NUR-641E ADVANCED PATHOPHYSIOLOGY ESSENTIAL EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - 100% VERIFIED - LATEST 2026/2027
GUARANTEED PASS
Q: What is the process of programmed cell death that occurs naturally during
development and tissue homeostasis?
ANSWER Apoptosis.
Q: What is the term for cell death caused by injury, inflammation, or ischemia,
characterized by cell swelling and rupture?
ANSWER Necrosis.
Q: What cellular adaptation involves a change from one type of mature cell to
another?
ANSWER Metaplasia.
Q: What is the term for an increase in the number of cells in an organ or
tissue?
ANSWER Hyperplasia.
Q: What is the term for an increase in the size of individual cells, resulting in
tissue enlargement?
ANSWER Hypertrophy.
Q: A decrease in the size or atrophy of a cell due to decreased workload or
pressure is known as what?
ANSWER Atrophy.
Q: What is the "powerhouse" of the cell responsible for ATP production?
ANSWER Mitochondria.
Q: What is the fluid located inside the cell called?
ANSWER Intracellular Fluid (ICF).
,Q: What is the fluid located outside the cell called?
ANSWER Extracellular Fluid (ECF).
Q: Which structure regulates the movement of substances in and out of the
cell?
ANSWER Cell membrane (plasma membrane).
Q: What is the movement of water from an area of low solute concentration to
high solute concentration called?
ANSWER Osmosis.
Q: What is the movement of particles from an area of high concentration to
low concentration called?
ANSWER Diffusion.
Q: What type of transport requires energy (ATP) to move substances against
their concentration gradient?
ANSWER Active transport.
Q: What is the term for a genetic disorder where a person possesses two
different alleles for a trait (e.g., Aa)?
ANSWER Heterozygous.
Q: What is the term for a genetic disorder where a person possesses two
identical alleles for a trait (e.g., AA or aa)?
ANSWER Homozygous.
Q: Which genotype is required for an autosomal recessive disorder to
manifest?
ANSWER Homozygous recessive (aa).
Q: Which gender is most commonly affected by X-linked recessive disorders?
ANSWER Males (XY).
Q: What is the term used to describe a genetic trait that is always expressed,
even if only one copy is present?
ANSWER Dominant.
Q: What is the study of how genes affect drug metabolism and response?
,ANSWER Pharmacogenomics.
Q: What is the role of tumor suppressor genes (e.g., p53)?
ANSWER To slow down cell division, repair DNA mistakes, or tell cells when to
die (apoptosis).
Q: What is the role of proto-oncogenes?
ANSWER They help cells grow and divide; when mutated, they become
oncogenes and can lead to cancer.
Q: What is the stage of the cell cycle where DNA replicates?
ANSWER Synthesis (S) phase.
Q: What is the term for the leakage of lysosomal enzymes during cell injury?
ANSWER Autolysis.
Q: What type of necrosis is most commonly associated with hypoxic injury in
the brain (neurons)?
ANSWER Liquefactive necrosis.
Q: What type of necrosis is characteristic of ischemic injury in the heart
(myocardial infarction)?
ANSWER Coagulative necrosis.
Q: What is the term for the accumulation of fat inside liver cells (hepatocytes)?
ANSWER Fatty change (steatosis).
Q: What is the term for an abnormal accumulation of pigment, often seen in
the lungs of smokers?
ANSWER Anthracosis (carbon pigment).
Q: What is the effect of ionizing radiation on cellular DNA?
ANSWER It causes DNA strand breaks and mutations.
Q: What is the term for reversible cell injury characterized by the accumulation
of water?
ANSWER Hydropic degeneration.
, Q: What is the term for cellular aging caused by the shortening of chromosome
ends?
ANSWER Telomere shortening.
Section 2: Fluids, Electrolytes, and Acid-Base Balance
Q: What is the normal range for serum sodium?
ANSWER 135 – 145 mEq/L.
Q: What is the primary intracellular cation?
ANSWER Potassium (K+).
Q: What is the primary extracellular cation?
ANSWER Sodium (Na+).
Q: What is the primary extracellular anion?
ANSWER Chloride (Cl-).
Q: What condition is caused by a deficit of sodium in the extracellular fluid?
ANSWER Hyponatremia.
Q: What condition is caused by an excess of sodium in the extracellular fluid?
ANSWER Hypernatremia.
Q: What is the most common cause of hyponatremia?
ANSWER Water excess (dilutional) or SIADH.
Q: What is the danger of rapidly correcting hyponatremia?
ANSWER Central pontine myelinolysis (brain damage).
Q: What is the normal range for serum potassium?
ANSWER 3.5 – 5.0 mEq/L.
Q: What condition poses a life-threatening risk of cardiac arrhythmias,
including peaked T waves and widened QRS?
ANSWER Hyperkalemia.
Q: What cardiac rhythm is most associated with severe hyperkalemia?
