BIOD 331 pathophysiology Module 1| Questions
and Answers|2025 Update|100% Correct.| Graded
A+
What is the definition of "pathophysiology"? - ANSWER Pathophysiology is defined as not only
the cellular and organ changes that occur with disease, but also the effects that these changes
have on total body function.
Name the 5 etiologic factors and give an example if listed. - ANSWER Etiologic factors are the
causes of a disease.
1. Physical forces: trauma, burns, etc
2. Chemical agents: poisons, alcohol
3. Biological agents: bacteria, viruses
4. Genetic predisposition: inherent genes from both parents but you don't necessarily develop
the disease but are predispositioned to it
5. Nutritional excess or deficiencies: Iodine deficiency can lead to hypothyroidism. Nutritional
excess in carbohydrates can lead to irritable bowel syndrome.
What are the 2 types of risk factors? - ANSWER Congenital: present at birth
Acquired: occur after birth
What is the difference between morphology and histology? - ANSWER Morphology is defined as
the fundamental structure or form of cells or tissues. Histology is the study of the cells and
extracellular matrix of body tissues.
Describe the difference between signs and symptoms and give an example of each. - ANSWER
These both relate to manifestations of a disease. Signs is an objective manifestation while
symptoms are a subjective complaint. Signs are apparent to the physician, symptoms are
apparent to the patient.
, What are 3 important processes when coming to a diagnosis? - ANSWER Patient history,
diagnostic testing, and a physical examination.
Explain validity, reliability, sensitivity, and specificity. - ANSWER Validity: how a tool measures
what it is intended to measure i.e. the correct tool to do the job, such as using a blood pressure
cuff to measure blood pressure
Reliability: likelihood of yielding the same result of a test, usually dependent on someone's
experience and skill level
Sensitivity: proportion of people with a disease who test positive
Specificity: people without the disease who test negative for it
Define epidemiology and name some things that it tracks. - ANSWER Epidemiology is the study
of disease occurrence. It tracks the health of a community by tracking age, race, nutritional
habits and locations.
What is the difference between incidence and prevalence? - ANSWER Incidence is the number
of new cases in the population at a given time, prevalence is the number of cases that exist in
the population at a given time.
Define mortality and morbidity. - ANSWER Mortality is the reason for death in a population.
Morbidity is the effect of the illness on someone's life, as it pertains to their quality of life.
Define primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention and give an example of each. - ANSWER
Primary prevention is what a person does to prevent a disease from occurring, for example
eating healthy and exercising.
Secondary prevention is aiming to detect and treat diseases when they are either still curable or
asymptomatic. An example of this is a colonoscopy
Tertiary prevention is when a disease is diagnosed and clinical interventions happen to cause
further complications. For example, using medication to reduce the risk of future heart attacks.
and Answers|2025 Update|100% Correct.| Graded
A+
What is the definition of "pathophysiology"? - ANSWER Pathophysiology is defined as not only
the cellular and organ changes that occur with disease, but also the effects that these changes
have on total body function.
Name the 5 etiologic factors and give an example if listed. - ANSWER Etiologic factors are the
causes of a disease.
1. Physical forces: trauma, burns, etc
2. Chemical agents: poisons, alcohol
3. Biological agents: bacteria, viruses
4. Genetic predisposition: inherent genes from both parents but you don't necessarily develop
the disease but are predispositioned to it
5. Nutritional excess or deficiencies: Iodine deficiency can lead to hypothyroidism. Nutritional
excess in carbohydrates can lead to irritable bowel syndrome.
What are the 2 types of risk factors? - ANSWER Congenital: present at birth
Acquired: occur after birth
What is the difference between morphology and histology? - ANSWER Morphology is defined as
the fundamental structure or form of cells or tissues. Histology is the study of the cells and
extracellular matrix of body tissues.
Describe the difference between signs and symptoms and give an example of each. - ANSWER
These both relate to manifestations of a disease. Signs is an objective manifestation while
symptoms are a subjective complaint. Signs are apparent to the physician, symptoms are
apparent to the patient.
, What are 3 important processes when coming to a diagnosis? - ANSWER Patient history,
diagnostic testing, and a physical examination.
Explain validity, reliability, sensitivity, and specificity. - ANSWER Validity: how a tool measures
what it is intended to measure i.e. the correct tool to do the job, such as using a blood pressure
cuff to measure blood pressure
Reliability: likelihood of yielding the same result of a test, usually dependent on someone's
experience and skill level
Sensitivity: proportion of people with a disease who test positive
Specificity: people without the disease who test negative for it
Define epidemiology and name some things that it tracks. - ANSWER Epidemiology is the study
of disease occurrence. It tracks the health of a community by tracking age, race, nutritional
habits and locations.
What is the difference between incidence and prevalence? - ANSWER Incidence is the number
of new cases in the population at a given time, prevalence is the number of cases that exist in
the population at a given time.
Define mortality and morbidity. - ANSWER Mortality is the reason for death in a population.
Morbidity is the effect of the illness on someone's life, as it pertains to their quality of life.
Define primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention and give an example of each. - ANSWER
Primary prevention is what a person does to prevent a disease from occurring, for example
eating healthy and exercising.
Secondary prevention is aiming to detect and treat diseases when they are either still curable or
asymptomatic. An example of this is a colonoscopy
Tertiary prevention is when a disease is diagnosed and clinical interventions happen to cause
further complications. For example, using medication to reduce the risk of future heart attacks.
