NURS 5315 ADVANCED PATHOPHYSIOLOGY UTA EXAM 1
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | NURS 5315 EXAM 1 STUDY
GUIDE & PRACTICE TEST 2026/2027
What can Reactive Oxygen Species cause? - ANS✔✔ Heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons,
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), CV disease, HTN, HLD, DM, ischemic heart disease, HF, OSA.
Lipid peroxidation, damage proteins, fragment DNA, less *protein synthesis*, chromatin
destruction, damage mitochondria
How are free radicals produced? - ANS✔✔ 1. Normal cellular respiration
2. Absorption of extreme energy sources (radiation, UV light)
3. Metabolism of exogenous chemicals, drugs, and pesticides
4. Transition of metals
5. Nitric oxide acting like a chemical mediator and a free radical
What is the body's defense against ROS? - ANS✔✔ Antioxidants (Vitamin E, Vitamin C, cysteine,
glutathione, albumin, ceruloplasmin, transferrin)
action potential - ANS✔✔ Process of conducting an impulse. Activates the neuron --> the
neuron depolarizes --> then repolarizes
Threshold potential - ANS✔✔ Point at which depolarization must reach in order to initiate an
action potential
Hypokalemia and action potentials - ANS✔✔ HYPERpolarized (more negative, ex. -100). Less
excitable. Decreased neuromuscular excitability: weakness, smooth muscle atony, paresthesia,
cardiac dysrhythmias
,Hyperkalemia and action potentials - ANS✔✔ HYPOpolarized (more positive, ex: closer to 0).
More excitable. Peaked T waves.
When resting membrane potential=threshold potential, it is BAD = cardiac standstill,
paresthesia, paralysis
Hypocalcemia and action potentials - ANS✔✔ Increased permeability to Na+. More excitable.
Tetany, hyperreflexia, circumoral paresthesia, seizures, dysrhythmias.
Hypercalcemia and action potentials - ANS✔✔ Decreased permeability to Na+. Less excitable.
Weakness, hyporeflexia, fatigue, lethargy, confusion, encephalopathy, depressed T waves
Atrophy - ANS✔✔ Occurs as a result of decrease in work load, pressure, use, blood supply,
nutrition, hormonal stimulation, or nervous stimulation. Once the cell has decreased in size, it
has now compensated for decreased blood supply, nerve supply, nutrient supply, hormonal
supply, and has achieved new homeostasis. Cells are alive but have diminished function and
may lead to cellular death.
Atrophy examples - ANS✔✔ Physiologic atrophy- shrinking of the thymus gland during
childhood.
Disuse atrophy- someone that ends up being paralyzed
Hypertrophy - ANS✔✔ Increase in SIZE of cells, which will lead to increase in size of organ.
Caused by hormonal stimulation or increased functional demand.
Hypertrophy examples - ANS✔✔ physiologic hypertrophy- skeletal hypertrophy when a person
does heavy work or weight lifting / when a kidney is surgically removed, the other kidney
increases in size
pathologic hypertrophy- cardiomegaly results from an increased workload in hypertensive
patients / *left ventricular hypertrophy*
, Hyperplasia - ANS✔✔ Increase in NUMBER of cells. Results from increased rate of mitosis. Can
ONLY happen in cells that are capable of mitosis (cell division).
Hyperplasia examples - ANS✔✔ 1. Thickening of skin because of hyperplasia of epidermal cells.
2. Hormonal hyperplasia- occurs in estrogen dependent organs like uterus and breast.
3. Compensatory hyperplasia- liver regenerates, callus on skin
4. Pathologic hyperplasia- estrogen is unopposed by progesterone and the endometrial lining
undergoes hyperplasia and increased risk for endometrial cancer
Dysplasia - ANS✔✔ abnormal changes in the size, shape, and organization of mature cells due
to persistent, severe cell injury or irritation
Dysplasia examples - ANS✔✔ Pre cancer pap smears often show dysplastic cells of the cervix
that must undergo treatment.
Metaplasia - ANS✔✔ Changed cell that is REVERSIBLE (one cell is replaced by another cell).
Exposure to chronic stressors, injury or irritation, like smoking or hydrochloric acid from heart
burn
Metaplasia examples - ANS✔✔ Most common is change from columnar cells to squamous cells
(chronic smokers).
Less common is change from squamous to columnar cells, like in Barrett Esophagus caused by
heart burn.
Carcinoma in situ - ANS✔✔ Pre-invasive epithelial malignant tumors of glandular or squamous
origin. Sites including cervix, skin, oral cavity, esophagus, and bronchus
Hypoxic injury - ANS✔✔ 1. Decrease in oxygen in the air (high altitudes, asphyxiation, drowning)
2. Loss of hemoglobin function (hemorrhage or sickle cell anemia)
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | NURS 5315 EXAM 1 STUDY
GUIDE & PRACTICE TEST 2026/2027
What can Reactive Oxygen Species cause? - ANS✔✔ Heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons,
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), CV disease, HTN, HLD, DM, ischemic heart disease, HF, OSA.
