HESI Pathophysiology | Practice Questions & Answers | 2026-2027
a. positive feedback An initial disturbance in a system sets off a chain of events that does not favor
stability and often abruptly displaces a system from its steady state: what is that?
a. Positive Feedback
b. Negative Feedback
c. Disease
d. Homeostasis
b. gums What organ shrinks with age?
a. Prostate
b. Gums
c. Heart
d. All of the above
d. there is less thirst perception in the elderly Which of the following is true?
a. An infant will have a slower heart rate than an adult
b. The elderly have better temperature sensations
c. There are more sweat glands in an elderly person
d. There is less thirst perception in the elderly
c. Women have a lower hemoglobin than men Which of the following is true?
a. Women snore more than men
b. Men have higher calcium levels
c. Women have a lower hemoglobin than men
d. Men have a lower creatinine level than women
b. Acclimatization An increase in normal adaptive response to the decreased availability of oxygen at
high altitude is termed which?
a. Circadian
b. Acclimatization
c. Population
d. Diurnal
d. Iatrogenic What does it mean when the cause of the disease is unwanted medical treatment?
a. Idiopathic
b. Ecogenetic
c. Genotypical
d. Iatrogenic
d. Neonatal Which term is used for the first two months of life?
a. Infancy
b. Childhood
c. Prenatal
d. Neonatal
d. Sign Which is an objectively identifiable aberration of the disease?
a. Symptom
b. Syndrome
c. Stage
d. Sign
c. They include epinephrine and norepinephrine Which of the following is true regarding catecholamines?
a. They are from the parasympathetic nervous system
b. They cross the blood brain barrier
c. They include epinephrine and norepinephrine
d. They cause of decrease in heart rate
b. Endorphins increase with stress, resulting in a decrease Which of the following is a true statement?
in pain perception a. Antidiuretic hormone is not important for blood volume regulation
b. Endorphins increase with stress, resulting in a decrease in pain perception
c. Epinephrine and cortisol act very differently
d. Cortisol negates epinephrine's activity
, HESI Pathophysiology | Practice Questions & Answers | 2026-2027
d. They cross by diffusion By what mechanism do lipid molecules cross cell membranes?
a. They use channel proteins as a membrane transport system
b. They are transported across the plasma membrane by endocytosis and
exocytosis
c. They use voltage-gated ion channels
d. They cross by diffusion
a. Protein synthesis Which of the following metabolic processes is a component of anabolic
metabolism?
a. Protein synthesis
b. Glycolysis
c. Citric acid cycle
d. Oxidative phosphorylation
c. The sodium-potassium pump Which of the following electrochemical mechanism is responsible for maintaining
cell volume?
a. The calcium pump
b. Glucose transporters
c. The sodium-potassium pump
d. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters
d. Failure of the sodium-potassium pump Cellular hypoxia results in:
a. Enhanced ATP activity
b. Loss of intracellular calcium
c. Increased pH
d. Failure of the sodium-potassium pump
a. Atrophy of her leg muscles A 75 yo woman develops weakness in her lower extremities after a prolonged
period of bed rest. This is most likely caused by:
a. Atrophy of her leg muscles
b. Dysplasia of her leg muscles
c. Hypertrophy of her leg muscles
d. Hyperplasia of her leg muscles
c. Atrophy Which of the following types of cellular adaption is most likely to occur from chronic
ischemia?
a. Hypertrophy
b. Metaplasia
c. Atrophy
d. Hyperplasia
d. Gas bubbles from in the blood, blocking circulation and What is the mechanism of cellular injury that occurs when deep sea divers get 'the
resulting in ischemia bends'?
a. Free radicals form abnormal chemical bonds which destroy the cellular
membranes
b. Carbon monoxide binds tightly to hemoglobin, preventing the RBCs from carrying
O2
c. Intracellular calcium accumlation create muscle tetany
d. Gas bubbles from in the blood, blocking circulation and resulting in ischemia
a. Dysplasia Which type of cellular adaption would create the greatest concern if found on a
biopsy report?
a. Dysplasia
b. Metaplasia
c. Hyperplasia
d. Atrophy
d. Transcription Which of the following is the process by which mRNA is synthesized from single
stranded DNA?
