WGU D236 Pathophysiology Exam (Latest 2025) Questions and
Verified Answers| Grade A
1. Question: An ultrasound reveals that a woman's baby is a boy. If she is a carrier for hemophilia, what is
the probability her son will have hemophilia?
- A) 50%
- B) 75%
- C) 100%
- D) 25%
- Answer: A) 50%
2. Question: Noah, who has sickle cell anemia, is encouraged by recent gene therapy studies. Which of
the following statements is true about sickle cell anemia?
- A) Individuals with sickle cell anemia lack the gene for fetal hemoglobin.
- B) Individuals with sickle cell anemia have mutations in both fetal and adult hemoglobin genes.
- C) Individuals with sickle cell anemia are heterozygous for the sickle cell gene.
- D) In individuals with sickle cell anemia, the fetal hemoglobin gene does not have a sickle cell
mutation.
- Answer: D) In individuals with sickle cell anemia, the fetal hemoglobin gene does not have a sickle
cell mutation.
3. Question: What does Down syndrome result from?
- A) Exposure to alcohol during embryonic development
- B) A single point mutation
- C) An extra copy of chromosome 21
- D) An extra copy of chromosome 9
- Answer: C) An extra copy of chromosome 21.
,4. Question: Your patient has experienced significant blood loss. Which physiological response is
expected?
- A) Vasodilation will help to reduce blood pressure.
- B) ADH will stimulate the kidneys to reabsorb more water.
- C) The adrenal gland will stop releasing aldosterone.
- D) The RAAS will be inactivated.
- Answer: B) ADH will stimulate the kidneys to reabsorb more water.
5. Question: How does an increased respiratory rate during exercise help maintain homeostatic pH levels?
- A) Increased inhalation of CO2 helps to increase pH.
- B) Increased exhalation of CO2 helps to decrease pH.
- C) Increased inhalation of CO2 helps to decrease pH.
- D) Increased exhalation of CO2 helps to increase pH.
- Answer: D) Increased exhalation of CO2 helps to increase pH.
6. Question: An ICU patient's arterial blood gas results show low pH and low CO2 levels with an
increased respiratory rate. What is the name of this condition?
- A) Respiratory acidosis
- B) Metabolic acidosis
- C) Metabolic alkalosis
- D) Respiratory alkalosis
- Answer: B) Metabolic acidosis.
7. Question: Your patient has type I diabetes and developed kidney disease requiring dialysis. What
treatment would maintain the most independence?
- A) Hemodialysis
- B) Peritoneal dialysis
- C) Sugar tablets
, - D) An insulin pump
- Answer: B) Peritoneal dialysis.
8. Question: Your patient has pulmonary edema, raising CO2 levels in the blood. How does the body
compensate?
- A) The kidneys conserve both H+ and HCO3-.
- B) The kidneys excrete more H+ and more HCO3-.
- C) The kidneys conserve H+ and excrete more HCO3-.
- D) The kidneys excrete more H+ and conserve HCO3-.
- Answer: D) The kidneys excrete more H+ and conserve HCO3-.
9. Question: Your patient was stung by a bee, resulting in redness and swelling. Which of the following is
unlikely to occur?
- A) Antihistamines are released by mast cells at the site of the sting.
- B) Vasoconstriction at the site of the sting, causing fluid to accumulate.
- C) Blood flow to the site of the sting increases.
- D) Capillaries become leakier, allowing immune cells to be delivered to the site of the sting.
- Answer: B) Vasoconstriction at the site of the sting, causing fluid to accumulate.
10. Question: Which of the following is a consequence of long-term alcohol consumption?
- A) Decreased filtration rate in the kidneys.
- B) Increased insulin sensitivity.
- C) Encephalopathy.
- D) Hyperbilirubinemia.
- Answer: C) Encephalopathy.
11. Question: What is the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis?
, - A) Defect in the CFTR gene.
- B) Chromosomal deletion.
- C) Mitochondrial dysfunction.
- D) Point mutation in hemoglobin.
- Answer: A) Defect in the CFTR gene.
12. Question: Which of the following best describes the effect of aldosterone?
- A) Increases sodium reabsorption in the kidneys.
- B) Increases potassium excretion in the kidneys.
- C) Decreases blood pressure.
- D) Decreases heart rate.
- Answer: A) Increases sodium reabsorption in the kidneys.
13. Question: What is the most common cause of primary adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease)?
- A) Pituitary tumor.
- B) Autoimmune destruction of adrenal glands.
- C) Overproduction of cortisol.
- D) Chronic stress.
- Answer: B) Autoimmune destruction of adrenal glands.
14. Question: In the context of diabetes mellitus, what does the term "insulin resistance" refer to?
- A) The pancreas produces no insulin.
- B) Cells fail to respond adequately to insulin.
- C) Excessive insulin secretion.
- D) An autoimmune attack on insulin receptors.