Lipid peroxidation, damage proteins, fragment DNA, less *protein synthesis*, chromatin
destruction, damage mitochondria
How are free radicals produced? - ANS✔✔ 1. Normal cellular respiration
2. Absorption of extreme energy sources (radiation, UV light)
3. Metabolism of exogenous chemicals, drugs, and pesticides
4. Transition of metals
5. Nitric oxide acting like a chemical mediator and a free radical
What is the body's defense against ROS? - ANS✔✔ Antioxidants (Vitamin E, Vitamin C, cysteine,
glutathione, albumin, ceruloplasmin, transferrin)
action potential - ANS✔✔ Process of conducting an impulse. Activates the neuron --> the
neuron depolarizes --> then repolarizes
Threshold potential - ANS✔✔ Point at which depolarization must reach in order to initiate an
action potential
Hypokalemia and action potentials - ANS✔✔ HYPERpolarized (more negative, ex. -100). Less
excitable. Decreased neuromuscular excitability: weakness, smooth muscle atony, paresthesia,
cardiac dysrhythmias
,Hyperkalemia and action potentials - ANS✔✔ HYPOpolarized (more positive, ex: closer to 0).
More excitable. Peaked T waves.
When resting membrane potential=threshold potential, it is BAD = cardiac standstill,
paresthesia, paralysis
Hypocalcemia and action potentials - ANS✔✔ Increased permeability to Na+. More excitable.
Tetany, hyperreflexia, circumoral paresthesia, seizures, dysrhythmias.
Hypercalcemia and action potentials - ANS✔✔ Decreased permeability to Na+. Less excitable.
Weakness, hyporeflexia, fatigue, lethargy, confusion, encephalopathy, depressed T waves
Atrophy - ANS✔✔ Occurs as a result of decrease in work load, pressure, use, blood supply,
nutrition, hormonal stimulation, or nervous stimulation. Once the cell has decreased in size, it
has now compensated for decreased blood supply, nerve supply, nutrient supply, hormonal
supply, and has achieved new homeostasis. Cells are alive but have diminished function and
may lead to cellular death.
Atrophy examples - ANS✔✔ Physiologic atrophy- shrinking of the thymus gland during
childhood.
Disuse atrophy- someone that ends up being paralyzed
Hypertrophy - ANS✔✔ Increase in SIZE of cells, which will lead to increase in size of organ.
Caused by hormonal stimulation or increased functional demand.
Hypertrophy examples - ANS✔✔ physiologic hypertrophy- skeletal hypertrophy when a person
does heavy work or weight lifting / when a kidney is surgically removed, the other kidney
increases in size
pathologic hypertrophy- cardiomegaly results from an increased workload in hypertensive
patients / *left ventricular hypertrophy*
, Hyperplasia - ANS✔✔ Increase in NUMBER of cells. Results from increased rate of mitosis. Can
ONLY happen in cells that are capable of mitosis (cell division).
Hyperplasia examples - ANS✔✔ 1. Thickening of skin because of hyperplasia of epidermal cells.
2. Hormonal hyperplasia- occurs in estrogen dependent organs like uterus and breast.
3. Compensatory hyperplasia- liver regenerates, callus on skin
4. Pathologic hyperplasia- estrogen is unopposed by progesterone and the endometrial lining
undergoes hyperplasia and increased risk for endometrial cancer
Dysplasia - ANS✔✔ abnormal changes in the size, shape, and organization of mature cells due
to persistent, severe cell injury or irritation
Dysplasia examples - ANS✔✔ Pre cancer pap smears often show dysplastic cells of the cervix
that must undergo treatment.
Metaplasia - ANS✔✔ Changed cell that is REVERSIBLE (one cell is replaced by another cell).
Exposure to chronic stressors, injury or irritation, like smoking or hydrochloric acid from heart
burn
Metaplasia examples - ANS✔✔ Most common is change from columnar cells to squamous cells
(chronic smokers).
Less common is change from squamous to columnar cells, like in Barrett Esophagus caused by
heart burn.
Carcinoma in situ - ANS✔✔ Pre-invasive epithelial malignant tumors of glandular or squamous
origin. Sites including cervix, skin, oral cavity, esophagus, and bronchus
Hypoxic injury - ANS✔✔ 1. Decrease in oxygen in the air (high altitudes, asphyxiation, drowning)
2. Loss of hemoglobin function (hemorrhage or sickle cell anemia)