ANSWER Ventricular fibrillation or asystole.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - 100% VERIFIED - LATEST 2026/2027
GUARANTEED PASS
Q: What is the process of programmed cell death that occurs naturally during
development and tissue homeostasis?
ANSWER Apoptosis.
Q: What is the term for cell death caused by injury, inflammation, or ischemia,
characterized by cell swelling and rupture?
ANSWER Necrosis.
Q: What cellular adaptation involves a change from one type of mature cell to
another?
ANSWER Metaplasia.
Q: What is the term for an increase in the number of cells in an organ or
tissue?
ANSWER Hyperplasia.
Q: What is the term for an increase in the size of individual cells, resulting in
tissue enlargement?
ANSWER Hypertrophy.
Q: A decrease in the size or atrophy of a cell due to decreased workload or
pressure is known as what?
ANSWER Atrophy.
Q: What is the "powerhouse" of the cell responsible for ATP production?
ANSWER Mitochondria.
Q: What is the fluid located inside the cell called?
ANSWER Intracellular Fluid (ICF).
,Q: What is the fluid located outside the cell called?
ANSWER Extracellular Fluid (ECF).
Q: Which structure regulates the movement of substances in and out of the
cell?
ANSWER Cell membrane (plasma membrane).
Q: What is the movement of water from an area of low solute concentration to
high solute concentration called?
ANSWER Osmosis.
Q: What is the movement of particles from an area of high concentration to
low concentration called?
ANSWER Diffusion.
Q: What type of transport requires energy (ATP) to move substances against
their concentration gradient?
ANSWER Active transport.
Q: What is the term for a genetic disorder where a person possesses two
different alleles for a trait (e.g., Aa)?
ANSWER Heterozygous.
Q: What is the term for a genetic disorder where a person possesses two
identical alleles for a trait (e.g., AA or aa)?
ANSWER Homozygous.
Q: Which genotype is required for an autosomal recessive disorder to
manifest?
ANSWER Homozygous recessive (aa).
Q: Which gender is most commonly affected by X-linked recessive disorders?
ANSWER Males (XY).
Q: What is the term used to describe a genetic trait that is always expressed,
even if only one copy is present?
ANSWER Dominant.
Q: What is the study of how genes affect drug metabolism and response?
,ANSWER Pharmacogenomics.
Q: What is the role of tumor suppressor genes (e.g., p53)?
ANSWER To slow down cell division, repair DNA mistakes, or tell cells when to
die (apoptosis).
Q: What is the role of proto-oncogenes?
ANSWER They help cells grow and divide; when mutated, they become
oncogenes and can lead to cancer.
Q: What is the stage of the cell cycle where DNA replicates?
ANSWER Synthesis (S) phase.
Q: What is the term for the leakage of lysosomal enzymes during cell injury?
ANSWER Autolysis.
Q: What type of necrosis is most commonly associated with hypoxic injury in
the brain (neurons)?
ANSWER Liquefactive necrosis.
Q: What type of necrosis is characteristic of ischemic injury in the heart
(myocardial infarction)?
ANSWER Coagulative necrosis.
Q: What is the term for the accumulation of fat inside liver cells (hepatocytes)?
ANSWER Fatty change (steatosis).
Q: What is the term for an abnormal accumulation of pigment, often seen in
the lungs of smokers?
ANSWER Anthracosis (carbon pigment).
Q: What is the effect of ionizing radiation on cellular DNA?
ANSWER It causes DNA strand breaks and mutations.
Q: What is the term for reversible cell injury characterized by the accumulation
of water?
ANSWER Hydropic degeneration.
, Q: What is the term for cellular aging caused by the shortening of chromosome
ends?
ANSWER Telomere shortening.
Section 2: Fluids, Electrolytes, and Acid-Base Balance
Q: What is the normal range for serum sodium?
ANSWER 135 – 145 mEq/L.
Q: What is the primary intracellular cation?
ANSWER Potassium (K+).
Q: What is the primary extracellular cation?
ANSWER Sodium (Na+).
Q: What is the primary extracellular anion?
ANSWER Chloride (Cl-).
Q: What condition is caused by a deficit of sodium in the extracellular fluid?
ANSWER Hyponatremia.
Q: What condition is caused by an excess of sodium in the extracellular fluid?
ANSWER Hypernatremia.
Q: What is the most common cause of hyponatremia?
ANSWER Water excess (dilutional) or SIADH.
Q: What is the danger of rapidly correcting hyponatremia?
ANSWER Central pontine myelinolysis (brain damage).
Q: What is the normal range for serum potassium?
ANSWER 3.5 – 5.0 mEq/L.
Q: What condition poses a life-threatening risk of cardiac arrhythmias,
including peaked T waves and widened QRS?
ANSWER Hyperkalemia.
Q: What cardiac rhythm is most associated with severe hyperkalemia?
ANSWER Ventricular fibrillation or asystole.
