NURS 5315 EXAM 3 ACTUAL 2026/2027 | Advanced
Pathophysiology Q&A | UTA Complete Review
SECTION 1: CELLULAR PATHOPHYSIOLOGY (Q1–30)
Q1. What is the first morphologic change seen in reversible cell injury?
A. Cellular swelling
B. Apoptosis
C. Necrosis
D. Fibrosis
Answer: A
Rationale: Hypoxia reduces oxidative phosphorylation, decreasing ATP. Without ATP, the
sodium-potassium pump fails, causing sodium and water to enter the cell. Cellular swelling is
the first morphologic change.
Q2. Why does cardiac hypertrophy occur instead of hyperplasia?
A. Cardiac myocytes have little capacity for division
B. Cardiac myocytes divide rapidly
C. Cardiac myocytes are replaced by scar tissue
D. Cardiac myocytes undergo apoptosis
Answer: A
Rationale: Adult cardiac myocytes have little capacity for division. Chronic pressure overload
causes existing cells to enlarge rather than multiply.
Q3. Which type of cell death is programmed and ATP-dependent?
A. Apoptosis
B. Necrosis
C. Coagulative necrosis
D. Liquefactive necrosis
Answer: A
Rationale: Apoptosis is programmed, ATP-dependent, and does not trigger significant
inflammation.
Q4. Which type of cell death involves membrane rupture and marked inflammation?
A. Apoptosis
B. Necrosis
,C. Both
D. Neither
Answer: B
Rationale: Necrosis involves membrane rupture, release of intracellular contents, and marked
inflammation.
Q5. What is metaplasia?
A. Reversible replacement of one mature cell type with another
B. Increase in cell size
C. Increase in cell number
D. Decrease in cell size
Answer: A
Rationale: Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one mature cell type with another.
Classic example: smoker's bronchial epithelium changing from ciliated columnar to stratified
squamous.
Q6. Which cellular adaptation is characterized by abnormal changes in cell size, shape, and
organization?
A. Atrophy
B. Hypertrophy
C. Hyperplasia
D. Dysplasia
Answer: D
Rationale: Dysplasia is characterized by abnormal changes in cell size, shape, and organization.
It is considered pre-cancerous.
Q7. Which cellular adaptation is an increase in cell size due to increased workload?
A. Atrophy
B. Hypertrophy
C. Hyperplasia
D. Metaplasia
Answer: B
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size due to increased workload. Physiologic
example: skeletal muscle growth. Pathologic example: left ventricular hypertrophy from chronic
hypertension.
Q8. Which cellular adaptation is an increase in cell number through mitotic division?
A. Atrophy
,B. Hypertrophy
C. Hyperplasia
D. Metaplasia
Answer: C
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number through mitotic division.
Q9. Which cellular adaptation is a decrease in cell size due to reduced protein synthesis and
increased degradation?
A. Atrophy
B. Hypertrophy
C. Hyperplasia
D. Metaplasia
Answer: A
Rationale: Atrophy is a decrease in cell size due to reduced protein synthesis and increased
degradation. Cells remain functional but have reduced structural components.
Q10. Which type of necrosis is characteristic of ischemic injury in most tissues?
A. Coagulative
B. Liquefactive
C. Caseous
D. Fat
Answer: A
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis is characteristic of ischemic injury in most tissues except the
brain.
Q11. Which type of necrosis occurs in brain infarcts?
A. Coagulative
B. Liquefactive
C. Caseous
D. Fat
Answer: B
Rationale: Liquefactive necrosis occurs in brain infarcts and bacterial infections.
Q12. Which type of necrosis is seen in tuberculosis?
A. Coagulative
B. Liquefactive
C. Caseous
D. Fat
, Answer: C
Rationale: Caseous necrosis is seen in tuberculosis.
Q13. Which type of necrosis is associated with pancreatitis?
A. Coagulative
B. Liquefactive
C. Caseous
D. Fat
Answer: D
Rationale: Fat necrosis is associated with pancreatitis.
Q14. What is the primary source of free radicals?
A. Mitochondrial electron transport chain
B. Nucleus
C. Ribosomes
D. Golgi apparatus
Answer: A
Rationale: The mitochondrial electron transport chain is the primary source of free radicals.
Q15. What is the consequence of free radical damage to membranes?
A. Lipid peroxidation
B. Protein synthesis
C. DNA repair
D. Cell proliferation
Answer: A
Rationale: Free radicals cause lipid peroxidation of membranes, leading to cell damage.
Q16. What is ischemia-reperfusion injury?
A. Damage from restored blood flow
B. Damage from decreased blood flow
C. Damage from increased oxygen
D. Damage from decreased oxygen
Answer: A
Rationale: Ischemia-reperfusion injury occurs when restoring blood flow to ischemic tissue
causes additional damage through a burst of reactive oxygen species.
Q17. Which condition is associated with free radical damage?
