WGU D236 - Pathophysiology Objective Assessment Exam
2026/2027 |100% Verified Questions, Correct answers and Detailed
Explanations | Latest Update -Graded A+
Question 1
A nurse is reviewing the cellular response to stress. Which process describes
an increase in the size of individual cells, resulting in enlargement of an
organ?
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Correct Answer: B. Hypertrophy
Explanation:
Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size, not cell number. It commonly occurs in
tissues with limited ability to divide, such as cardiac and skeletal muscle. An
example is left ventricular hypertrophy caused by chronic hypertension.
Question 2
A patient with long-standing hypertension develops thickening of the left
ventricular wall. Which cellular adaptation is responsible?
A. Atrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Hypertrophy
D. Dysplasia
1|Page
,Correct Answer: C. Hypertrophy
Explanation:
Cardiac muscle cells respond to increased workload by enlarging. Because
mature cardiac muscle cells rarely divide, hypertrophy—not hyperplasia—is
the primary adaptive response.
Question 3
Which event is the earliest reversible manifestation of cell injury caused
by hypoxia?
A. Cell swelling due to failure of the sodium-potassium pump
B. Nuclear fragmentation
C. Membrane rupture
D. DNA degradation
Correct Answer: A. Cell swelling due to failure of the sodium-potassium
pump
Explanation:
Reduced ATP production impairs the sodium-potassium ATPase pump,
allowing sodium and water to accumulate inside cells, resulting in cellular
swelling. This change is reversible if oxygen delivery is restored.
Question 4
A patient experiences tissue damage after a prolonged myocardial infarction.
Which type of cell death is most likely?
A. Apoptosis
B. Necrosis
C. Autophagy
2|Page
,D. Senescence
Correct Answer: B. Necrosis
Explanation:
Necrosis is uncontrolled cell death caused by severe injury such as prolonged
ischemia. It triggers inflammation because cellular contents leak into
surrounding tissues.
Question 5
Which characteristic best distinguishes apoptosis from necrosis?
A. Apoptosis causes significant inflammation.
B. Apoptosis is a regulated process that generally does not trigger
inflammation.
C. Necrosis is genetically programmed.
D. Necrosis requires ATP.
Correct Answer: B. Apoptosis is a regulated process that generally does
not trigger inflammation.
Explanation:
Apoptosis is programmed cell death that removes damaged or unnecessary
cells without releasing intracellular contents, thereby minimizing
inflammation.
Question 6
A patient develops redness, warmth, swelling, and pain after cutting a finger.
Which process explains these findings?
A. Acute inflammation
B. Fibrosis
3|Page
, C. Chronic hypoxia
D. Atrophy
Correct Answer: A. Acute inflammation
Explanation:
The classic signs of acute inflammation are caused by vasodilation, increased
vascular permeability, and migration of leukocytes into injured tissue.
Question 7
Which inflammatory mediator is primarily responsible for vasodilation during
acute inflammation?
A. Histamine
B. Insulin
C. Albumin
D. Hemoglobin
Correct Answer: A. Histamine
Explanation:
Histamine, released primarily by mast cells and basophils, causes rapid
vasodilation and increased capillary permeability during the early
inflammatory response.
Question 8
A nurse explains that neutrophils are usually the first white blood cells to
arrive at an acute injury site. Their primary function is to:
A. Produce antibodies.
B. Phagocytose bacteria and cellular debris.
4|Page
2026/2027 |100% Verified Questions, Correct answers and Detailed
Explanations | Latest Update -Graded A+
Question 1
A nurse is reviewing the cellular response to stress. Which process describes
an increase in the size of individual cells, resulting in enlargement of an
organ?
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Metaplasia
D. Dysplasia
Correct Answer: B. Hypertrophy
Explanation:
Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size, not cell number. It commonly occurs in
tissues with limited ability to divide, such as cardiac and skeletal muscle. An
example is left ventricular hypertrophy caused by chronic hypertension.
Question 2
A patient with long-standing hypertension develops thickening of the left
ventricular wall. Which cellular adaptation is responsible?
A. Atrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Hypertrophy
D. Dysplasia
1|Page
,Correct Answer: C. Hypertrophy
Explanation:
Cardiac muscle cells respond to increased workload by enlarging. Because
mature cardiac muscle cells rarely divide, hypertrophy—not hyperplasia—is
the primary adaptive response.
Question 3
Which event is the earliest reversible manifestation of cell injury caused
by hypoxia?
A. Cell swelling due to failure of the sodium-potassium pump
B. Nuclear fragmentation
C. Membrane rupture
D. DNA degradation
Correct Answer: A. Cell swelling due to failure of the sodium-potassium
pump
Explanation:
Reduced ATP production impairs the sodium-potassium ATPase pump,
allowing sodium and water to accumulate inside cells, resulting in cellular
swelling. This change is reversible if oxygen delivery is restored.
Question 4
A patient experiences tissue damage after a prolonged myocardial infarction.
Which type of cell death is most likely?
A. Apoptosis
B. Necrosis
C. Autophagy
2|Page
,D. Senescence
Correct Answer: B. Necrosis
Explanation:
Necrosis is uncontrolled cell death caused by severe injury such as prolonged
ischemia. It triggers inflammation because cellular contents leak into
surrounding tissues.
Question 5
Which characteristic best distinguishes apoptosis from necrosis?
A. Apoptosis causes significant inflammation.
B. Apoptosis is a regulated process that generally does not trigger
inflammation.
C. Necrosis is genetically programmed.
D. Necrosis requires ATP.
Correct Answer: B. Apoptosis is a regulated process that generally does
not trigger inflammation.
Explanation:
Apoptosis is programmed cell death that removes damaged or unnecessary
cells without releasing intracellular contents, thereby minimizing
inflammation.
Question 6
A patient develops redness, warmth, swelling, and pain after cutting a finger.
Which process explains these findings?
A. Acute inflammation
B. Fibrosis
3|Page
, C. Chronic hypoxia
D. Atrophy
Correct Answer: A. Acute inflammation
Explanation:
The classic signs of acute inflammation are caused by vasodilation, increased
vascular permeability, and migration of leukocytes into injured tissue.
Question 7
Which inflammatory mediator is primarily responsible for vasodilation during
acute inflammation?
A. Histamine
B. Insulin
C. Albumin
D. Hemoglobin
Correct Answer: A. Histamine
Explanation:
Histamine, released primarily by mast cells and basophils, causes rapid
vasodilation and increased capillary permeability during the early
inflammatory response.
Question 8
A nurse explains that neutrophils are usually the first white blood cells to
arrive at an acute injury site. Their primary function is to:
A. Produce antibodies.
B. Phagocytose bacteria and cellular debris.
4|Page
