NSC exam with complete solutions latest 2026/27
UPDATE
Pathophysiology
The study of the body's response to dysfunction or disease
Diagnosis
Designation as to the nature or cause of a health problem
Reliability
The extent to which an observation, when repeated, gives the same result
Validity
The extent to which a measurement tool measures what it is intended to measure
Sensitivity and specificity
Determining the likelihood of how well the test observation identifies people with or without a
disease
Disease case
Can be either an existing case or the number of new episodes of a particular illness
Incidence
The number of new cases arising in a population at risk during a specified time
Prevalence
A measure of existing disease in a population at a given point in time
,Morbidity
Describes the effects an illness has on a person's life
Mortality
Pertains to the causes of death in a given population
Primary prevention
Removing risk factors so disease does not occur (immunizations)
Secondary prevention
Detecting disease while still curable (pap smears)
Tertiary prevention
Preventing further deterioration or reducing complications of disease (antibiotics)
Atrophy
decrease in cell size
Hypertrophy
increase in cell size
Hyperplasia
increase in the number of cells
Metaplasia
replacement of adult cells
,Dysplasia
deranged cell growth within a specific tissue
Normal body substances
lipids, proteins, carbs, melanin, etc.
Abnormal endogenous products
those resulting from inborn errors of metabolism
Exogenous products
environmental agents and pigments not broken down by the cell
Cellular swelling
impairment of the energy-dependent Na+/K+ ATPase membrane pump, usually as the result of
hypoxic cell injury
Fatty change
linked to intracellular accumulation of fat
Hypoxia
altered mental status (confusion) is hypoxia until proven otherwise
Hypoxia (cellular effect)
deprives cells of oxygen and interrupts oxidative metabolism and the generation of ATP
Causes of hypoxia
, not enough oxygen in the air, respiratory disease, inability for cells to use oxygen, edema,
ischemia, etc.
Apoptosis
programmed cell death
Necrosis
cell death in an organ or tissue that is still a part of a living person
Gangrene
when a considerable amount of tissue undergoes necrosis
Dry gangrene
affected tissue becomes dry and shrinks, skin wrinkles, and its color changes to dark brown or
black (slow spread)
Wet gangrene
affected area is cold, swollen, and pulseless; skin is moist, black, and under tension; blebs form
on the surface, liquefaction occurs, and foul odor is caused by bacteria (rapid spread)
Mutations
Substitution of one base pair for another, loss or addition of one or more base pairs, or
rearrangement of base pairs; may occur spontaneously in somatic or germ cells
Endonucleases
Enzymes that recognize local distortions of DNA and remove the distorted region
UPDATE
Pathophysiology
The study of the body's response to dysfunction or disease
Diagnosis
Designation as to the nature or cause of a health problem
Reliability
The extent to which an observation, when repeated, gives the same result
Validity
The extent to which a measurement tool measures what it is intended to measure
Sensitivity and specificity
Determining the likelihood of how well the test observation identifies people with or without a
disease
Disease case
Can be either an existing case or the number of new episodes of a particular illness
Incidence
The number of new cases arising in a population at risk during a specified time
Prevalence
A measure of existing disease in a population at a given point in time
,Morbidity
Describes the effects an illness has on a person's life
Mortality
Pertains to the causes of death in a given population
Primary prevention
Removing risk factors so disease does not occur (immunizations)
Secondary prevention
Detecting disease while still curable (pap smears)
Tertiary prevention
Preventing further deterioration or reducing complications of disease (antibiotics)
Atrophy
decrease in cell size
Hypertrophy
increase in cell size
Hyperplasia
increase in the number of cells
Metaplasia
replacement of adult cells
,Dysplasia
deranged cell growth within a specific tissue
Normal body substances
lipids, proteins, carbs, melanin, etc.
Abnormal endogenous products
those resulting from inborn errors of metabolism
Exogenous products
environmental agents and pigments not broken down by the cell
Cellular swelling
impairment of the energy-dependent Na+/K+ ATPase membrane pump, usually as the result of
hypoxic cell injury
Fatty change
linked to intracellular accumulation of fat
Hypoxia
altered mental status (confusion) is hypoxia until proven otherwise
Hypoxia (cellular effect)
deprives cells of oxygen and interrupts oxidative metabolism and the generation of ATP
Causes of hypoxia
, not enough oxygen in the air, respiratory disease, inability for cells to use oxygen, edema,
ischemia, etc.
Apoptosis
programmed cell death
Necrosis
cell death in an organ or tissue that is still a part of a living person
Gangrene
when a considerable amount of tissue undergoes necrosis
Dry gangrene
affected tissue becomes dry and shrinks, skin wrinkles, and its color changes to dark brown or
black (slow spread)
Wet gangrene
affected area is cold, swollen, and pulseless; skin is moist, black, and under tension; blebs form
on the surface, liquefaction occurs, and foul odor is caused by bacteria (rapid spread)
Mutations
Substitution of one base pair for another, loss or addition of one or more base pairs, or
rearrangement of base pairs; may occur spontaneously in somatic or germ cells
Endonucleases
Enzymes that recognize local distortions of DNA and remove the distorted region
