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Grade A – Wilkes Actual Exam – Complete Q&A with
Detailed Rationales – Pass Guaranteed – A+ Graded
Foundations: Cellular & Molecular Pathophysiology
Q1: A 45-year-old patient presents with a history of chronic gastric reflux. Endoscopy
reveals a change in the esophageal lining from stratified squamous epithelium to simple
columnar epithelium. Which of the following cellular adaptations best describes this
finding?
A. Hyperplasia
B. Metaplasia [CORRECT]
C. Dysplasia
D. Anaplasia
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The best answer is B because metaplasia is the reversible replacement of
one differentiated cell type with another, in this case, squamous to columnar epithelium
due to chronic acid exposure; this is a protective mechanism though it increases cancer
risk.
Q2: In a patient suffering an acute myocardial infarction, cardiomyocytes are dying
rapidly due to severe ischemia. Under the microscope, the cells appear to have
preserved outlines but the nucleus has vanished (karyolysis) and the cytoplasm is
eosinophilic. Which specific type of cell injury is most likely occurring?
A. Liquefactive necrosis
B. Coagulative necrosis [CORRECT]
C. Caseous necrosis
D. Fat necrosis
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: This is correct because coagulative necrosis is characteristic of ischemic
injury in most tissues, especially the heart, where the protein denaturation creates a
firm, eosinophilic texture while the basic cell architecture remains temporarily visible.
Q3: A 68-year-old patient presents with "wet" gangrene in their lower extremity related
to uncontrolled diabetes. The tissue is swollen, malodorous, and displays signs of
,bacterial infection. What is the primary pathophysiological mechanism distinguishing
this from "dry" gangrene?
A. Purely ischemic etiology without infection
B. Superficial thrombosis of veins
C. Superimposed bacterial infection and liquefactive necrosis [CORRECT]
D. Enzymatic fat necrosis
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The best answer is C because wet gangrene occurs when there is a
superimposed infection that leads to liquefactive necrosis and sepsis, whereas dry
gangrene is primarily a result of desiccation from ischemic coagulative necrosis without
infection.
Q4: A researcher is studying a pathway where a cell receives a signal to self-destruct
due to DNA damage that cannot be repaired. This process involves mitochondrial outer
membrane permeabilization and the release of cytochrome c. Which pathway is being
described?
A. Extrinsic apoptotic pathway
B. Intrinsic apoptotic pathway [CORRECT]
C. Pyroptosis
D. Necroptosis
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: This is correct because the intrinsic (mitochondrial) pathway of apoptosis is
triggered by internal cellular stress, such as DNA damage, leading to cytochrome c
release and caspase activation without causing inflammation.
Q5: A patient with a history of long-term smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) exhibits enlarged airway smooth muscle cells and increased numbers
of goblet cells in the bronchi. Which of the following cellular adaptations is primarily
responsible for the increase in goblet cells?
A. Hyperplasia [CORRECT]
B. Hypertrophy
C. Atrophy
D. Metaplasia
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The best answer is A because hyperplasia refers to an increase in the
number of cells, and in chronic smokers, the irritation causes an increase in the number
of mucus-secreting goblet cells, contributing to excessive mucus production.
, Q6: During a physiology lecture, the instructor explains that cells are injured when there
is an imbalance in the production of free radicals and the body's ability to neutralize
them. Which molecule is considered the primary reactive oxygen species (ROS)
generated during ischemia-reperfusion injury?
A. Superoxide radical [CORRECT]
B. Nitric oxide
C. Hydrogen peroxide
D. Hydroxyl radical
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: This is correct because the superoxide radical is the primary ROS initially
produced during reperfusion when oxygen is suddenly reintroduced to ischemic tissue,
leading to a cascade of oxidative damage.
Q7: A 30-year-old woman is diagnosed with an autosomal dominant disorder. She has
one affected parent. Her husband has no family history of the disease. What is the
probability that their first child will inherit this condition?
A. 25%
B. 50% [CORRECT]
C. 75%
D. 100%
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The best answer is B because in autosomal dominant inheritance, a single
affected allele (heterozygous state) is sufficient to cause the disease, and there is a
50% chance the affected parent will pass that allele to the offspring.
Q8: A young male patient presents with muscle weakness and a darkening of his urine
after exercise. Genetic testing reveals a defect in the dystrophin gene. Which mode of
inheritance is most consistent with this presentation?
A. Autosomal dominant
B. Autosomal recessive
C. X-linked recessive [CORRECT]
D. Mitochondrial inheritance
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This aligns with the X-linked recessive pattern because dystrophin mutations
(Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy) are carried on the X chromosome; males (XY)
are affected because they have only one X chromosome and lack a normal copy of the
gene.