Pathophysiology Exam 1 Sample
Questions All Solved Correct Graded
A+ 2025-2026 Updated.
A report comes back indicating that muscular atrophy has occurred. A nurse recalls that
muscular atrophy involves a decrease in muscle cell:
a. number
b. size
c. vacuoles
d. lipofuscin - Answer B. Size
During childhood, the thymus decreases in size, and this is referred to as what type of atrophy?
a. Physiologic
b. Pathologic
c. Disuse
d. Neurogenic - Answer A. Physiologic
When planning care for a cardiac patient, the nurse knows that in response to an increased
workload, cardiac myocardial cells will experience hypertrophy which is an:
a. increase in size
b. decrease in length
c. increase in excitability
d. decrease in number - Answer A. Increase in size
A 55-year-old male with a 30-year history of smoking is examined for respiratory disturbance.
Examination of his airway (bronchial) reveals that stratified squamous epithelial cells have
replaced the normal columnar ciliated cells. This type of cellular adaption is called:
a. anaplasia
b. hyperplasia
c. metaplasia
d. dysplasia - Answer C. Metaplasia
,c. hormonal anaplasia
d. compensatory anaplasia - Answer B. Hormonal hyperplasia
A 24-year-old female presents with excessive menstrual bleeding. The physician identified
endometrial changes that are due to hormonal imbalances. These cellular changes would be
referred to as:
a. dysplasia
b. pathologic dysplasia
c. hyperplasia
d. pathologic hyperplas - Answer D. Pathologic hyperplasia
A 55-year-old male is diagnosed with hepatocellular cancer secondary to hepatitis C. If the
cancerous region of his liver is removed, the remaining cells would undergo:
a. pathologic hyperplasia
b. pathologic metaplasia
c. compensatory hyperplasia
d. compensatory aplasia - Answer C. Compensatory hyperplasia
A 40-year-old female's Pap smear indicates abnormal changes in the shape and organization of
cervical cells. Which term would be used to identify this type of change?
a. Metaplasia
b. Atrophy
c. Hypertrophy
d. Dysplasia - Answer D. Dyspalsia
A 75-year-old male presents with chest pain on exertion. The chest pain is most likely due to
hypoxic injury secondary to:
a. malnutrition
b. free radicals
c. ischemia
d. chemical toxicity - Answer C. Ischemia
A patient has a heart attack that leads to progressive cell injury that causes cell death with
,c. Apoptosis
D. Necrosis - Answer D. Necrosis
Sodium and water accumulation in an injured cell are a direct result of:
a. decreased ATP production
b. karyorrhexis
c. ribosome detachment
d. dehydration - Answer A. Decreased ATP production
The early dilation (swelling) of the cell's endoplasmic reticulum results in:
a. increased aerobic metabolism
b. failure of DNA
c. reduced protein synthesis
d. increase Na+ - K+ pump function - Answer C. Reduced protein synthesis
A 52-year-old male suffered a myocardial infarction secondary to atherosclerosis and ischemia.
Once blood flow is returned to the damaged heart, reperfusion injury occurs as a result of:
a. oxidative stress
b. vacuolation
c. decreased intracellular calcium
d. lipid acceptor proteins - Answer A. Oxidative stress
A family presents to their primary care provider reporting headache, nausea, weakness,
tinnitus, and vomiting. Which of the following would be the most likely expression for these
symptoms?
a. Lead exposure
b. Carbon monoxide poisoning
c. Ethanol exposure
d. Mercury poisoning - Answer B. Carbon monoxide poisoning
A common pathway of irreversible cell injury involved increased intracellular:
a. sodium
, A 50-year-old male sustained a closed head injury as a result of a motor vehicle accident. CT
scan revealed a collection of blood between the inner surface of the dura mater and the surface
of the brain. Which type of injury will the nurse be caring for?
a. Subdural hematoma
b. Epidural hematoma
c. Contusion
d. Abrasion - Answer A. Subdural hematoma
A 20-year-old male presents to the emergency department with a jagged sharp-force injury that
is longer than it is deep. What type of wound would the nurse be caring for?
a. Stab wound
b. Incised wound
c. Puncture wound
d. Chopping wound - Answer B. Incised wound
A 30-year-old female presents with a gunshot wound to the head. The wound has seared edges
and a deep penetration of smoke and gunpowder fragments. This wound would be documented
as a(n):
a. exit
b. intermediate range entrance
c. contact range entrance
d. indeterminate range entrance - Answer C. Contact range entrance
A 15-year-old female presents to the ER following a physical assault. She has internal damage to
the neck with deep bruising. X-ray reveals fractures of the hyoid bone and tracheal and cricoid
cartilage. Which of the following most likely caused her injuries?
a. Chemical asphyxiation
b. Choking asphyxiation
c. Ligature strangulation
d. Manual strangulation - Answer D. Manual strangulation
A 55-year-old male has swelling of the feet. Which of the following aided in the development of
swelling?
a. Increased ATP
Questions All Solved Correct Graded
A+ 2025-2026 Updated.