- Answer: B) Cells fail to respond adequately to insulin.
Verified Answers| Grade A
1. Question: An ultrasound reveals that a woman's baby is a boy. If she is a carrier for hemophilia, what is
the probability her son will have hemophilia?
- A) 50%
- B) 75%
- C) 100%
- D) 25%
- Answer: A) 50%
2. Question: Noah, who has sickle cell anemia, is encouraged by recent gene therapy studies. Which of
the following statements is true about sickle cell anemia?
- A) Individuals with sickle cell anemia lack the gene for fetal hemoglobin.
- B) Individuals with sickle cell anemia have mutations in both fetal and adult hemoglobin genes.
- C) Individuals with sickle cell anemia are heterozygous for the sickle cell gene.
- D) In individuals with sickle cell anemia, the fetal hemoglobin gene does not have a sickle cell
mutation.
- Answer: D) In individuals with sickle cell anemia, the fetal hemoglobin gene does not have a sickle
cell mutation.
3. Question: What does Down syndrome result from?
- A) Exposure to alcohol during embryonic development
- B) A single point mutation
- C) An extra copy of chromosome 21
- D) An extra copy of chromosome 9
- Answer: C) An extra copy of chromosome 21.
,4. Question: Your patient has experienced significant blood loss. Which physiological response is
expected?
- A) Vasodilation will help to reduce blood pressure.
- B) ADH will stimulate the kidneys to reabsorb more water.
- C) The adrenal gland will stop releasing aldosterone.
- D) The RAAS will be inactivated.
- Answer: B) ADH will stimulate the kidneys to reabsorb more water.
5. Question: How does an increased respiratory rate during exercise help maintain homeostatic pH levels?
- A) Increased inhalation of CO2 helps to increase pH.
- B) Increased exhalation of CO2 helps to decrease pH.
- C) Increased inhalation of CO2 helps to decrease pH.
- D) Increased exhalation of CO2 helps to increase pH.
- Answer: D) Increased exhalation of CO2 helps to increase pH.
6. Question: An ICU patient's arterial blood gas results show low pH and low CO2 levels with an
increased respiratory rate. What is the name of this condition?
- A) Respiratory acidosis
- B) Metabolic acidosis
- C) Metabolic alkalosis
- D) Respiratory alkalosis
- Answer: B) Metabolic acidosis.
7. Question: Your patient has type I diabetes and developed kidney disease requiring dialysis. What
treatment would maintain the most independence?
- A) Hemodialysis
- B) Peritoneal dialysis
- C) Sugar tablets
, - D) An insulin pump
- Answer: B) Peritoneal dialysis.
8. Question: Your patient has pulmonary edema, raising CO2 levels in the blood. How does the body
compensate?
- A) The kidneys conserve both H+ and HCO3-.
- B) The kidneys excrete more H+ and more HCO3-.
- C) The kidneys conserve H+ and excrete more HCO3-.
- D) The kidneys excrete more H+ and conserve HCO3-.
- Answer: D) The kidneys excrete more H+ and conserve HCO3-.
9. Question: Your patient was stung by a bee, resulting in redness and swelling. Which of the following is
unlikely to occur?
- A) Antihistamines are released by mast cells at the site of the sting.
- B) Vasoconstriction at the site of the sting, causing fluid to accumulate.
- C) Blood flow to the site of the sting increases.
- D) Capillaries become leakier, allowing immune cells to be delivered to the site of the sting.
- Answer: B) Vasoconstriction at the site of the sting, causing fluid to accumulate.
10. Question: Which of the following is a consequence of long-term alcohol consumption?
- A) Decreased filtration rate in the kidneys.
- B) Increased insulin sensitivity.
- C) Encephalopathy.
- D) Hyperbilirubinemia.
- Answer: C) Encephalopathy.
11. Question: What is the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis?
, - A) Defect in the CFTR gene.
- B) Chromosomal deletion.
- C) Mitochondrial dysfunction.
- D) Point mutation in hemoglobin.
- Answer: A) Defect in the CFTR gene.
12. Question: Which of the following best describes the effect of aldosterone?
- A) Increases sodium reabsorption in the kidneys.
- B) Increases potassium excretion in the kidneys.
- C) Decreases blood pressure.
- D) Decreases heart rate.
- Answer: A) Increases sodium reabsorption in the kidneys.
13. Question: What is the most common cause of primary adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease)?
- A) Pituitary tumor.
- B) Autoimmune destruction of adrenal glands.
- C) Overproduction of cortisol.
- D) Chronic stress.
- Answer: B) Autoimmune destruction of adrenal glands.
14. Question: In the context of diabetes mellitus, what does the term "insulin resistance" refer to?
- A) The pancreas produces no insulin.
- B) Cells fail to respond adequately to insulin.
- C) Excessive insulin secretion.
- D) An autoimmune attack on insulin receptors.
- Answer: B) Cells fail to respond adequately to insulin.
