BIOD 331 Module 1 Exam - Cellular Pathology, Injury, and Adaptation
2026/2027 UPDATE
1. Which of the following describes the decrease in cell size by the loss of
intracellular substance?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Answer: C
Rationale: Atrophy is defined as the shrinkage in cell size by loss of cellular substance.
When a sufficient number of cells are involved, the entire organ or tissue decreases in size.
2. An increase in the number of cells in an organ or tissue, which may then have
increased volume, is called:
A. Hypertrophy
B. Dysplasia
C. Hyperplasia
D. Neoplasia
Answer: C
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in the number of cells in an organ or tissue resulting
from increased cell division.
,3. Which cellular adaptation is characterized by the replacement of one adult
cell type by another adult cell type?
A. Dysplasia
B. Anaplasia
C. Hypertrophy
D. Metaplasia
Answer: D
Rationale: Metaplasia is a reversible change in which one adult cell type (epithelial or
mesenchymal) is replaced by another adult cell type better able to withstand the stress.
4. What is the most common cause of cellular injury?
A. Chemical agents
B. Infectious agents
C. Genetic defects
D. Hypoxia
Answer: D
Rationale: Hypoxia, or oxygen deficiency, is the most common cause of cell injury and cell
death, often resulting from ischemia.
5. Which of the following is a characteristic of irreversible cell injury?
A. Deeply eosinophilic cytoplasm and fragmented nucleus
B. Blebbing of the plasma membrane
C. Cellular swelling
D. Detachment of ribosomes from the ER
Answer: A
Rationale: Irreversible injury is marked by severe mitochondrial dysfunction and
permanent damage to cellular membranes, often showing nuclear changes like
karyorrhexis or pyknosis.
, 6. Which type of necrosis is typically seen in the brain due to hypoxic injury?
A. Coagulative necrosis
B. Liquefactive necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Answer: B
Rationale: Liquefactive necrosis occurs in the central nervous system because of the high
lipid and water content and the release of hydrolytic enzymes from microglia.
7. Caseous necrosis is most commonly associated with which of the following
infections?
A. Staphylococcus aureus
B. Escherichia coli
C. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
D. Candida albicans
Answer: C
Rationale: Caseous necrosis, which has a ‘cheeselike’ appearance, is a characteristic
feature of tuberculosis infection.
8. Which form of cell death is often referred to as ‘programmed cell death’?
A. Necrosis
B. Apoptosis
C. Autophagy
D. Oncosis
Answer: B
Rationale: Apoptosis is a pathway of cell death induced by a tightly regulated intracellular
program in which cells destined to die activate enzymes that degrade their own DNA and
proteins.
2026/2027 UPDATE
1. Which of the following describes the decrease in cell size by the loss of
intracellular substance?
A. Hypertrophy
B. Hyperplasia
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Answer: C
Rationale: Atrophy is defined as the shrinkage in cell size by loss of cellular substance.
When a sufficient number of cells are involved, the entire organ or tissue decreases in size.
2. An increase in the number of cells in an organ or tissue, which may then have
increased volume, is called:
A. Hypertrophy
B. Dysplasia
C. Hyperplasia
D. Neoplasia
Answer: C
Rationale: Hyperplasia is an increase in the number of cells in an organ or tissue resulting
from increased cell division.
,3. Which cellular adaptation is characterized by the replacement of one adult
cell type by another adult cell type?
A. Dysplasia
B. Anaplasia
C. Hypertrophy
D. Metaplasia
Answer: D
Rationale: Metaplasia is a reversible change in which one adult cell type (epithelial or
mesenchymal) is replaced by another adult cell type better able to withstand the stress.
4. What is the most common cause of cellular injury?
A. Chemical agents
B. Infectious agents
C. Genetic defects
D. Hypoxia
Answer: D
Rationale: Hypoxia, or oxygen deficiency, is the most common cause of cell injury and cell
death, often resulting from ischemia.
5. Which of the following is a characteristic of irreversible cell injury?
A. Deeply eosinophilic cytoplasm and fragmented nucleus
B. Blebbing of the plasma membrane
C. Cellular swelling
D. Detachment of ribosomes from the ER
Answer: A
Rationale: Irreversible injury is marked by severe mitochondrial dysfunction and
permanent damage to cellular membranes, often showing nuclear changes like
karyorrhexis or pyknosis.
, 6. Which type of necrosis is typically seen in the brain due to hypoxic injury?
A. Coagulative necrosis
B. Liquefactive necrosis
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Answer: B
Rationale: Liquefactive necrosis occurs in the central nervous system because of the high
lipid and water content and the release of hydrolytic enzymes from microglia.
7. Caseous necrosis is most commonly associated with which of the following
infections?
A. Staphylococcus aureus
B. Escherichia coli
C. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
D. Candida albicans
Answer: C
Rationale: Caseous necrosis, which has a ‘cheeselike’ appearance, is a characteristic
feature of tuberculosis infection.
8. Which form of cell death is often referred to as ‘programmed cell death’?
A. Necrosis
B. Apoptosis
C. Autophagy
D. Oncosis
Answer: B
Rationale: Apoptosis is a pathway of cell death induced by a tightly regulated intracellular
program in which cells destined to die activate enzymes that degrade their own DNA and
proteins.