a. Sense stranding
b. Replication
c. Translation
D. Transcription
, HESI Pathophysiology | Practice Questions & Answers | 2026-2027
c. Hematopoietic tissue Which of the following is not one of the 4 cell types found in adult humans?
a. Epithelium
b. Connective tissue
c. Hematopoietic tissue
d. Nervous tissue
a. aa If a patient has a recessive trait, which of the following is the genotype of this
patient?
a. aa
b. AA
c. Aa
d. aA
a. duplication Which of the following chromosomal abnormalities has been linked with Down
Syndrome?
a. Translocation
b. Inversion
c. Deletion
d. Duplication
c. Hemophilia Which of the following refers to a deficiency of factor VIII that causes a bleeding
disorder?
a. Marfan Syndrome
b. Phenylketonuria
c. Hemophilia
d. Huntington
c. Epstein-Barr virus Which of the following is a retrovirus that causes cancer?
a. Rhinovirus
b. Parvovirus
c. Epstein-Barr virus
d. Poxvirus
b. BRCA1 Which of the following genes contributes specifically to some breast cancer?
a. Rb
b. BRCA1
c. P53
d. VHL
c. Grading Which is used to describe the histologic characteristics of tumor cells?
a. Staging
b. Cachexia
c. Grading
d. Angiogenesis
a. Early detection Which of the following offers the best prognosis for the cure of cancer?
a. Early detection
b. Aggressive chemotherapy
c. Adjunct radiation
d. Gene therapy
c. The combined 5 year survival rate for cancer is 62% Which of the following is true about cancer?
a. Most deaths occur in those over 75 years old
b. Men have 1 in 3 lifetime risk of cancer
c. The combined 5 year survival rate for cancer is 62%
d. It is the leading cause of death
b. It tracks the progress of the disease and the What is the purpose of the TNM classification system?
effectiveness of treatment a. It provides information for ongoing research efforts to develop a cure for cancer
b. It tracks the progress of the disease and the effectiveness of treatment
c. It enables the MD to determine the underlying cause of the malignancy
d. It provides tumor data for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
a. positive feedback An initial disturbance in a system sets off a chain of events that does not favor
stability and often abruptly displaces a system from its steady state: what is that?
a. Positive Feedback
b. Negative Feedback
c. Disease
d. Homeostasis
b. gums What organ shrinks with age?
a. Prostate
b. Gums
c. Heart
d. All of the above
d. there is less thirst perception in the elderly Which of the following is true?
a. An infant will have a slower heart rate than an adult
b. The elderly have better temperature sensations
c. There are more sweat glands in an elderly person
d. There is less thirst perception in the elderly
c. Women have a lower hemoglobin than men Which of the following is true?
a. Women snore more than men
b. Men have higher calcium levels
c. Women have a lower hemoglobin than men
d. Men have a lower creatinine level than women
b. Acclimatization An increase in normal adaptive response to the decreased availability of oxygen at
high altitude is termed which?
a. Circadian
b. Acclimatization
c. Population
d. Diurnal
d. Iatrogenic What does it mean when the cause of the disease is unwanted medical treatment?
a. Idiopathic
b. Ecogenetic
c. Genotypical
d. Iatrogenic
d. Neonatal Which term is used for the first two months of life?
a. Infancy
b. Childhood
c. Prenatal
d. Neonatal
d. Sign Which is an objectively identifiable aberration of the disease?
a. Symptom
b. Syndrome
c. Stage
d. Sign
c. They include epinephrine and norepinephrine Which of the following is true regarding catecholamines?
a. They are from the parasympathetic nervous system
b. They cross the blood brain barrier
c. They include epinephrine and norepinephrine
d. They cause of decrease in heart rate
b. Endorphins increase with stress, resulting in a decrease Which of the following is a true statement?
in pain perception a. Antidiuretic hormone is not important for blood volume regulation
b. Endorphins increase with stress, resulting in a decrease in pain perception
c. Epinephrine and cortisol act very differently
d. Cortisol negates epinephrine's activity
, HESI Pathophysiology | Practice Questions & Answers | 2026-2027
d. They cross by diffusion By what mechanism do lipid molecules cross cell membranes?
