NURS 5461 Exam 1 – 150-Question Practice
Exam (2026/2027)
Section I: Cellular Injury, Adaptation, and Death (1–25)
1. Which cellular adaptation involves an increase in the number of cells in a
tissue?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in the number of cells in a tissue or
organ, often in response to hormonal stimulation. Hypertrophy is an increase in
cell size.
2. A client's cardiac muscle enlarges in response to chronic hypertension. This is
an example of:
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Metaplasia
D. Atrophy
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cardiac muscle cells cannot divide, so they enlarge (hypertrophy)
in response to increased workload.
3. Which cellular adaptation involves the replacement of one mature cell type
with another?
,A. Atrophy
B. Hypertrophy
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one mature cell type
with another, often in response to chronic irritation (e.g., smoking causing
squamous metaplasia in the airways).
4. Which finding is characteristic of dysplasia?
A. Normal cell structure
B. Disordered cell growth and maturation
C. Increased cell size
D. Decreased cell number
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Dysplasia is disordered cellular growth and maturation, often a
precursor to malignancy.
5. Which type of cell death is programmed and does not trigger inflammation?
A. Necrosis
B. Apoptosis
C. Gangrene
D. Coagulation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Apoptosis is programmed cell death that does not trigger an
inflammatory response.
6. Which type of necrosis is characteristic of ischemic injury in the heart?
,A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis occurs in ischemic injury to the heart, kidney,
and spleen.
7. Which type of necrosis is associated with tuberculosis?
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Caseous necrosis is a combination of coagulative and liquefactive
necrosis, characteristic of tuberculosis.
8. Which type of necrosis occurs in the brain after a stroke?
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Liquefactive necrosis occurs in the brain and in bacterial abscesses.
9. Which type of necrosis occurs in acute pancreatitis?
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis
, C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Fat necrosis occurs in acute pancreatitis due to enzymatic
digestion of fat.
10. Which of the following is a cause of cellular injury?
A. Hypoxia
B. Free radicals
C. Physical trauma
D. All of the above
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Hypoxia, free radicals, physical trauma, chemicals, and infections
can all cause cellular injury.
11. Which mechanism of cellular injury involves the lack of oxygen?
A. Hypoxia
B. Ischemia
C. Reperfusion injury
D. Oxidative stress
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Hypoxia is a lack of oxygen that leads to cellular injury and death.
12. Which mechanism of cellular injury involves the restoration of blood flow to
ischemic tissue?
A. Hypoxia
B. Ischemia
C. Reperfusion injury
D. Oxidative stress
Exam (2026/2027)
Section I: Cellular Injury, Adaptation, and Death (1–25)
1. Which cellular adaptation involves an increase in the number of cells in a
tissue?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in the number of cells in a tissue or
organ, often in response to hormonal stimulation. Hypertrophy is an increase in
cell size.
2. A client's cardiac muscle enlarges in response to chronic hypertension. This is
an example of:
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Metaplasia
D. Atrophy
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cardiac muscle cells cannot divide, so they enlarge (hypertrophy)
in response to increased workload.
3. Which cellular adaptation involves the replacement of one mature cell type
with another?
,A. Atrophy
B. Hypertrophy
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one mature cell type
with another, often in response to chronic irritation (e.g., smoking causing
squamous metaplasia in the airways).
4. Which finding is characteristic of dysplasia?
A. Normal cell structure
B. Disordered cell growth and maturation
C. Increased cell size
D. Decreased cell number
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Dysplasia is disordered cellular growth and maturation, often a
precursor to malignancy.
5. Which type of cell death is programmed and does not trigger inflammation?
A. Necrosis
B. Apoptosis
C. Gangrene
D. Coagulation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Apoptosis is programmed cell death that does not trigger an
inflammatory response.
6. Which type of necrosis is characteristic of ischemic injury in the heart?
,A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis occurs in ischemic injury to the heart, kidney,
and spleen.
7. Which type of necrosis is associated with tuberculosis?
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Caseous necrosis is a combination of coagulative and liquefactive
necrosis, characteristic of tuberculosis.
8. Which type of necrosis occurs in the brain after a stroke?
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Liquefactive necrosis occurs in the brain and in bacterial abscesses.
9. Which type of necrosis occurs in acute pancreatitis?
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis
, C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Fat necrosis occurs in acute pancreatitis due to enzymatic
digestion of fat.
10. Which of the following is a cause of cellular injury?
A. Hypoxia
B. Free radicals
C. Physical trauma
D. All of the above
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Hypoxia, free radicals, physical trauma, chemicals, and infections
can all cause cellular injury.
11. Which mechanism of cellular injury involves the lack of oxygen?
A. Hypoxia
B. Ischemia
C. Reperfusion injury
D. Oxidative stress
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Hypoxia is a lack of oxygen that leads to cellular injury and death.
12. Which mechanism of cellular injury involves the restoration of blood flow to
ischemic tissue?
A. Hypoxia
B. Ischemia
C. Reperfusion injury
D. Oxidative stress
