McCance & Huether Pathophysiology – Master Review
Guide 2025/2026
1. What is the definition of pathophysiology?
A) The study of drug effects on the body
B) The study of the physiology of death
C) The study of functional changes in the body caused by injury, disease, or syndrome ✓
D) The study of human anatomy
2. What term describes the maintenance of a stable internal environment?
A) Hemostasis
B) Homeostasis ✓
C) Heterostasis
D) Hyperstasis
3. Which of the following is an example of a positive feedback loop?
A) Body temperature regulation
B) Blood glucose regulation
C) The process of labor and childbirth ✓
D) pH balance through bicarbonate buffering
4. A patient's perceived loss of wellness, a feeling of being "sick," is known as:
A) Disease
B) Illness ✓
C) Morbidity
D) Etiology
5. The actual cause or reason a disease develops is its:
A) Pathogenesis
B) Etiology ✓
C) Clinical manifestation
D) Sequelae
Cellular Biology and Genetics
6. Where does aerobic metabolism (the Krebs cycle and electron transport chain) occur within
the cell?
A) Nucleus
B) Cytoplasm
,C) Ribosome
D) Mitochondria ✓
7. What is the primary function of the sodium-potassium (Na+/K+) pump?
A) To generate ATP
B) To maintain the resting membrane potential by creating electrochemical gradients ✓
C) To facilitate passive diffusion of water
D) To synthesize proteins for export
8. Which cellular adaptation involves a decrease in cell size?
A) Hypertrophy
B) Hyperplasia
C) Atrophy ✓
D) Metaplasia
9. An increase in the number of cells in an organ or tissue is called:
A) Hypertrophy
B) Hyperplasia ✓
C) Atrophy
D) Dysplasia
10. The replacement of one mature cell type by another is called:
A) Dysplasia
B) Metaplasia ✓
C) Anaplasia
D) Hyperplasia
11. Which of the following is a reversible replacement of a mature cell type by another, often
in response to irritation?
A) Anaplasia
B) Dysplasia
C) Metaplasia ✓
D) Neoplasia
12. What is the most common cause of cellular injury?
A) Genetic mutations
B) Chemical injury
C) Hypoxic injury ✓
D) Physical trauma
,13. Ischemia-Reperfusion injury often involves the production of large amounts of what
damaging molecules?
