NRS 525 EXAM 1: PATHOPHYSIOLOGY &
RENAL/METABOLIC CORE REVIEW QUESTIONS
COMPLETE WITH 100% VERIFIED ANSWERS AND
RATIONALES
1. What is the single most common cause of cellular injury?
Correct Answer: Hypoxia
Rationale: Hypoxia is the most frequent cause of cellular injury because cells
require oxygen for aerobic metabolism. Without oxygen, ATP production fails,
leading to cellular swelling, membrane damage, and cell death.
2. Which statement is a description of apoptosis?
Correct Answer: Programmed cell death
Rationale: Apoptosis is a genetically controlled, energy-dependent process of
programmed cell death that eliminates damaged or unwanted cells without
causing inflammation.
3. Exhaustion occurs if stress continues and _____ is not successful.
Correct Answer: Adaptation
,Rationale: In the general adaptation syndrome, exhaustion occurs when the
body's adaptive mechanisms fail to restore homeostasis after prolonged stress,
leading to depletion of physiological resources.
4. Traits caused by the combined effects of multiple genes are referred to by
which term?
A. Polygenic
B. Multifocal
C. Modifiable
D. Involuntary
Correct Answer: A. Polygenic
Rationale: Polygenic traits are influenced by multiple genes working together, such
as height, skin color, and risk for common diseases like hypertension.
5. The nurse is caring for a pair of identical twins. Only one of the twins has
hypertension. What genetic process is most likely responsible for this
occurrence?
A. Chromosomal deletion
B. Epigenetic factors
C. Mitochondrial inheritance
D. Dominant gene mutation
Correct Answer: B. Epigenetic factors
Rationale: Epigenetic factors cause changes in gene expression without altering
the DNA sequence. Identical twins share the same genome, but environmental
exposures can lead to different epigenetic modifications, resulting in different
health outcomes.
,6. A nurse at an urban community hospital cares for a patient with iron
deficiency anemia. What is the appropriate response from the nurse?
A. "Have you seen blood in your stool?"
B. "Have you had any recent viral infections?"
C. "Have you eaten iron-rich foods?"
D. "Have you traveled outside the country recently?"
Correct Answer: A. "Have you seen blood in your stool?"
Rationale: One of the most common causes of iron deficiency anemia is chronic
blood loss, including gastrointestinal bleeding or heavy menstruation. Asking
about blood in the stool helps identify a possible source of blood loss.
7. A patient comes in with thrombocytopenia. What would you do?
A. Ask the patient why their platelet count is low
B. Advise the patient to get leafy green vegetables and lentils
C. Blood transfusion
D. Prescribe oral iron supplements
Correct Answer: C. Blood transfusion
Rationale: Thrombocytopenia is a low platelet count. Blood transfusion,
specifically platelet transfusion, will increase the patient's platelet count and
reduce bleeding risk.
8. Which statement about sickle cell anemia is correct?
A. Presents in newborns as jaundice and yellowing of skin
B. The cell becomes inflexible obstructing blood flow
, C. X-recessive inherited
D. Caused by a deficiency of iron
Correct Answer: B. The cell becomes inflexible obstructing blood flow
Rationale: In sickle cell anemia, hemoglobin S causes red blood cells to become
crescent-shaped, rigid, and inflexible, leading to vaso-occlusion and obstruction of
blood flow.
9. Which negative effect would have an increased incidence secondary to
prenatal stress? (Select all that apply)
A. Preterm birth
B. Fetal malformation
C. Spontaneous abortion
D. Impaired language development
E. Increased risk for depression in childhood
Correct Answer: A, B, C, D, E (all options)
Rationale: Prenatal stress activates maternal cortisol and inflammatory pathways,
which can disrupt fetal development, leading to preterm birth, congenital
malformations, miscarriage, delayed language development, and increased
childhood depression risk.
