Advanced Pathophysiology Exam 1 - Practice Questions & Verified Answers
Risk Factor that when present increases the chance of disease
Not stressors, but conditions or situations that increase the likelihood of
encountering a stressor
Prevalence A measure of disease that allows us to determine a person's likelihood of having a
disease. Therefore, the number of prevalent cases is the total number of cases of
disease existing in a population. A prevalence rate is the total number of cases of a
disease existing in a population divided by the total population
Indicates how widespread the disease is
Incidence A measure of disease that allows us to determine a person's probability of being
diagnosed with a disease during a given period of time. Therefore, incidence is the
number of newly diagnosed cases of a disease. An incidence rate is the number of
new cases of a disease divided by the number of persons at risk for the disease.
Conveys information about the risk of contracting the disease.
Ratio The quantitative relation between two amounts showing the number of times one
value contains or is contained within the other.
Primary Prevention Altering susceptibility or reducing exposure for susceptible persons
*Both illness and disease are absent
example: vaccinations, healthy lifestyles
Secondary Prevention Early detection, screening, and management of disease
*Illness absent, disease present
example: screenings and testings
Tertiary Prevention Rehabilitation, supportive care, reducing disability, and restoring effective
functioning
*Both illness and disease present
example: education
Epidemiology study of the patterns of disease involving populations; examining the occurrence,
incidence, prevalence, transmission, and distribution of diseases in large groups of
populations/people
Endemic A disease theat is native to a local region
Epidemic When a disease is disseninated to many individals at the same time
(spread to many people at the same time)
Pandemic Epidemics that affect large geographic regions, perhaps spreading worldwide.
(spread to large geographic areas)
Chapter 2: Homeostasis and Adaptive Responses to
Stressors
Homeostasis A state of being in which all systems are in balance around a articular ideal "set-
point"
Stuvia Stud Pack | 2026-2027 Edition
, Advanced Pathophysiology Exam 1 - Practice Questions & Verified Answers
Exhausation Point where body can no longer return to homeostasis following a prolonged
exposure to noxious agents
Allostatic Overload "Cost" of body's organs and tissues for an excessive or ineffectively regulated
allostatic response; effect of "wear and tear" on the body
Adaptation Adaptation: biopsychosocial process of change in response to new or altered
circumstances, internal or external in origin
Coping: behavioral adaptive response to a stressor using culturally based coping
mechanisms
Adaptation and coping: terms used interchangeably
Arousal Includes alterations in responsiveness to homeostatic pressures, sensory stimuli
and emotional reactivity, and to changes in motor activity
Function of Cortisol Primary glucocorticoid
Affects protein metabolism
Promotes appetite and food-seeking behaviors
Has anti-inflammatory effects
Chemical mediator in the inflammation response of the body
Adrenal corticosteroid critical to maintenance of homeostasis
May synergize or antagonize effects of catecholamines
Chapter 3: Cell Structure and Function
Endocrine Communication Hormones traveling in the bloodstream
Long range signaling
Neurocrine Communication Neurons firing information through synapses
Signals travel a very small distance between neuron and target cell
Paracrine Communcation Signaling through the extraceullar fluid between cells in a tissue
Localized areas of communication
Autocrine Communcation Localized signaling in which the secreting cell is also the target cell
Feedback to self
Stuvia Stud Pack | 2026-2027 Edition
, Advanced Pathophysiology Exam 1 - Practice Questions & Verified Answers
Describe an Action Potential Rapid, self-propagating electrical excitations of the membrane
Mediated by voltage-gated ion channels that open (sodium flows into the cell) and
close in response to voltage changes across the membrane
Triggered by membrane depolarization
Propagated by sequential opening of voltage-gated sodium channels in adjacent
sections of membrane.
The action potential is regenerated in adjacent sections of membrane as more
sodium channels open. The initial segment repolarizes as sodium channels close
and potassium ions move out.
Cardiac muscles: repolarization is prolonged from calcium influx
Na+ initiates the action potential
Only cells with voltage-gated channels have action potentials (not nerve cells)
Describe a Resting Action Potential Electrical charge when there is no net ion movement across plasma membrane
Major determinant: Ratio of Internal-to-External [K+]
This is dominated by potassium (K+)
Take Home Message About Action Potentials Resting Membrane Potential Dominated by K+
Upstroke of Action Potential --> Na+
Repolarization --> K+
In cardiac tissue, plateau --> Ca++
Depolarization As the sodium rushes back into the cell the positive sodium ions raise the charge
inside the cell from negative to positive. Once the interior of the cell becomes
positively charged, depolarization of the cell is complete.
This triggers the action potential
Repolarization Sodium inflow is stopped and potassium efflux increases
In cardiac muscles repolarization is prolonged from calcium influx
Hyperkalemia on Resting Membrane Potential Depolarizes the cell
Makes the membrane more negative
Hypokalemia on Resting Membrane Potential Hyperpolarizes the cell
Makes the membrane less negative (more positive)
Chapter 4: Cell Injury, Aging, and Death
Hyperplasia Increase in functional capacity related to an increase in cell number due to mitotic
division
-Usually in response to increased physiologic demands or hormonal stimulation
-Other causes: persistent cell injury, chronic irritation of epithelial cells
-Usually result from increased functional demand
Hypertrophy Increase in cell mass accompanied by an augmented functional capacity in
response to physiologic and pathophysiologic demands
-General cause:increased cellular protein content
-Usually result from increased functional demand
Stuvia Stud Pack | 2026-2027 Edition
Risk Factor that when present increases the chance of disease
Not stressors, but conditions or situations that increase the likelihood of
encountering a stressor
Prevalence A measure of disease that allows us to determine a person's likelihood of having a
disease. Therefore, the number of prevalent cases is the total number of cases of
disease existing in a population. A prevalence rate is the total number of cases of a
disease existing in a population divided by the total population
Indicates how widespread the disease is
Incidence A measure of disease that allows us to determine a person's probability of being
diagnosed with a disease during a given period of time. Therefore, incidence is the
number of newly diagnosed cases of a disease. An incidence rate is the number of
new cases of a disease divided by the number of persons at risk for the disease.
