Pathophysiology - BIOD 331 - Module 1
Exam 2026 Questions and Answers
What is the definition of "pathophysiology"? - Correct 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. - Correct 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? - Correct answer-Congenital: present at birth
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,Acquired: occur after birth
What is the difference between morphology and histology? - Correct 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.
- Correct 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? - Correct answer-
Patient history, diagnostic testing, and a physical examination.
Explain validity, reliability, sensitivity, and specificity. - Correct 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
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, Define epidemiology and name some things that it tracks. - Correct 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? - Correct 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. - Correct 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. -
Correct 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.
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Exam 2026 Questions and Answers
What is the definition of "pathophysiology"? - Correct 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. - Correct 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? - Correct answer-Congenital: present at birth
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,Acquired: occur after birth
What is the difference between morphology and histology? - Correct 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.
- Correct 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? - Correct answer-
Patient history, diagnostic testing, and a physical examination.
Explain validity, reliability, sensitivity, and specificity. - Correct 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
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
, Define epidemiology and name some things that it tracks. - Correct 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? - Correct 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. - Correct 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. -
Correct 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.
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
