WGU D236 PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OA AND PA
2026/2027 BANK VERSION AND STUDY GUIDE |
ACTUAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AND
RATIONALES | EXPERT VERIFIED FOR
GUARANTEED PASS | LATEST UPDATE /BRAND
NEW
What is Starling's Law of Capillary forces?
How does this explain why a nutritionally deficient child would have
edema?
Starling's Law describes how fluids move across the capillary membrane.
There are two major opposing forces that act to balance each other,
hydrostatic pressure (pushing water out of the capillaries) and osmotic
pressure (including oncontic pressure, which pushes fluid into the
capillaries).
Both electrolytes and proteins (oncontic pressure) in the blood affect
osmotic pressure, high electrolyte and protein concentrations in the
blood would cause water to leave the cells and interstitial space and
enter the blood stream to dilute the high concentrations.
On, the other hand, low electrolyte and protein concentrations (as seen
,in a nutritionally deficient child) would cause water to leave the
capillaries and enter the cells and interstitial fluid which can lead to
edema.
How does the RAAS (Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System) result in
increased blood volume and increased blood pressure?
A drop in blood pressure is sensed by the kidneys by low perfusion, which
in turn begins to secrete renin.
Renin then triggers the liver to produce angiotensinogen, which is
converted to Angiotensin I in the lungs and then angiotensin II by the
enzyme
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). Angiotensin II stimulates peripheral
arterial vasoconstriction which raises BP.
Angiotensin II is also stimulating the adrenal gland to release aldosterone,
which acts to increase sodium and water reabsorption increasing blood
volume, while also increased potassium secretion in urine.
How can hyperkalemia lead to cardiac arrest?
Normal levels of potassium are between 3.5 and 5.2 mEq/dL.
Hyperkalemia refers to potassium levels higher that 5.2 mEq/dL.
A major function of potassium is to conduct nerve impulses in muscles.
Too low and muscle weakness occurs and too much can cause muscle
spasms.
,This is especially dangerous in the heart muscle and an irregular
heartbeat can cause a heart attack
The body uses the Protein Buffering System, Phosphate Buffering System,
and Carbonic Acid-Bicarbonate System to regulate and maintain
homeostatic pH, what is the consequence of a pH imbalance
Proteins contain many acidic and basic group that can be affected by pH
changes. Any increase or decrease in blood pH can alter the structure of
the protein (denature), thereby affecting its function as well
.
Alterations in pH, salt concentration, temperature, glucose levels, etc.
can have negative effects on health, so it is vital for mechanisms that
regulate homeostasis to function properly for maintaining good health
Differentiate between Innate Immunity and Adaptive Immunity ?
The innate immune system encompasses physical barriers and chemical
and cellular defenses. Physical barriers protect the body from invasion.
These include things like the skin and eyelashes. Chemical barriers are
defense mechanisms that can destroy harmful agent. Examples include
tears, mucous, and stomach acid.
Cellular defenses of the innate immune response are non-specific. These
cellular defenses identify pathogens and substances that are potentially
dangerous and takes steps to neutralize or destroy them.
, Adaptive immunity is an organism's acquired immunity to a specific
pathogen. As such, it's also referred to as acquired immunity. Adaptive
immunity is not immediate, nor does it always last throughout an
organism's entire lifespan, although it can.
The adaptive immune response is marked by clonal expansion of T and B
lymphocytes, releasing many antibody copies to neutralize or destroy
their target antigen
What is a way that Adaptive Immunity can recruit innate immunity?
The innate immune response to microbes stimulates adaptive immune
responses and influences the nature of the adaptive responses.
Conversely, adaptive immune responses often work by enhancing the
protective mechanisms of innate immunity, making them more capable of
effectively combating pathogenic microbes
Why are some infections harder on children while other infections are
harder on the elderly?
Children have not been exposed to many pathogens yet, so they lack
memory cells and have not built-up immunity yet.
The elderly have a depleted naïve T cell population from years of battling
infections, so the likelihood of getting a match is less.
Describe how and why our injury response results in the signs of redness,
swelling, heat, and pain?