A) Free radicals ✓
B) Buffering agents
C) Plasma proteins
D) Glycogen molecules
14. What is the characteristic microscopic change in coagulative necrosis?
A) Liquefaction of tissue
B) Preservation of cellular architecture ✓
C) Formation of caseous debris
D) Fat saponification
15. Caseous necrosis is a hallmark of which disease?
A) Myocardial infarction
B) Tuberculosis ✓
C) Acute pancreatitis
D) Gangrene
16. Programmed cell death is known as:
A) Necrosis
B) Apoptosis ✓
C) Liquefaction
D) Infarction
17. What cellular organelle is responsible for packaging proteins for secretion?
A) Mitochondria
B) Golgi complex ✓
C) Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
D) Lysosome
18. Which substance accumulates in the liver cells in Wilson's disease?
A) Iron
B) Copper ✓
C) Uric acid
D) Glycogen
19. What is the most abundant plasma protein, crucial for maintaining oncotic pressure?
A) Globulin
B) Fibrinogen
, C) Albumin ✓
D) Hemoglobin
20. A person with the genotype "XXY" has which genetic disorder?
A) Down Syndrome
B) Turner Syndrome
C) Klinefelter Syndrome ✓
D) Cri-du-chat Syndrome
Fluids, Electrolytes, and Acid-Base
21. The major cation (positive ion) in the extracellular fluid is:
A) Potassium
B) Chloride
C) Sodium ✓
D) Phosphate
22. The major cation (positive ion) in the intracellular fluid is:
A) Potassium ✓
B) Chloride
C) Sodium
D) Magnesium
23. Edema is best defined as:
A) Dehydration of the cells
B) An increase in serum sodium concentration
C) An abnormal accumulation of fluid in the interstitial spaces ✓
D) A state of metabolic alkalosis
24. The force that pulls water from the interstitial space into the capillary is:
A) Capillary hydrostatic pressure
B) Interstitial hydrostatic pressure
C) Capillary (plasma) oncotic pressure ✓
D) Interstitial oncotic pressure
25. Syndrome of Inappropriate ADH (SIADH) is characterized by:
A) Water loss and hypernatremia
B) Water retention and hyponatremia ✓
C) Sodium retention and hypervolemia
D) Potassium loss and hypokalemia
Guide 2025/2026
1. What is the definition of pathophysiology?
A) The study of drug effects on the body
B) The study of the physiology of death
C) The study of functional changes in the body caused by injury, disease, or syndrome ✓
D) The study of human anatomy
2. What term describes the maintenance of a stable internal environment?
A) Hemostasis
B) Homeostasis ✓
C) Heterostasis
D) Hyperstasis
3. Which of the following is an example of a positive feedback loop?
A) Body temperature regulation
B) Blood glucose regulation
C) The process of labor and childbirth ✓
D) pH balance through bicarbonate buffering
4. A patient's perceived loss of wellness, a feeling of being "sick," is known as:
A) Disease
B) Illness ✓
C) Morbidity
D) Etiology
5. The actual cause or reason a disease develops is its:
A) Pathogenesis
B) Etiology ✓
C) Clinical manifestation
D) Sequelae
Cellular Biology and Genetics
6. Where does aerobic metabolism (the Krebs cycle and electron transport chain) occur within
the cell?
A) Nucleus
B) Cytoplasm
,C) Ribosome
D) Mitochondria ✓
7. What is the primary function of the sodium-potassium (Na+/K+) pump?
A) To generate ATP
B) To maintain the resting membrane potential by creating electrochemical gradients ✓
C) To facilitate passive diffusion of water
D) To synthesize proteins for export
8. Which cellular adaptation involves a decrease in cell size?
A) Hypertrophy
B) Hyperplasia
C) Atrophy ✓
D) Metaplasia
9. An increase in the number of cells in an organ or tissue is called:
A) Hypertrophy
B) Hyperplasia ✓
C) Atrophy
D) Dysplasia
10. The replacement of one mature cell type by another is called:
A) Dysplasia
B) Metaplasia ✓
C) Anaplasia
D) Hyperplasia
11. Which of the following is a reversible replacement of a mature cell type by another, often
in response to irritation?
A) Anaplasia
B) Dysplasia
C) Metaplasia ✓
D) Neoplasia
12. What is the most common cause of cellular injury?
A) Genetic mutations
B) Chemical injury
C) Hypoxic injury ✓
D) Physical trauma
,13. Ischemia-Reperfusion injury often involves the production of large amounts of what
damaging molecules?
A) Free radicals ✓
B) Buffering agents
C) Plasma proteins
D) Glycogen molecules
14. What is the characteristic microscopic change in coagulative necrosis?
A) Liquefaction of tissue
B) Preservation of cellular architecture ✓
C) Formation of caseous debris
D) Fat saponification
15. Caseous necrosis is a hallmark of which disease?
A) Myocardial infarction
B) Tuberculosis ✓
C) Acute pancreatitis
D) Gangrene
16. Programmed cell death is known as:
A) Necrosis
B) Apoptosis ✓
C) Liquefaction
D) Infarction
17. What cellular organelle is responsible for packaging proteins for secretion?
A) Mitochondria
B) Golgi complex ✓
C) Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
D) Lysosome
18. Which substance accumulates in the liver cells in Wilson's disease?
A) Iron
B) Copper ✓
C) Uric acid
D) Glycogen
19. What is the most abundant plasma protein, crucial for maintaining oncotic pressure?
A) Globulin
B) Fibrinogen
, C) Albumin ✓
D) Hemoglobin
20. A person with the genotype "XXY" has which genetic disorder?
A) Down Syndrome
B) Turner Syndrome
C) Klinefelter Syndrome ✓
D) Cri-du-chat Syndrome
Fluids, Electrolytes, and Acid-Base
21. The major cation (positive ion) in the extracellular fluid is:
A) Potassium
B) Chloride
C) Sodium ✓
D) Phosphate
22. The major cation (positive ion) in the intracellular fluid is:
A) Potassium ✓
B) Chloride
C) Sodium
D) Magnesium
23. Edema is best defined as:
A) Dehydration of the cells
B) An increase in serum sodium concentration
C) An abnormal accumulation of fluid in the interstitial spaces ✓
D) A state of metabolic alkalosis
24. The force that pulls water from the interstitial space into the capillary is:
A) Capillary hydrostatic pressure
B) Interstitial hydrostatic pressure
C) Capillary (plasma) oncotic pressure ✓
D) Interstitial oncotic pressure
25. Syndrome of Inappropriate ADH (SIADH) is characterized by:
A) Water loss and hypernatremia
B) Water retention and hyponatremia ✓
C) Sodium retention and hypervolemia
D) Potassium loss and hypokalemia
