2026 Nursing Pathophysiology Study
Guide Exam Prep Disease Processes Signs
Symptoms Etiology Diagnosis Treatment
Clinical Concepts Review
SECTION 1: CELLULAR & GENETIC PATHOPHYSIOLOGY (1–15)
1. A nurse is reviewing cellular adaptation. Which type of adaptation involves
an increase in cell size?
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size, often seen in cardiac muscle in
response to hypertension. Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number, atrophy is a
decrease in cell size, and metaplasia is the replacement of one cell type with
another.
2. A nurse is reviewing cellular adaptation. Which type of adaptation involves
a decrease in cell size?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Atrophy
D. Dysplasia
Rationale: Atrophy is a decrease in cell size, often seen in disuse atrophy of
muscles. Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size, hyperplasia is an increase in cell
number, and dysplasia is abnormal cell development.
,3. A nurse is reviewing cellular adaptation. Which type of adaptation involves
an increase in cell number?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number, often seen in the
endometrium in response to estrogen. Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size,
atrophy is a decrease in cell size, and metaplasia is the replacement of one cell type
with another.
4. A nurse is reviewing cellular adaptation. Which type of adaptation involves
the replacement of one cell type with another?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Rationale: Metaplasia is the replacement of one cell type with another, often in
response to chronic irritation, such as in the respiratory tract of smokers.
5. A nurse is reviewing cellular adaptation. Which type of adaptation involves
abnormal cell development?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Dysplasia
D. Metaplasia
Rationale: Dysplasia is abnormal cell development, often a precursor to cancer. It
is characterized by cells that vary in size, shape, and organization.
,6. A nurse is reviewing cell death. Which type of cell death is programmed
and controlled?
A. Necrosis
B. Apoptosis
C. Gangrene
D. Infarction
Rationale: Apoptosis is programmed cell death, which is a normal physiological
process. Necrosis is uncontrolled cell death due to injury.
7. A nurse is reviewing cell death. Which type of cell death is uncontrolled and
caused by injury?
A. Apoptosis
B. Necrosis
C. Programmed cell death
D. Autophagy
Rationale: Necrosis is uncontrolled cell death due to injury, infection, or ischemia.
It often triggers an inflammatory response.
8. A nurse is reviewing inflammation. Which cell is the first responder to
injury?
A. Macrophage
B. Neutrophil
C. Lymphocyte
D. Eosinophil
Rationale: Neutrophils are the first responders to acute inflammation, arriving
within minutes to hours of injury.
, 9. A nurse is reviewing inflammation. Which cell is responsible for
phagocytosis and cleanup?
A. Neutrophil
B. Macrophage
C. Lymphocyte
D. Basophil
Rationale: Macrophages are responsible for phagocytosis and cleanup of debris
after inflammation.
10. A nurse is reviewing inflammation. Which cell is associated with allergic
reactions and parasitic infections?
A. Neutrophil
B. Macrophage
C. Eosinophil
D. Basophil
Rationale: Eosinophils are associated with allergic reactions and parasitic
infections.
11. A nurse is reviewing inflammation. Which cell releases histamine during
an allergic reaction?
A. Neutrophil
B. Macrophage
C. Eosinophil
D. Mast cell
Rationale: Mast cells release histamine during allergic reactions, causing
vasodilation and increased vascular permeability.
12. A nurse is reviewing genetics. Which disorder is caused by an autosomal
recessive trait?
Guide Exam Prep Disease Processes Signs
Symptoms Etiology Diagnosis Treatment
Clinical Concepts Review
SECTION 1: CELLULAR & GENETIC PATHOPHYSIOLOGY (1–15)
1. A nurse is reviewing cellular adaptation. Which type of adaptation involves
an increase in cell size?
A. Hyperplasia
B. Hypertrophy
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size, often seen in cardiac muscle in
response to hypertension. Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number, atrophy is a
decrease in cell size, and metaplasia is the replacement of one cell type with
another.
2. A nurse is reviewing cellular adaptation. Which type of adaptation involves
a decrease in cell size?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Atrophy
D. Dysplasia
Rationale: Atrophy is a decrease in cell size, often seen in disuse atrophy of
muscles. Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size, hyperplasia is an increase in cell
number, and dysplasia is abnormal cell development.
,3. A nurse is reviewing cellular adaptation. Which type of adaptation involves
an increase in cell number?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number, often seen in the
endometrium in response to estrogen. Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size,
atrophy is a decrease in cell size, and metaplasia is the replacement of one cell type
with another.
4. A nurse is reviewing cellular adaptation. Which type of adaptation involves
the replacement of one cell type with another?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Rationale: Metaplasia is the replacement of one cell type with another, often in
response to chronic irritation, such as in the respiratory tract of smokers.
5. A nurse is reviewing cellular adaptation. Which type of adaptation involves
abnormal cell development?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Dysplasia
D. Metaplasia
Rationale: Dysplasia is abnormal cell development, often a precursor to cancer. It
is characterized by cells that vary in size, shape, and organization.
,6. A nurse is reviewing cell death. Which type of cell death is programmed
and controlled?
A. Necrosis
B. Apoptosis
C. Gangrene
D. Infarction
Rationale: Apoptosis is programmed cell death, which is a normal physiological
process. Necrosis is uncontrolled cell death due to injury.
7. A nurse is reviewing cell death. Which type of cell death is uncontrolled and
caused by injury?
A. Apoptosis
B. Necrosis
C. Programmed cell death
D. Autophagy
Rationale: Necrosis is uncontrolled cell death due to injury, infection, or ischemia.
It often triggers an inflammatory response.
8. A nurse is reviewing inflammation. Which cell is the first responder to
injury?
A. Macrophage
B. Neutrophil
C. Lymphocyte
D. Eosinophil
Rationale: Neutrophils are the first responders to acute inflammation, arriving
within minutes to hours of injury.
, 9. A nurse is reviewing inflammation. Which cell is responsible for
phagocytosis and cleanup?
A. Neutrophil
B. Macrophage
C. Lymphocyte
D. Basophil
Rationale: Macrophages are responsible for phagocytosis and cleanup of debris
after inflammation.
10. A nurse is reviewing inflammation. Which cell is associated with allergic
reactions and parasitic infections?
A. Neutrophil
B. Macrophage
C. Eosinophil
D. Basophil
Rationale: Eosinophils are associated with allergic reactions and parasitic
infections.
11. A nurse is reviewing inflammation. Which cell releases histamine during
an allergic reaction?
A. Neutrophil
B. Macrophage
C. Eosinophil
D. Mast cell
Rationale: Mast cells release histamine during allergic reactions, causing
vasodilation and increased vascular permeability.
12. A nurse is reviewing genetics. Which disorder is caused by an autosomal
recessive trait?
