. Necrosis is a programmed, energy-dependent process; apoptosis is
unregulated cell death
B. Necrosis is unregulated cell death typically causing inflammation; apoptosis
is a programmed, energy-dependent process that does not usually incite
inflammation
C. Both are always identical processes
D. Apoptosis always affects entire organs, while necrosis affects single cells
Answer: B
Rationale: Necrosis is uncontrolled cell death resulting from severe injury,
typically triggering an inflammatory response, while apoptosis is a regulated,
energy-dependent form of cell death that eliminates individual cells without
significant inflammation.
9. Liquefactive necrosis is most characteristic of tissue injury in which organ?
A. The brain, due to its high lipid content and enzymatic autodigestion
B. The heart
C. The kidney
D. The lung following tuberculosis infection
Answer: A
Rationale: Liquefactive necrosis, in which dead tissue is transformed into a
liquid viscous mass, is characteristic of brain infarction due to the brain's high
lipid content and release of digestive enzymes.
10. Coagulative necrosis is most typically associated with:
, A. Ischemic injury to organs such as the heart and kidney, where the tissue
architecture is preserved initially
B. Bacterial infections of the brain
C. Tuberculosis granulomas
D. Fat necrosis in the pancreas
Answer: A
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis preserves the basic tissue architecture for a
period of time and is typically seen following ischemic injury to solid organs
such as the heart and kidneys.
11. Caseous necrosis, with a cheese-like, friable appearance, is classically
associated with:
A. Myocardial infarction
B. Tuberculosis infection
C. Acute pancreatitis
D. Cerebral infarction
Answer: B
Rationale: Caseous necrosis has a distinctive soft, cheese-like appearance and
is classically associated with granulomatous infections such as tuberculosis.
12. Gangrene that results from bacterial invasion and enzymatic tissue
liquefaction, often in a moist area, is called:
A. Dry gangrene
B. Wet (moist) gangrene
C. Gas gangrene only
D. Fibrinoid necrosis
Answer: B
Rationale: Wet gangrene occurs when bacterial infection is superimposed on
necrotic tissue, producing enzymatic liquefaction, moist and swollen tissue, and
a foul odor.
13. Cellular swelling is often one of the earliest morphological signs of cell injury
because injured cells lose the ability to:
A. Produce excess protein
B. Maintain ionic and fluid homeostasis through failure of the sodium-
potassium ATPase pump
Questions and Answers- South College
1. Hypertrophy is best defined as:
A. An increase in the number of cells in a tissue
B. An increase in the size of individual cells, leading to increased organ size
C. A decrease in cell size
D. The replacement of one cell type with another
Answer: B
Rationale: Hypertrophy refers to an increase in individual cell size (not number),
often in response to increased workload, as seen in cardiac muscle with
hypertension.
2. Hyperplasia differs from hypertrophy in that hyperplasia involves:
A. An increase in cell size only
B. An increase in the number of cells in a tissue or organ
C. Cell death
D. A decrease in the number of cells
Answer: B
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number due to increased cell
division, distinct from hypertrophy, which is an increase in the size of existing
cells.
3. Atrophy is a cellular adaptation characterized by:
A. An increase in cell size and number
B. A decrease in cell size due to loss of cellular substance, often from disuse or
reduced workload
C. Replacement of one mature cell type by another
D. Cancerous transformation
Answer: B
, Rationale: Atrophy is a reduction in cell size resulting from a decrease in
cellular components, commonly caused by disuse, malnutrition, denervation, or
reduced blood supply.
4. Metaplasia is best described as:
A. An irreversible increase in cell size
B. The reversible replacement of one differentiated cell type with another,
often in response to chronic irritation
C. Cell death from lack of oxygen
D. An abnormal increase in cell number without a stimulus
Answer: B
Rationale: Metaplasia is an adaptive, generally reversible substitution of one
mature cell type for another, such as the replacement of ciliated columnar
epithelium with squamous epithelium in the airway of smokers.
5. Dysplasia refers to:
A. Normal, well-organized cell growth
B. Disordered cellular growth with variation in cell size, shape, and
organization, considered a precancerous change
C. Complete cell death
D. Cell shrinkage from disuse
Answer: B
Rationale: Dysplasia describes abnormal changes in cell size, shape, and
organization within a tissue, and is often considered an early, potentially
reversible precursor to neoplastic transformation.
6. Which of the following is the most common cause of reversible cell injury
from oxygen deprivation?
A. Hypoxia due to reduced blood flow (ischemia) or inadequate oxygenation
B. Excess vitamin intake
C. Overhydration
D. Genetic mutation
Answer: A
Rationale: Hypoxia, most commonly resulting from ischemia (reduced blood
flow) or inadequate oxygenation of the blood, is the single most important and
common cause of cellular injury.
,7. Free radicals contribute to cell injury primarily by:
A. Stabilizing cell membranes
B. Causing oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA through unstable,
highly reactive molecules
C. Increasing ATP production efficiently
D. Repairing damaged mitochondria
Answer: B
Rationale: Free radicals are highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons
that damage cellular membranes, proteins, and DNA through oxidative stress,
contributing to cell injury and death.
8. Which of the following best distinguishes necrosis from apoptosis?
A. Necrosis is a programmed, energy-dependent process; apoptosis is
unregulated cell death
B. Necrosis is unregulated cell death typically causing inflammation; apoptosis
is a programmed, energy-dependent process that does not usually incite
inflammation
C. Both are always identical processes
D. Apoptosis always affects entire organs, while necrosis affects single cells
Answer: B
Rationale: Necrosis is uncontrolled cell death resulting from severe injury,
typically triggering an inflammatory response, while apoptosis is a regulated,
energy-dependent form of cell death that eliminates individual cells without
significant inflammation.
9. Liquefactive necrosis is most characteristic of tissue injury in which organ?
A. The brain, due to its high lipid content and enzymatic autodigestion
B. The heart
C. The kidney
D. The lung following tuberculosis infection
Answer: A
Rationale: Liquefactive necrosis, in which dead tissue is transformed into a
liquid viscous mass, is characteristic of brain infarction due to the brain's high
lipid content and release of digestive enzymes.
10. Coagulative necrosis is most typically associated with:
, A. Ischemic injury to organs such as the heart and kidney, where the tissue
architecture is preserved initially
B. Bacterial infections of the brain
C. Tuberculosis granulomas
D. Fat necrosis in the pancreas
Answer: A
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis preserves the basic tissue architecture for a
period of time and is typically seen following ischemic injury to solid organs
such as the heart and kidneys.
11. Caseous necrosis, with a cheese-like, friable appearance, is classically
associated with:
A. Myocardial infarction
B. Tuberculosis infection
C. Acute pancreatitis
D. Cerebral infarction
Answer: B
Rationale: Caseous necrosis has a distinctive soft, cheese-like appearance and
is classically associated with granulomatous infections such as tuberculosis.
12. Gangrene that results from bacterial invasion and enzymatic tissue
liquefaction, often in a moist area, is called:
A. Dry gangrene
B. Wet (moist) gangrene
C. Gas gangrene only
D. Fibrinoid necrosis
Answer: B
Rationale: Wet gangrene occurs when bacterial infection is superimposed on
necrotic tissue, producing enzymatic liquefaction, moist and swollen tissue, and
a foul odor.
13. Cellular swelling is often one of the earliest morphological signs of cell injury
because injured cells lose the ability to:
A. Produce excess protein
B. Maintain ionic and fluid homeostasis through failure of the sodium-
potassium ATPase pump