a. They use channel proteins as a membrane transport system
b. They are transported across the plasma membrane by endocytosis and
exocytosis
c. They use voltage-gated ion channels
d. They cross by diffusion
a. Protein synthesis Which of the following metabolic processes is a component of anabolic
metabolism?
a. Protein synthesis
b. Glycolysis
c. Citric acid cycle
d. Oxidative phosphorylation
c. The sodium-potassium pump Which of the following electrochemical mechanism is responsible for maintaining
cell volume?
a. The calcium pump
b. Glucose transporters
c. The sodium-potassium pump
d. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters
d. Failure of the sodium-potassium pump Cellular hypoxia results in:
a. Enhanced ATP activity
b. Loss of intracellular calcium
c. Increased pH
d. Failure of the sodium-potassium pump
a. Atrophy of her leg muscles A 75 yo woman develops weakness in her lower extremities after a prolonged
period of bed rest. This is most likely caused by:
a. Atrophy of her leg muscles
b. Dysplasia of her leg muscles
c. Hypertrophy of her leg muscles
d. Hyperplasia of her leg muscles
c. Atrophy Which of the following types of cellular adaption is most likely to occur from chronic
ischemia?
a. Hypertrophy
b. Metaplasia
c. Atrophy
d. Hyperplasia
d. Gas bubbles from in the blood, blocking circulation and What is the mechanism of cellular injury that occurs when deep sea divers get 'the
resulting in ischemia bends'?
a. Free radicals form abnormal chemical bonds which destroy the cellular
membranes
b. Carbon monoxide binds tightly to hemoglobin, preventing the RBCs from carrying
O2
c. Intracellular calcium accumlation create muscle tetany
d. Gas bubbles from in the blood, blocking circulation and resulting in ischemia
a. Dysplasia Which type of cellular adaption would create the greatest concern if found on a
biopsy report?
a. Dysplasia
b. Metaplasia
c. Hyperplasia
d. Atrophy
d. Transcription Which of the following is the process by which mRNA is synthesized from single
stranded DNA?
a. Sense stranding
b. Replication
c. Translation
D. Transcription
, HESI Pathophysiology | Practice Questions & Answers | 2026-2027
c. Hematopoietic tissue Which of the following is not one of the 4 cell types found in adult humans?
a. Epithelium
b. Connective tissue
c. Hematopoietic tissue
d. Nervous tissue
a. aa If a patient has a recessive trait, which of the following is the genotype of this
patient?
a. aa
b. AA
c. Aa
d. aA
a. duplication Which of the following chromosomal abnormalities has been linked with Down
Syndrome?
a. Translocation
b. Inversion
c. Deletion
d. Duplication
c. Hemophilia Which of the following refers to a deficiency of factor VIII that causes a bleeding
disorder?
a. Marfan Syndrome
b. Phenylketonuria
c. Hemophilia
d. Huntington
c. Epstein-Barr virus Which of the following is a retrovirus that causes cancer?
a. Rhinovirus
b. Parvovirus
c. Epstein-Barr virus
d. Poxvirus
b. BRCA1 Which of the following genes contributes specifically to some breast cancer?
a. Rb
b. BRCA1
c. P53
d. VHL
c. Grading Which is used to describe the histologic characteristics of tumor cells?
a. Staging
b. Cachexia
c. Grading
d. Angiogenesis
a. Early detection Which of the following offers the best prognosis for the cure of cancer?
a. Early detection
b. Aggressive chemotherapy
c. Adjunct radiation
d. Gene therapy
c. The combined 5 year survival rate for cancer is 62% Which of the following is true about cancer?
a. Most deaths occur in those over 75 years old
b. Men have 1 in 3 lifetime risk of cancer
c. The combined 5 year survival rate for cancer is 62%
d. It is the leading cause of death
b. It tracks the progress of the disease and the What is the purpose of the TNM classification system?
effectiveness of treatment a. It provides information for ongoing research efforts to develop a cure for cancer
b. It tracks the progress of the disease and the effectiveness of treatment
c. It enables the MD to determine the underlying cause of the malignancy
d. It provides tumor data for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
