ADVANCED PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
EXAMS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
2025
Prions - ANSWERSinfectious protein particles that do not have a genome, no
DNA/RNA, no genetic material
example of prion disease - ANSWERSo Creutzfeldt- Jakob disease & kuru (human) .
mad cow disease
Virus - ANSWERSSmallest pathogen, with protein coat surrounding a nucleic acid core
of DNA or RNA (never both), · Incapable of replication outside the cell.
Can viruses cause cancer? - ANSWERSYes, some viruses have the ability to transform
normal host cells into malignant cells during the replication cycle, they are known and
oncogenic Example: HPV
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) - ANSWERSVirus that usually starts in the throat, it can
become infectious mononucleosis, you can also get nasopharyngeal carcinoma and
Burkitt lymphoma. EBV invades and replicates within the salivary glands or pharyngeal
epithelium and sheds into the saliva and respiratory secretions.
This virus destroys the B cells and T cells, when that happens you get the African
Burkitt lymphoma
Bacteria (prokaryotes) - ANSWERSare autonomously replicating unicellular organisms.
Cytoplasm, which contains the reproductive and metabolic machinery of the cell.
· Autonomously replicating unicellular organism
· Contains DNA AND RNA
· Smallest of all living cells
Classification of bacteria - ANSWERSo Gram-positive: stained purple by a primary
basic dye (crystal violet)
o Gram-negative: Counterstained red by a second dye (safranin)
Groups of bacteria - ANSWERSCocci (spherical)
Diplococci (double)
Staphylococci (groups)
Streptococci (chains)
Bacilli
Spirilla (spirochete)—SYPHILIS
,Syphyllis - ANSWERSo Cell's shape is helical and the length of the organism is many
times its width
o Infected animals shed the organisms into the environment through the urinary tract.
Transmission to humans occurs by contact with infected animals or urine-contaminated
surroundings.
Syphilis
· Spirilla (spirochete), treponema pallidum
o Spread from person to person by direct contact
· Systemic STI
· Spread by direct contact with an infectious moist lesion, usually through sex
o Bacteria-laden secretions transfer the organism (site of exposure)
· Could be asymptomatic for years
·
3. Fungi (eukaryotic) - ANSWERS· Contain a membrane-bound nucleus
· Some are part of the normal human microflora
· Few can cause diseases, and most of these are incidental, self-limited infections of
skin and subcutaneous tissue
· Can cause life threatening opportunistic diseases when host defense capabilities have
been disabled.
· Dermatophytes grow in temps under 37C: athlete's foot, ringworm, collectively
superficial mycoses "tinea" skin
· Over 37C mucus membranes, GI, Skin Candida opportunistic infections aspergillosis
pneumonia-lethal
Stages of syphilis infection - ANSWERSprimary, secondary, latent, tertiary
First sign: Small sore (Chancre)
à Sore appears where the bacteria entered your body.
· Chancre develops three weeks after exposure, but can be incubated for up to 3
months
· Chancre is painless
· Secondary: (lasting from 1 week to 6 months): weeks after the chancre heals à rash
on trunk, soles of feet and hands, warts on mouth or genital
o Hair loss, muscle aches, fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes.
o S&S disappears within a few weeks and come and go for years.
· Latent: No symptoms
o Persons can be infective during the first 1-2 years of latency
· Tertiary syphilis- a delayed response to untreated disease
o When syphilis does progress to the symptomatic tertiary stage, it commonly takes one
of three forms: development of localized destructive granuloma-like lesions called
gummas, development of cardiovascular lesions, or development of central nervous
system lesions.
, o Can damage your nervous system, eyes, spinal cord, producing ataxia and sensory
loss.
· As it evokes a humoral immune response leading to the production of antibodies,
serologic testing can be done.
o Incubation may delay test's sensitivity
Host - ANSWERS· Any organism capable of supporting the nutritional and physical
growth requirement of another organism. An object or substance from which the
infectious disease was acquired.
Difference between endogenous or exogenous acquired infectious disease -
ANSWERSo Endogenous: acquired from the host's own microflora.
o Exogenous: acquired from sources in the external environment, such as water, food,
soil, or air.
Factors that influence the site of an infectious disease: - ANSWERSo Type of pathogen
o Portal of entry
o Competence of the host's immunologic defense system
Mutualism - ANSWERSA relationship between two species in which both species
benefit
Commensalism - ANSWERSA relationship between two organisms in which one
organism benefits and the other is unaffected. The body is not affected.
parasitic relationship - ANSWERSOnly the infecting organism benefits from the
relationship
o If the host sustains injury or pathologic damage, the process is called an infectious
disease
Colony - ANSWERSthe presence and multiplication of a living organism on or within the
host
Epidemiology - ANSWERSthe study of factors, events, and circumstances that
influence the transmission of infectious diseases among humans
Incidence - ANSWERSthe number of new cases of an infectious disease that occur
within a defined population
Prevalence - ANSWERSthe number of active cases at any given time
endemic disease - ANSWERSfound in a particular geographic region. The incidence
and prevalence are expected and relatively stable (normal)
Epidemic - ANSWERSAbrupt and unexpected increase in the incidence of disease over
endemic rates (unexpected increase) sustained in the same region
EXAMS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
2025
Prions - ANSWERSinfectious protein particles that do not have a genome, no
DNA/RNA, no genetic material
example of prion disease - ANSWERSo Creutzfeldt- Jakob disease & kuru (human) .
mad cow disease
Virus - ANSWERSSmallest pathogen, with protein coat surrounding a nucleic acid core
of DNA or RNA (never both), · Incapable of replication outside the cell.
