Pathophysiology Exam 1 Rasmussen
Questions and Answers | Latest Update |
2024/2025 | 100% Pass
What mechanisms lead to cellular adaptation in response to stressors?
✔✔ Cellular adaptation occurs through processes like hypertrophy, hyperplasia, atrophy, and
metaplasia, allowing cells to adjust to changes in their environment and maintain function.
In what ways can oxidative stress contribute to disease development?
✔✔ Oxidative stress results from an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants, leading to
cellular damage, inflammation, and the progression of conditions such as cancer and
neurodegenerative diseases.
How does the body typically respond to a decrease in blood volume?
✔✔ In response to decreased blood volume, the body activates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone
system (RAAS), which promotes vasoconstriction and sodium retention to increase blood
pressure and restore volume.
What are the key features of the stress response known as the general adaptation syndrome?
1
,✔✔ The general adaptation syndrome includes three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion,
reflecting the body’s physiological response to prolonged stress.
How can dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis affect health?
✔✔ Dysregulation of the HPA axis can lead to excessive cortisol production, contributing to
conditions like Cushing's syndrome, depression, and metabolic disorders.
What role do free radicals play in the aging process?
✔✔ Free radicals can cause cumulative damage to cellular structures over time, contributing to
aging and age-related diseases through oxidative stress.
How do systemic infections trigger a fever?
✔✔ Systemic infections trigger fever through the release of pyrogens that act on the
hypothalamus, raising the body’s temperature set point and enhancing the immune response.
What is the pathophysiological mechanism behind asthma attacks?
✔✔ Asthma attacks are characterized by bronchial hyperreactivity, airway inflammation, and
increased mucus production, leading to reversible airflow obstruction and difficulty breathing.
2
, How does chronic kidney disease (CKD) affect the body’s acid-base balance?
✔✔ CKD impairs the kidneys' ability to excrete hydrogen ions and reabsorb bicarbonate, often
leading to metabolic acidosis due to the accumulation of acids in the body.
What are the implications of tissue hypoxia on cellular metabolism?
✔✔ Tissue hypoxia limits oxygen availability for aerobic metabolism, forcing cells to rely on
anaerobic pathways, which can lead to lactic acid accumulation and cellular dysfunction.
How do genetic factors influence the development of cardiovascular disease?
✔✔ Genetic factors can predispose individuals to cardiovascular disease by affecting lipid
metabolism, vascular function, and inflammatory responses, increasing the risk of
atherosclerosis.
What is the significance of biomarkers in diagnosing pathophysiological conditions?
✔✔ Biomarkers provide measurable indicators of disease presence or severity, aiding in
diagnosis, treatment decisions, and monitoring disease progression.
How does inflammation contribute to the development of chronic diseases?
3
Questions and Answers | Latest Update |
2024/2025 | 100% Pass
What mechanisms lead to cellular adaptation in response to stressors?
✔✔ Cellular adaptation occurs through processes like hypertrophy, hyperplasia, atrophy, and
metaplasia, allowing cells to adjust to changes in their environment and maintain function.
In what ways can oxidative stress contribute to disease development?
✔✔ Oxidative stress results from an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants, leading to
cellular damage, inflammation, and the progression of conditions such as cancer and
neurodegenerative diseases.
How does the body typically respond to a decrease in blood volume?
✔✔ In response to decreased blood volume, the body activates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone
system (RAAS), which promotes vasoconstriction and sodium retention to increase blood
pressure and restore volume.
What are the key features of the stress response known as the general adaptation syndrome?
1
,✔✔ The general adaptation syndrome includes three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion,
reflecting the body’s physiological response to prolonged stress.
How can dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis affect health?
✔✔ Dysregulation of the HPA axis can lead to excessive cortisol production, contributing to
conditions like Cushing's syndrome, depression, and metabolic disorders.
What role do free radicals play in the aging process?
✔✔ Free radicals can cause cumulative damage to cellular structures over time, contributing to
aging and age-related diseases through oxidative stress.
How do systemic infections trigger a fever?
✔✔ Systemic infections trigger fever through the release of pyrogens that act on the
hypothalamus, raising the body’s temperature set point and enhancing the immune response.
What is the pathophysiological mechanism behind asthma attacks?
✔✔ Asthma attacks are characterized by bronchial hyperreactivity, airway inflammation, and
increased mucus production, leading to reversible airflow obstruction and difficulty breathing.
2
, How does chronic kidney disease (CKD) affect the body’s acid-base balance?
✔✔ CKD impairs the kidneys' ability to excrete hydrogen ions and reabsorb bicarbonate, often
leading to metabolic acidosis due to the accumulation of acids in the body.
What are the implications of tissue hypoxia on cellular metabolism?
✔✔ Tissue hypoxia limits oxygen availability for aerobic metabolism, forcing cells to rely on
anaerobic pathways, which can lead to lactic acid accumulation and cellular dysfunction.
How do genetic factors influence the development of cardiovascular disease?
✔✔ Genetic factors can predispose individuals to cardiovascular disease by affecting lipid
metabolism, vascular function, and inflammatory responses, increasing the risk of
atherosclerosis.
What is the significance of biomarkers in diagnosing pathophysiological conditions?
✔✔ Biomarkers provide measurable indicators of disease presence or severity, aiding in
diagnosis, treatment decisions, and monitoring disease progression.
How does inflammation contribute to the development of chronic diseases?
3