A report comes back indicating that muscular atrophy has occurred. A nurse recalls that
muscular atrophy involves a decrease in muscle cell:
a. number
b. size
c. vacuoles
d. lipofuscin - Answer B. Size
During childhood, the thymus decreases in size, and this is referred to as what type of atrophy?
a. Physiologic
b. Pathologic
c. Disuse
d. Neurogenic - Answer A. Physiologic
When planning care for a cardiac patient, the nurse knows that in response to an increased
workload, cardiac myocardial cells will experience hypertrophy which is an:
a. increase in size
b. decrease in length
c. increase in excitability
d. decrease in number - Answer A. Increase in size
A 55-year-old male with a 30-year history of smoking is examined for respiratory disturbance.
Examination of his airway (bronchial) reveals that stratified squamous epithelial cells have
replaced the normal columnar ciliated cells. This type of cellular adaption is called:
a. anaplasia
b. hyperplasia
c. metaplasia
d. dysplasia - Answer C. Metaplasia
,c. hormonal anaplasia
d. compensatory anaplasia - Answer B. Hormonal hyperplasia
A 24-year-old female presents with excessive menstrual bleeding. The physician identified
endometrial changes that are due to hormonal imbalances. These cellular changes would be
referred to as:
a. dysplasia
b. pathologic dysplasia
c. hyperplasia
d. pathologic hyperplas - Answer D. Pathologic hyperplasia
A 55-year-old male is diagnosed with hepatocellular cancer secondary to hepatitis C. If the
cancerous region of his liver is removed, the remaining cells would undergo:
a. pathologic hyperplasia
b. pathologic metaplasia
c. compensatory hyperplasia
d. compensatory aplasia - Answer C. Compensatory hyperplasia
A 40-year-old female's Pap smear indicates abnormal changes in the shape and organization of
cervical cells. Which term would be used to identify this type of change?
a. Metaplasia
b. Atrophy
c. Hypertrophy
d. Dysplasia - Answer D. Dyspalsia
A 75-year-old male presents with chest pain on exertion. The chest pain is most likely due to
hypoxic injury secondary to:
a. malnutrition
b. free radicals
c. ischemia
d. chemical toxicity - Answer C. Ischemia
A patient has a heart attack that leads to progressive cell injury that causes cell death with
,c. Apoptosis
D. Necrosis - Answer D. Necrosis
Sodium and water accumulation in an injured cell are a direct result of:
a. decreased ATP production
b. karyorrhexis
c. ribosome detachment
d. dehydration - Answer A. Decreased ATP production
The early dilation (swelling) of the cell's endoplasmic reticulum results in:
a. increased aerobic metabolism
b. failure of DNA
c. reduced protein synthesis
d. increase Na+ - K+ pump function - Answer C. Reduced protein synthesis
A 52-year-old male suffered a myocardial infarction secondary to atherosclerosis and ischemia.
Once blood flow is returned to the damaged heart, reperfusion injury occurs as a result of:
a. oxidative stress
b. vacuolation
c. decreased intracellular calcium
d. lipid acceptor proteins - Answer A. Oxidative stress
A family presents to their primary care provider reporting headache, nausea, weakness,
tinnitus, and vomiting. Which of the following would be the most likely expression for these
symptoms?
a. Lead exposure
b. Carbon monoxide poisoning
c. Ethanol exposure
d. Mercury poisoning - Answer B. Carbon monoxide poisoning
A common pathway of irreversible cell injury involved increased intracellular:
a. sodium
, A 50-year-old male sustained a closed head injury as a result of a motor vehicle accident. CT
scan revealed a collection of blood between the inner surface of the dura mater and the surface
of the brain. Which type of injury will the nurse be caring for?
a. Subdural hematoma
b. Epidural hematoma
c. Contusion
d. Abrasion - Answer A. Subdural hematoma
A 20-year-old male presents to the emergency department with a jagged sharp-force injury that
is longer than it is deep. What type of wound would the nurse be caring for?
a. Stab wound
b. Incised wound
c. Puncture wound
d. Chopping wound - Answer B. Incised wound
A 30-year-old female presents with a gunshot wound to the head. The wound has seared edges
and a deep penetration of smoke and gunpowder fragments. This wound would be documented
as a(n):
a. exit
b. intermediate range entrance
c. contact range entrance
d. indeterminate range entrance - Answer C. Contact range entrance
A 15-year-old female presents to the ER following a physical assault. She has internal damage to
the neck with deep bruising. X-ray reveals fractures of the hyoid bone and tracheal and cricoid
cartilage. Which of the following most likely caused her injuries?
a. Chemical asphyxiation
b. Choking asphyxiation
c. Ligature strangulation
d. Manual strangulation - Answer D. Manual strangulation
A 55-year-old male has swelling of the feet. Which of the following aided in the development of
swelling?
a. Increased ATP