2026/2027 BANK VERSION AND STUDY GUIDE |
ACTUAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AND
RATIONALES | EXPERT VERIFIED FOR
GUARANTEED PASS | LATEST UPDATE /BRAND
NEW
What is Starling's Law of Capillary forces?
How does this explain why a nutritionally deficient child would have
edema?
Starling's Law describes how fluids move across the capillary membrane.
There are two major opposing forces that act to balance each other,
hydrostatic pressure (pushing water out of the capillaries) and osmotic
pressure (including oncontic pressure, which pushes fluid into the
capillaries).
Both electrolytes and proteins (oncontic pressure) in the blood affect
osmotic pressure, high electrolyte and protein concentrations in the
blood would cause water to leave the cells and interstitial space and
enter the blood stream to dilute the high concentrations.
On, the other hand, low electrolyte and protein concentrations (as seen
,in a nutritionally deficient child) would cause water to leave the
capillaries and enter the cells and interstitial fluid which can lead to
edema.
How does the RAAS (Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System) result in
increased blood volume and increased blood pressure?
A drop in blood pressure is sensed by the kidneys by low perfusion, which
in turn begins to secrete renin.
Renin then triggers the liver to produce angiotensinogen, which is
converted to Angiotensin I in the lungs and then angiotensin II by the
enzyme
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). Angiotensin II stimulates peripheral
arterial vasoconstriction which raises BP.
Angiotensin II is also stimulating the adrenal gland to release aldosterone,
which acts to increase sodium and water reabsorption increasing blood
volume, while also increased potassium secretion in urine.
How can hyperkalemia lead to cardiac arrest?
Normal levels of potassium are between 3.5 and 5.2 mEq/dL.
Hyperkalemia refers to potassium levels higher that 5.2 mEq/dL.
A major function of potassium is to conduct nerve impulses in muscles.
Too low and muscle weakness occurs and too much can cause muscle
spasms.
,This is especially dangerous in the heart muscle and an irregular
heartbeat can cause a heart attack
The body uses the Protein Buffering System, Phosphate Buffering System,
and Carbonic Acid-Bicarbonate System to regulate and maintain
homeostatic pH, what is the consequence of a pH imbalance
Proteins contain many acidic and basic group that can be affected by pH
changes. Any increase or decrease in blood pH can alter the structure of
the protein (denature), thereby affecting its function as well
.
Alterations in pH, salt concentration, temperature, glucose levels, etc.
can have negative effects on health, so it is vital for mechanisms that
regulate homeostasis to function properly for maintaining good health
Differentiate between Innate Immunity and Adaptive Immunity ?
The innate immune system encompasses physical barriers and chemical
and cellular defenses. Physical barriers protect the body from invasion.
These include things like the skin and eyelashes. Chemical barriers are
defense mechanisms that can destroy harmful agent. Examples include
tears, mucous, and stomach acid.
Cellular defenses of the innate immune response are non-specific. These
cellular defenses identify pathogens and substances that are potentially
dangerous and takes steps to neutralize or destroy them.
, Adaptive immunity is an organism's acquired immunity to a specific
pathogen. As such, it's also referred to as acquired immunity. Adaptive
immunity is not immediate, nor does it always last throughout an
organism's entire lifespan, although it can.
The adaptive immune response is marked by clonal expansion of T and B
lymphocytes, releasing many antibody copies to neutralize or destroy
their target antigen
What is a way that Adaptive Immunity can recruit innate immunity?
The innate immune response to microbes stimulates adaptive immune
responses and influences the nature of the adaptive responses.
Conversely, adaptive immune responses often work by enhancing the
protective mechanisms of innate immunity, making them more capable of
effectively combating pathogenic microbes
Why are some infections harder on children while other infections are
harder on the elderly?
Children have not been exposed to many pathogens yet, so they lack
memory cells and have not built-up immunity yet.
The elderly have a depleted naïve T cell population from years of battling
infections, so the likelihood of getting a match is less.
Describe how and why our injury response results in the signs of redness,
swelling, heat, and pain?