10. Which statement would be accurate regarding epigenetics?
A. Gametes divide through transcription
B. Mitotic inheritance creates phenotypes
C. Embryonic stem cells inactivate chromosomes
D. A variety of diseases can result from epigenetics
RENAL/METABOLIC CORE REVIEW QUESTIONS
COMPLETE WITH 100% VERIFIED ANSWERS AND
RATIONALES
1. What is the single most common cause of cellular injury?
Correct Answer: Hypoxia
Rationale: Hypoxia is the most frequent cause of cellular injury because cells
require oxygen for aerobic metabolism. Without oxygen, ATP production fails,
leading to cellular swelling, membrane damage, and cell death.
2. Which statement is a description of apoptosis?
Correct Answer: Programmed cell death
Rationale: Apoptosis is a genetically controlled, energy-dependent process of
programmed cell death that eliminates damaged or unwanted cells without
causing inflammation.
3. Exhaustion occurs if stress continues and _____ is not successful.
Correct Answer: Adaptation
,Rationale: In the general adaptation syndrome, exhaustion occurs when the
body's adaptive mechanisms fail to restore homeostasis after prolonged stress,
leading to depletion of physiological resources.
4. Traits caused by the combined effects of multiple genes are referred to by
which term?
A. Polygenic
B. Multifocal
C. Modifiable
D. Involuntary
Correct Answer: A. Polygenic
Rationale: Polygenic traits are influenced by multiple genes working together, such
as height, skin color, and risk for common diseases like hypertension.
5. The nurse is caring for a pair of identical twins. Only one of the twins has
hypertension. What genetic process is most likely responsible for this
occurrence?
A. Chromosomal deletion
B. Epigenetic factors
C. Mitochondrial inheritance
D. Dominant gene mutation
Correct Answer: B. Epigenetic factors
Rationale: Epigenetic factors cause changes in gene expression without altering
the DNA sequence. Identical twins share the same genome, but environmental
exposures can lead to different epigenetic modifications, resulting in different
health outcomes.
,6. A nurse at an urban community hospital cares for a patient with iron
deficiency anemia. What is the appropriate response from the nurse?
A. "Have you seen blood in your stool?"
B. "Have you had any recent viral infections?"
C. "Have you eaten iron-rich foods?"
D. "Have you traveled outside the country recently?"
Correct Answer: A. "Have you seen blood in your stool?"
Rationale: One of the most common causes of iron deficiency anemia is chronic
blood loss, including gastrointestinal bleeding or heavy menstruation. Asking
about blood in the stool helps identify a possible source of blood loss.
7. A patient comes in with thrombocytopenia. What would you do?
A. Ask the patient why their platelet count is low
B. Advise the patient to get leafy green vegetables and lentils
C. Blood transfusion
D. Prescribe oral iron supplements
Correct Answer: C. Blood transfusion
Rationale: Thrombocytopenia is a low platelet count. Blood transfusion,
specifically platelet transfusion, will increase the patient's platelet count and
reduce bleeding risk.
8. Which statement about sickle cell anemia is correct?
A. Presents in newborns as jaundice and yellowing of skin
B. The cell becomes inflexible obstructing blood flow
, C. X-recessive inherited
D. Caused by a deficiency of iron
Correct Answer: B. The cell becomes inflexible obstructing blood flow
Rationale: In sickle cell anemia, hemoglobin S causes red blood cells to become
crescent-shaped, rigid, and inflexible, leading to vaso-occlusion and obstruction of
blood flow.
9. Which negative effect would have an increased incidence secondary to
prenatal stress? (Select all that apply)
A. Preterm birth
B. Fetal malformation
C. Spontaneous abortion
D. Impaired language development
E. Increased risk for depression in childhood
Correct Answer: A, B, C, D, E (all options)
Rationale: Prenatal stress activates maternal cortisol and inflammatory pathways,
which can disrupt fetal development, leading to preterm birth, congenital
malformations, miscarriage, delayed language development, and increased
childhood depression risk.
10. Which statement would be accurate regarding epigenetics?
A. Gametes divide through transcription
B. Mitotic inheritance creates phenotypes
C. Embryonic stem cells inactivate chromosomes
D. A variety of diseases can result from epigenetics