Can viruses cause cancer? - ANSWERSYes, some viruses have the ability to transform
normal host cells into malignant cells during the replication cycle, they are known and
oncogenic Example: HPV
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) - ANSWERSVirus that usually starts in the throat, it can
become infectious mononucleosis, you can also get nasopharyngeal carcinoma and
Burkitt lymphoma. EBV invades and replicates within the salivary glands or pharyngeal
epithelium and sheds into the saliva and respiratory secretions.
This virus destroys the B cells and T cells, when that happens you get the African
Burkitt lymphoma
Bacteria (prokaryotes) - ANSWERSare autonomously replicating unicellular organisms.
Cytoplasm, which contains the reproductive and metabolic machinery of the cell.
· Autonomously replicating unicellular organism
· Contains DNA AND RNA
· Smallest of all living cells
Classification of bacteria - ANSWERSo Gram-positive: stained purple by a primary
basic dye (crystal violet)
o Gram-negative: Counterstained red by a second dye (safranin)
Groups of bacteria - ANSWERSCocci (spherical)
Diplococci (double)
Staphylococci (groups)
Streptococci (chains)
Bacilli
Spirilla (spirochete)—SYPHILIS
,Syphyllis - ANSWERSo Cell's shape is helical and the length of the organism is many
times its width
o Infected animals shed the organisms into the environment through the urinary tract.
Transmission to humans occurs by contact with infected animals or urine-contaminated
surroundings.
Syphilis
· Spirilla (spirochete), treponema pallidum
o Spread from person to person by direct contact
· Systemic STI
· Spread by direct contact with an infectious moist lesion, usually through sex
o Bacteria-laden secretions transfer the organism (site of exposure)
· Could be asymptomatic for years
·
3. Fungi (eukaryotic) - ANSWERS· Contain a membrane-bound nucleus
· Some are part of the normal human microflora
· Few can cause diseases, and most of these are incidental, self-limited infections of
skin and subcutaneous tissue
· Can cause life threatening opportunistic diseases when host defense capabilities have
been disabled.
· Dermatophytes grow in temps under 37C: athlete's foot, ringworm, collectively
superficial mycoses "tinea" skin
· Over 37C mucus membranes, GI, Skin Candida opportunistic infections aspergillosis
pneumonia-lethal
Stages of syphilis infection - ANSWERSprimary, secondary, latent, tertiary
First sign: Small sore (Chancre)
à Sore appears where the bacteria entered your body.
· Chancre develops three weeks after exposure, but can be incubated for up to 3
months
· Chancre is painless
· Secondary: (lasting from 1 week to 6 months): weeks after the chancre heals à rash
on trunk, soles of feet and hands, warts on mouth or genital
o Hair loss, muscle aches, fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes.
o S&S disappears within a few weeks and come and go for years.
· Latent: No symptoms
o Persons can be infective during the first 1-2 years of latency
· Tertiary syphilis- a delayed response to untreated disease
o When syphilis does progress to the symptomatic tertiary stage, it commonly takes one
of three forms: development of localized destructive granuloma-like lesions called
gummas, development of cardiovascular lesions, or development of central nervous
system lesions.
, o Can damage your nervous system, eyes, spinal cord, producing ataxia and sensory
loss.
· As it evokes a humoral immune response leading to the production of antibodies,
serologic testing can be done.
o Incubation may delay test's sensitivity
Host - ANSWERS· Any organism capable of supporting the nutritional and physical
growth requirement of another organism. An object or substance from which the
infectious disease was acquired.
Difference between endogenous or exogenous acquired infectious disease -
ANSWERSo Endogenous: acquired from the host's own microflora.
o Exogenous: acquired from sources in the external environment, such as water, food,
soil, or air.
Factors that influence the site of an infectious disease: - ANSWERSo Type of pathogen
o Portal of entry
o Competence of the host's immunologic defense system
Mutualism - ANSWERSA relationship between two species in which both species
benefit
Commensalism - ANSWERSA relationship between two organisms in which one
organism benefits and the other is unaffected. The body is not affected.
parasitic relationship - ANSWERSOnly the infecting organism benefits from the
relationship
o If the host sustains injury or pathologic damage, the process is called an infectious
disease
Colony - ANSWERSthe presence and multiplication of a living organism on or within the
host
Epidemiology - ANSWERSthe study of factors, events, and circumstances that
influence the transmission of infectious diseases among humans
Incidence - ANSWERSthe number of new cases of an infectious disease that occur
within a defined population
Prevalence - ANSWERSthe number of active cases at any given time
endemic disease - ANSWERSfound in a particular geographic region. The incidence
and prevalence are expected and relatively stable (normal)
Epidemic - ANSWERSAbrupt and unexpected increase in the incidence of disease over
endemic rates (unexpected increase) sustained in the same region
