NURSING PATHOPHYSIOLOGY EXAM 2
COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE |300+ QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS & DETAILED
RATIONALES 2026/2027 UPDATED
Cellular Injury & Adaptation
1. Which cellular adaptation involves an increase in cell size?
A) Hyperplasia
B) Hypertrophy
C) Atrophy
D) Metaplasia
Answer: B
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size, often in muscle tissue.
2. Which cellular adaptation involves an increase in cell number?
A) Hypertrophy
B) Hyperplasia
C) Atrophy
D) Metaplasia
Answer: B
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number, often in response to
hormones.
,3. Which cellular adaptation involves a decrease in cell size?
A) Hypertrophy
B) Hyperplasia
C) Atrophy
D) Metaplasia
Answer: C
Rationale: Atrophy is shrinkage of cells due to decreased work or nutrition.
4. Which cellular adaptation is a reversible change from one cell type to
another?
A) Dysplasia
B) Metaplasia
C) Anaplasia
D) Neoplasia
Answer: B
Rationale: Metaplasia replaces one mature cell type with another, often due to
irritation.
5. Which cellular change is considered precancerous?
A) Metaplasia
B) Dysplasia
2
,C) Atrophy
D) Hypertrophy
Answer: B
Rationale: Dysplasia involves disordered growth and is a precursor to cancer.
6. Which type of necrosis is characteristic of ischemia in the heart?
A) Liquefactive
B) Coagulative
C) Caseous
D) Fat
Answer: B
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis preserves tissue architecture, seen in MI.
7. Which type of necrosis is seen in brain infarction?
A) Coagulative
B) Liquefactive
C) Caseous
D) Fat
Answer: B
Rationale: Liquefactive necrosis digests tissue, common in brain.
8. Which type of necrosis is characteristic of tuberculosis?
3
, A) Coagulative
B) Liquefactive
C) Caseous
D) Fat
Answer: C
Rationale: Caseous necrosis is cheeselike, seen in TB.
9. Which type of necrosis occurs in acute pancreatitis?
A) Coagulative
B) Liquefactive
C) Caseous
D) Fat
Answer: D
Rationale: Fat necrosis occurs when lipases destroy fat cells.
10. Apoptosis is best described as:
A) Pathological cell death with inflammation
B) Programmed cell death without inflammation
C) Cell swelling and lysis
D) Coagulative necrosis
Answer: B
Rationale: Apoptosis is orderly, energy-dependent cell death.
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COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE |300+ QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS & DETAILED
RATIONALES 2026/2027 UPDATED
Cellular Injury & Adaptation
1. Which cellular adaptation involves an increase in cell size?
A) Hyperplasia
B) Hypertrophy
C) Atrophy
D) Metaplasia
Answer: B
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size, often in muscle tissue.
2. Which cellular adaptation involves an increase in cell number?
A) Hypertrophy
B) Hyperplasia
C) Atrophy
D) Metaplasia
Answer: B
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number, often in response to
hormones.
,3. Which cellular adaptation involves a decrease in cell size?
A) Hypertrophy
B) Hyperplasia
C) Atrophy
D) Metaplasia
Answer: C
Rationale: Atrophy is shrinkage of cells due to decreased work or nutrition.
4. Which cellular adaptation is a reversible change from one cell type to
another?
A) Dysplasia
B) Metaplasia
C) Anaplasia
D) Neoplasia
Answer: B
Rationale: Metaplasia replaces one mature cell type with another, often due to
irritation.
5. Which cellular change is considered precancerous?
A) Metaplasia
B) Dysplasia
2
,C) Atrophy
D) Hypertrophy
Answer: B
Rationale: Dysplasia involves disordered growth and is a precursor to cancer.
6. Which type of necrosis is characteristic of ischemia in the heart?
A) Liquefactive
B) Coagulative
C) Caseous
D) Fat
Answer: B
Rationale: Coagulative necrosis preserves tissue architecture, seen in MI.
7. Which type of necrosis is seen in brain infarction?
A) Coagulative
B) Liquefactive
C) Caseous
D) Fat
Answer: B
Rationale: Liquefactive necrosis digests tissue, common in brain.
8. Which type of necrosis is characteristic of tuberculosis?
3
, A) Coagulative
B) Liquefactive
C) Caseous
D) Fat
Answer: C
Rationale: Caseous necrosis is cheeselike, seen in TB.
9. Which type of necrosis occurs in acute pancreatitis?
A) Coagulative
B) Liquefactive
C) Caseous
D) Fat
Answer: D
Rationale: Fat necrosis occurs when lipases destroy fat cells.
10. Apoptosis is best described as:
A) Pathological cell death with inflammation
B) Programmed cell death without inflammation
C) Cell swelling and lysis
D) Coagulative necrosis
Answer: B
Rationale: Apoptosis is orderly, energy-dependent cell death.
4
