,NURS 6202 Final Exam Advanced Pathophysiology Questions And
Answers | 2026/2027 Capella University
Q1. Which cellular adaptation involves an increase in cell size in
response to increased workload?
A) Hyperplasia
B) Hypertrophy
C) Metaplasia
D) Atrophy
Correct Answer: B) Hypertrophy
Rationale: Hypertrophy increases the size of individual cells and commonly
occurs when cells experience increased functional demand.
Q2. Which cellular adaptation involves an increase in the number of
cells?
A) Atrophy
B) Metaplasia
C) Hyperplasia
D) Hypertrophy
Correct Answer: C) Hyperplasia
Rationale: Hyperplasia results from increased cellular proliferation and
produces an increased number of cells within a tissue.
Q3. Which cellular adaptation occurs when one mature cell type is
replaced by another mature cell type better able to tolerate stress?
A) Metaplasia
B) Atrophy
C) Hypertrophy
D) Necrosis
Correct Answer: A) Metaplasia
Rationale: Metaplasia is a potentially reversible substitution of one
differentiated cell type for another in response to chronic irritation or stress.
Q4. Which process represents programmed cell death?
A) Necrosis
B) Apoptosis
,C) Ischemia
D) Infarction
Correct Answer: B) Apoptosis
Rationale: Apoptosis is regulated cellular destruction that removes damaged
or unnecessary cells with minimal surrounding inflammation.
Q5. Which feature is most characteristic of necrosis?
A) Cell shrinkage without inflammation
B) Programmed removal of individual cells
C) Membrane rupture and inflammatory response
D) Normal cellular turnover
Correct Answer: C) Membrane rupture and inflammatory response
Rationale: Necrosis involves loss of membrane integrity, leakage of
intracellular contents, and inflammation.
Q6. What is ischemia?
A) Excessive oxygen delivery
B) Reduced blood supply to tissue
C) Increased venous return
D) Increased cellular metabolism
Correct Answer: B) Reduced blood supply to tissue
Rationale: Ischemia decreases oxygen and nutrient delivery while impairing
removal of metabolic waste.
**Q7. Which consequence develops when severe hypoxia causes ATP
depletion?
A) Enhanced sodium-potassium pump activity
B) Cellular swelling
C) Increased protein synthesis
D) Increased oxidative phosphorylation
Correct Answer: B) Cellular swelling
Rationale: ATP depletion impairs membrane ion pumps, causing intracellular
sodium and water accumulation.
**Q8. Which intracellular change contributes to irreversible cell injury?
, A) Decreased calcium entry
B) Increased intracellular calcium
C) Increased ATP production
D) Improved membrane integrity
Correct Answer: B) Increased intracellular calcium
Rationale: Calcium influx activates destructive enzymes that damage
membranes, proteins, and cellular structures.
**Q9. Which reactive oxygen species effect contributes to membrane injury?
A) Lipid peroxidation
B) Increased ATP synthesis
C) Increased DNA repair
D) Reduced membrane permeability
Correct Answer: A) Lipid peroxidation
Rationale: Reactive oxygen species attack membrane lipids and produce lipid
peroxidation, which damages cellular membranes.
**Q10. Which inheritance pattern requires only one pathogenic allele to
produce the phenotype?
A) Autosomal recessive
B) Autosomal dominant
C) X-linked recessive
D) Mitochondrial
Correct Answer: B) Autosomal dominant
Rationale: An affected heterozygous individual with an autosomal dominant
condition has one normal and one pathogenic allele and can express the
disorder.
**Q11. What is the probability that a heterozygous parent with an autosomal
dominant disorder will transmit the pathogenic allele to each child?
A) 10%
B) 25%
C) 50%
D) 100%
Correct Answer: C) 50%
Answers | 2026/2027 Capella University
Q1. Which cellular adaptation involves an increase in cell size in
response to increased workload?
A) Hyperplasia
B) Hypertrophy
C) Metaplasia
D) Atrophy
Correct Answer: B) Hypertrophy
Rationale: Hypertrophy increases the size of individual cells and commonly
occurs when cells experience increased functional demand.
Q2. Which cellular adaptation involves an increase in the number of
cells?
A) Atrophy
B) Metaplasia
C) Hyperplasia
D) Hypertrophy
Correct Answer: C) Hyperplasia
Rationale: Hyperplasia results from increased cellular proliferation and
produces an increased number of cells within a tissue.
Q3. Which cellular adaptation occurs when one mature cell type is
replaced by another mature cell type better able to tolerate stress?
A) Metaplasia
B) Atrophy
C) Hypertrophy
D) Necrosis
Correct Answer: A) Metaplasia
Rationale: Metaplasia is a potentially reversible substitution of one
differentiated cell type for another in response to chronic irritation or stress.
Q4. Which process represents programmed cell death?
A) Necrosis
B) Apoptosis
,C) Ischemia
D) Infarction
Correct Answer: B) Apoptosis
Rationale: Apoptosis is regulated cellular destruction that removes damaged
or unnecessary cells with minimal surrounding inflammation.
Q5. Which feature is most characteristic of necrosis?
A) Cell shrinkage without inflammation
B) Programmed removal of individual cells
C) Membrane rupture and inflammatory response
D) Normal cellular turnover
Correct Answer: C) Membrane rupture and inflammatory response
Rationale: Necrosis involves loss of membrane integrity, leakage of
intracellular contents, and inflammation.
Q6. What is ischemia?
A) Excessive oxygen delivery
B) Reduced blood supply to tissue
C) Increased venous return
D) Increased cellular metabolism
Correct Answer: B) Reduced blood supply to tissue
Rationale: Ischemia decreases oxygen and nutrient delivery while impairing
removal of metabolic waste.
**Q7. Which consequence develops when severe hypoxia causes ATP
depletion?
A) Enhanced sodium-potassium pump activity
B) Cellular swelling
C) Increased protein synthesis
D) Increased oxidative phosphorylation
Correct Answer: B) Cellular swelling
Rationale: ATP depletion impairs membrane ion pumps, causing intracellular
sodium and water accumulation.
**Q8. Which intracellular change contributes to irreversible cell injury?
, A) Decreased calcium entry
B) Increased intracellular calcium
C) Increased ATP production
D) Improved membrane integrity
Correct Answer: B) Increased intracellular calcium
Rationale: Calcium influx activates destructive enzymes that damage
membranes, proteins, and cellular structures.
**Q9. Which reactive oxygen species effect contributes to membrane injury?
A) Lipid peroxidation
B) Increased ATP synthesis
C) Increased DNA repair
D) Reduced membrane permeability
Correct Answer: A) Lipid peroxidation
Rationale: Reactive oxygen species attack membrane lipids and produce lipid
peroxidation, which damages cellular membranes.
**Q10. Which inheritance pattern requires only one pathogenic allele to
produce the phenotype?
A) Autosomal recessive
B) Autosomal dominant
C) X-linked recessive
D) Mitochondrial
Correct Answer: B) Autosomal dominant
Rationale: An affected heterozygous individual with an autosomal dominant
condition has one normal and one pathogenic allele and can express the
disorder.
**Q11. What is the probability that a heterozygous parent with an autosomal
dominant disorder will transmit the pathogenic allele to each child?
A) 10%
B) 25%
C) 50%
D) 100%
Correct Answer: C) 50%