Conveys information about the risk of contracting the disease.
Ratio The quantitative relation between two amounts showing the number of times one
value contains or is contained within the other.
Primary Prevention Altering susceptibility or reducing exposure for susceptible persons
*Both illness and disease are absent
example: vaccinations, healthy lifestyles
Secondary Prevention Early detection, screening, and management of disease
*Illness absent, disease present
example: screenings and testings
Tertiary Prevention Rehabilitation, supportive care, reducing disability, and restoring effective
functioning
*Both illness and disease present
example: education
Epidemiology study of the patterns of disease involving populations; examining the occurrence,
incidence, prevalence, transmission, and distribution of diseases in large groups of
populations/people
Endemic A disease theat is native to a local region
Epidemic When a disease is disseninated to many individals at the same time
(spread to many people at the same time)
Pandemic Epidemics that affect large geographic regions, perhaps spreading worldwide.
(spread to large geographic areas)
Chapter 2: Homeostasis and Adaptive Responses to
Stressors
Homeostasis A state of being in which all systems are in balance around a articular ideal "set-
point"
Stuvia Stud Pack | 2026-2027 Edition
, Advanced Pathophysiology Exam 1 - Practice Questions & Verified Answers
Exhausation Point where body can no longer return to homeostasis following a prolonged
exposure to noxious agents
Allostatic Overload "Cost" of body's organs and tissues for an excessive or ineffectively regulated
allostatic response; effect of "wear and tear" on the body
Adaptation Adaptation: biopsychosocial process of change in response to new or altered
circumstances, internal or external in origin
Coping: behavioral adaptive response to a stressor using culturally based coping
mechanisms
Adaptation and coping: terms used interchangeably
Arousal Includes alterations in responsiveness to homeostatic pressures, sensory stimuli
and emotional reactivity, and to changes in motor activity
Function of Cortisol Primary glucocorticoid
Affects protein metabolism
Promotes appetite and food-seeking behaviors
Has anti-inflammatory effects
Chemical mediator in the inflammation response of the body
Adrenal corticosteroid critical to maintenance of homeostasis
May synergize or antagonize effects of catecholamines
Chapter 3: Cell Structure and Function
Endocrine Communication Hormones traveling in the bloodstream
Long range signaling
Neurocrine Communication Neurons firing information through synapses
Signals travel a very small distance between neuron and target cell
Paracrine Communcation Signaling through the extraceullar fluid between cells in a tissue
Localized areas of communication
Autocrine Communcation Localized signaling in which the secreting cell is also the target cell
Feedback to self
Stuvia Stud Pack | 2026-2027 Edition
, Advanced Pathophysiology Exam 1 - Practice Questions & Verified Answers
Describe an Action Potential Rapid, self-propagating electrical excitations of the membrane
Mediated by voltage-gated ion channels that open (sodium flows into the cell) and
close in response to voltage changes across the membrane
Triggered by membrane depolarization
Propagated by sequential opening of voltage-gated sodium channels in adjacent
sections of membrane.
The action potential is regenerated in adjacent sections of membrane as more
sodium channels open. The initial segment repolarizes as sodium channels close
and potassium ions move out.
Cardiac muscles: repolarization is prolonged from calcium influx
Na+ initiates the action potential
Only cells with voltage-gated channels have action potentials (not nerve cells)
Describe a Resting Action Potential Electrical charge when there is no net ion movement across plasma membrane
Major determinant: Ratio of Internal-to-External [K+]
This is dominated by potassium (K+)
Take Home Message About Action Potentials Resting Membrane Potential Dominated by K+
Upstroke of Action Potential --> Na+
Repolarization --> K+
In cardiac tissue, plateau --> Ca++
Depolarization As the sodium rushes back into the cell the positive sodium ions raise the charge
inside the cell from negative to positive. Once the interior of the cell becomes
positively charged, depolarization of the cell is complete.
This triggers the action potential
Repolarization Sodium inflow is stopped and potassium efflux increases
In cardiac muscles repolarization is prolonged from calcium influx
Hyperkalemia on Resting Membrane Potential Depolarizes the cell
Makes the membrane more negative
Hypokalemia on Resting Membrane Potential Hyperpolarizes the cell
Makes the membrane less negative (more positive)
Chapter 4: Cell Injury, Aging, and Death
Hyperplasia Increase in functional capacity related to an increase in cell number due to mitotic
division
-Usually in response to increased physiologic demands or hormonal stimulation
-Other causes: persistent cell injury, chronic irritation of epithelial cells
-Usually result from increased functional demand
Hypertrophy Increase in cell mass accompanied by an augmented functional capacity in
response to physiologic and pathophysiologic demands
-General cause:increased cellular protein content
-Usually result from increased functional demand
Stuvia Stud Pack | 2026-2027 Edition