A. Alzheimer's disease
B. Hypertension
Pathophysiology Q&A | UTA Complete Review
SECTION 1: CELLULAR PATHOPHYSIOLOGY (Q1–30)
Q1. What is the first morphologic change seen in reversible cell injury?
A. Cellular swelling
B. Apoptosis
C. Necrosis
D. Fibrosis
Answer: A
Rationale: Hypoxia reduces oxidative phosphorylation, decreasing ATP. Without ATP, the
sodium-potassium pump fails, causing sodium and water to enter the cell. Cellular swelling is
the first morphologic change.
Q2. Why does cardiac hypertrophy occur instead of hyperplasia?
A. Cardiac myocytes have little capacity for division
B. Cardiac myocytes divide rapidly
C. Cardiac myocytes are replaced by scar tissue
D. Cardiac myocytes undergo apoptosis
Answer: A
Rationale: Adult cardiac myocytes have little capacity for division. Chronic pressure overload
causes existing cells to enlarge rather than multiply.
Q3. Which type of cell death is programmed and ATP-dependent?
A. Apoptosis
B. Necrosis
C. Coagulative necrosis
D. Liquefactive necrosis
Answer: A
Rationale: Apoptosis is programmed, ATP-dependent, and does not trigger significant
inflammation.
Q4. Which type of cell death involves membrane rupture and marked inflammation?
A. Apoptosis
B. Necrosis
,C. Both
D. Neither
Answer: B
Rationale: Necrosis involves membrane rupture, release of intracellular contents, and marked
inflammation.
Q5. What is metaplasia?
A. Reversible replacement of one mature cell type with another
B. Increase in cell size
C. Increase in cell number
D. Decrease in cell size
Answer: A
Rationale: Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one mature cell type with another.
Classic example: smoker's bronchial epithelium changing from ciliated columnar to stratified
squamous.
Q6. Which cellular adaptation is characterized by abnormal changes in cell size, shape, and
organization?
A. Atrophy
B. Hypertrophy
C. Hyperplasia
D. Dysplasia
Answer: D
Rationale: Dysplasia is characterized by abnormal changes in cell size, shape, and organization.
It is considered pre-cancerous.
Q7. Which cellular adaptation is an increase in cell size due to increased workload?
A. Atrophy
B. Hypertrophy
C. Hyperplasia
D. Metaplasia
Answer: B
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size due to increased workload. Physiologic
example: skeletal muscle growth. Pathologic example: left ventricular hypertrophy from chronic
hypertension.
Q8. Which cellular adaptation is an increase in cell number through mitotic division?
A. Atrophy
,B. Hypertrophy
C. Hyperplasia
D. Metaplasia
Answer: C
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number through mitotic division.
Q9. Which cellular adaptation is a decrease in cell size due to reduced protein synthesis and
increased degradation?
A. Atrophy
B. Hypertrophy
C. Hyperplasia
D. Metaplasia
Answer: A
Rationale: Atrophy is a decrease in cell size due to reduced protein synthesis and increased
degradation. Cells remain functional but have reduced structural components.
Q10. Which type of necrosis is characteristic of ischemic injury in most tissues?
A. Coagulative
B. Liquefactive
C. Caseous
D. Fat
Answer: A
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis is characteristic of ischemic injury in most tissues except the
brain.
Q11. Which type of necrosis occurs in brain infarcts?
A. Coagulative
B. Liquefactive
C. Caseous
D. Fat
Answer: B
Rationale: Liquefactive necrosis occurs in brain infarcts and bacterial infections.
Q12. Which type of necrosis is seen in tuberculosis?
A. Coagulative
B. Liquefactive
C. Caseous
D. Fat
, Answer: C
Rationale: Caseous necrosis is seen in tuberculosis.
Q13. Which type of necrosis is associated with pancreatitis?
A. Coagulative
B. Liquefactive
C. Caseous
D. Fat
Answer: D
Rationale: Fat necrosis is associated with pancreatitis.
Q14. What is the primary source of free radicals?
A. Mitochondrial electron transport chain
B. Nucleus
C. Ribosomes
D. Golgi apparatus
Answer: A
Rationale: The mitochondrial electron transport chain is the primary source of free radicals.
Q15. What is the consequence of free radical damage to membranes?
A. Lipid peroxidation
B. Protein synthesis
C. DNA repair
D. Cell proliferation
Answer: A
Rationale: Free radicals cause lipid peroxidation of membranes, leading to cell damage.
Q16. What is ischemia-reperfusion injury?
A. Damage from restored blood flow
B. Damage from decreased blood flow
C. Damage from increased oxygen
D. Damage from decreased oxygen
Answer: A
Rationale: Ischemia-reperfusion injury occurs when restoring blood flow to ischemic tissue
causes additional damage through a burst of reactive oxygen species.
Q17. Which condition is associated with free radical damage?
A. Alzheimer's disease
B. Hypertension
