1
NURS 6501N Advanced Pathophysiology
Midterm 2025 – Complete 300 Verified
Questions & Correct Answers | Walden
University | A+ Grade
Section 1: Cellular Response (40 Questions)
Question 1
What is the primary characteristic of apoptosis?
A) Cell swelling
B) Programmed cell death
C) Necrosis
D) Inflammation
Rationale: Apoptosis is a controlled, energy-dependent process of programmed cell death that
eliminates damaged or unneeded cells without causing inflammation, unlike necrosis, which
involves cell swelling and rupture.
Question 2
Which cellular change occurs in response to chronic irritation?
A) Atrophy
B) Hyperplasia
C) Metaplasia
D) Dysplasia
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number due to increased cell division, often in
response to chronic irritation, such as in endometrial hyperplasia from estrogen exposure.
Question 3
What is the primary cause of cellular injury in hypoxia?
A) Excess calcium
B) Lack of ATP
C) Free radical damage
D) Protein misfolding
, 2
Rationale: Hypoxia reduces oxygen availability, impairing ATP production via oxidative
phosphorylation, leading to cellular dysfunction and injury.
Question 4
Which organelle is most affected by ischemia?
A) Nucleus
B) Mitochondrion
C) Golgi apparatus
D) Endoplasmic reticulum
Rationale: Mitochondria are highly sensitive to ischemia due to their role in ATP production,
which is disrupted by oxygen deficiency, causing cellular energy failure.
Question 5
What is the hallmark of necrosis?
A) DNA fragmentation
B) Cell membrane rupture
C) Cell shrinkage
D) Chromatin condensation
Rationale: Necrosis involves uncontrolled cell death with membrane rupture, releasing cellular
contents and triggering inflammation, unlike apoptosis.
Question 6
Which process replaces squamous epithelium with columnar epithelium in response to chronic
irritation?
A) Hyperplasia
B) Metaplasia
C) Dysplasia
D) Atrophy
Rationale: Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one differentiated cell type with another,
such as in Barrett’s esophagus due to chronic acid reflux.
Question 7
What is the primary source of free radicals in cells?
A) Lysosomes
B) Mitochondria
C) Nucleus
D) Cytoplasm
, 3
Rationale: Mitochondria generate free radicals as byproducts of the electron transport chain
during ATP production, contributing to oxidative stress.
Question 8
Which cellular adaptation is seen in skeletal muscle due to exercise?
A) Atrophy
B) Hypertrophy
C) Metaplasia
D) Dysplasia
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size due to increased workload, as seen in skeletal
muscle with regular exercise.
Question 9
What is the primary consequence of mitochondrial dysfunction?
A) Increased protein synthesis
B) Reduced ATP production
C) Enhanced membrane integrity
D) Increased DNA replication
Rationale: Mitochondrial dysfunction impairs ATP synthesis, disrupting energy-dependent
cellular processes and leading to injury.
Question 10
Which type of necrosis is associated with tuberculosis?
A) Coagulative
B) Caseous
C) Liquefactive
D) Fat
Rationale: Caseous necrosis, characterized by a cheese-like appearance, is typical in
tuberculosis due to granulomatous inflammation.
Question 11
What causes cellular swelling in hypoxic injury?
A) Sodium-potassium pump failure
B) Impaired ATP production
C) Excessive calcium influx
D) Free radical damage
Rationale: Impaired ATP production disrupts the sodium-potassium pump, causing sodium and
water influx, leading to cellular swelling.
, 4
Question 12
Which cellular process is inhibited by oxidative stress?
A) DNA replication
B) Enzyme function
C) Protein synthesis
D) Membrane transport
Rationale: Oxidative stress from free radicals damages enzymes, impairing their function and
disrupting cellular metabolism.
Question 13
What is the primary trigger for apoptosis in response to DNA damage?
A) Cytokine release
B) p53 activation
C) Calcium overload
D) Mitochondrial swelling
Rationale: The p53 protein detects DNA damage and initiates apoptosis to prevent propagation
of defective cells.
Question 14
Which type of cellular injury results from bacterial toxins?
A) Hypoxic
B) Chemical
C) Mechanical
D) Thermal
Rationale: Bacterial toxins cause chemical injury by directly damaging cellular components or
disrupting metabolic pathways.
Question 15
What is the term for abnormal cell growth with loss of differentiation?
A) Hyperplasia
B) Dysplasia
C) Metaplasia
D) Atrophy
Rationale: Dysplasia involves abnormal cell growth and loss of differentiation, often a precursor
to malignancy.
Question 16
NURS 6501N Advanced Pathophysiology
Midterm 2025 – Complete 300 Verified
Questions & Correct Answers | Walden
University | A+ Grade
Section 1: Cellular Response (40 Questions)
Question 1
What is the primary characteristic of apoptosis?
A) Cell swelling
B) Programmed cell death
C) Necrosis
D) Inflammation
Rationale: Apoptosis is a controlled, energy-dependent process of programmed cell death that
eliminates damaged or unneeded cells without causing inflammation, unlike necrosis, which
involves cell swelling and rupture.
Question 2
Which cellular change occurs in response to chronic irritation?
A) Atrophy
B) Hyperplasia
C) Metaplasia
D) Dysplasia
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number due to increased cell division, often in
response to chronic irritation, such as in endometrial hyperplasia from estrogen exposure.
Question 3
What is the primary cause of cellular injury in hypoxia?
A) Excess calcium
B) Lack of ATP
C) Free radical damage
D) Protein misfolding
, 2
Rationale: Hypoxia reduces oxygen availability, impairing ATP production via oxidative
phosphorylation, leading to cellular dysfunction and injury.
Question 4
Which organelle is most affected by ischemia?
A) Nucleus
B) Mitochondrion
C) Golgi apparatus
D) Endoplasmic reticulum
Rationale: Mitochondria are highly sensitive to ischemia due to their role in ATP production,
which is disrupted by oxygen deficiency, causing cellular energy failure.
Question 5
What is the hallmark of necrosis?
A) DNA fragmentation
B) Cell membrane rupture
C) Cell shrinkage
D) Chromatin condensation
Rationale: Necrosis involves uncontrolled cell death with membrane rupture, releasing cellular
contents and triggering inflammation, unlike apoptosis.
Question 6
Which process replaces squamous epithelium with columnar epithelium in response to chronic
irritation?
A) Hyperplasia
B) Metaplasia
C) Dysplasia
D) Atrophy
Rationale: Metaplasia is the reversible replacement of one differentiated cell type with another,
such as in Barrett’s esophagus due to chronic acid reflux.
Question 7
What is the primary source of free radicals in cells?
A) Lysosomes
B) Mitochondria
C) Nucleus
D) Cytoplasm
, 3
Rationale: Mitochondria generate free radicals as byproducts of the electron transport chain
during ATP production, contributing to oxidative stress.
Question 8
Which cellular adaptation is seen in skeletal muscle due to exercise?
A) Atrophy
B) Hypertrophy
C) Metaplasia
D) Dysplasia
Rationale: Hypertrophy is an increase in cell size due to increased workload, as seen in skeletal
muscle with regular exercise.
Question 9
What is the primary consequence of mitochondrial dysfunction?
A) Increased protein synthesis
B) Reduced ATP production
C) Enhanced membrane integrity
D) Increased DNA replication
Rationale: Mitochondrial dysfunction impairs ATP synthesis, disrupting energy-dependent
cellular processes and leading to injury.
Question 10
Which type of necrosis is associated with tuberculosis?
A) Coagulative
B) Caseous
C) Liquefactive
D) Fat
Rationale: Caseous necrosis, characterized by a cheese-like appearance, is typical in
tuberculosis due to granulomatous inflammation.
Question 11
What causes cellular swelling in hypoxic injury?
A) Sodium-potassium pump failure
B) Impaired ATP production
C) Excessive calcium influx
D) Free radical damage
Rationale: Impaired ATP production disrupts the sodium-potassium pump, causing sodium and
water influx, leading to cellular swelling.
, 4
Question 12
Which cellular process is inhibited by oxidative stress?
A) DNA replication
B) Enzyme function
C) Protein synthesis
D) Membrane transport
Rationale: Oxidative stress from free radicals damages enzymes, impairing their function and
disrupting cellular metabolism.
Question 13
What is the primary trigger for apoptosis in response to DNA damage?
A) Cytokine release
B) p53 activation
C) Calcium overload
D) Mitochondrial swelling
Rationale: The p53 protein detects DNA damage and initiates apoptosis to prevent propagation
of defective cells.
Question 14
Which type of cellular injury results from bacterial toxins?
A) Hypoxic
B) Chemical
C) Mechanical
D) Thermal
Rationale: Bacterial toxins cause chemical injury by directly damaging cellular components or
disrupting metabolic pathways.
Question 15
What is the term for abnormal cell growth with loss of differentiation?
A) Hyperplasia
B) Dysplasia
C) Metaplasia
D) Atrophy
Rationale: Dysplasia involves abnormal cell growth and loss of differentiation, often a precursor
to malignancy.
Question 16
