Pathophysiology — Cellular, Cardiovascular and Pulmonary flashcards
10 of 80 cards free to study here · 13 topics · the whole deck is built into Willys
Mechanism-first cards on cellular adaptation and injury, edema and acid–base, inflammation and healing, hypersensitivity, neoplasia, atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart failure, valve disease, shock, obstructive and restrictive lung disease, ARDS and PE.
Learn deck · part of Pathophysiology · written against: Standard nursing/allied-health pathophysiology course; no dosing. Updated 2026-10-10.
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Why does the heart adapt to a heavy workload mainly by hypertrophy, while the pregnant uterus enlarges by both hypertrophy and hyperplasia?Adult cardiac muscle cells are permanent (non-dividing) cells, so they can only grow larger by adding contractile proteins. Uterine smooth muscle cells can still divide, so under hormonal stimulation they both enlarge and multiply.Cellular Adaptation
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Why does a cell swell early in hypoxic injury?Without oxygen, mitochondria make little ATP, so the Na⁺/K⁺ pump fails. Sodium accumulates inside the cell and water follows osmotically, producing swelling (hydropic change); the switch to anaerobic glycolysis also lowers intracellular pH.Cell Injury and Death
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Which vascular changes produce the redness, heat and swelling of acute inflammation?Mediators such as histamine, prostaglandins and nitric oxide dilate arterioles, increasing blood flow (redness and heat). They also make postcapillary venules leaky, so protein-rich fluid escapes into the tissue (swelling); bradykinin and prostaglandins add pain.Inflammation and Healing
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Why does a type I hypersensitivity reaction occur only on re-exposure to an allergen?The first exposure sensitizes: B cells make allergen-specific IgE, which binds to receptors on mast cells and basophils. On re-exposure, the allergen cross-links that bound IgE, and the cells degranulate within minutes, releasing histamine and other mediators.Hypersensitivity and Immune Disorders
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Which features separate a malignant tumor from a benign one?Benign tumors are usually well differentiated, slow-growing, often encapsulated and stay local. Malignant tumors range from well to poorly differentiated (anaplastic), often grow faster, invade surrounding tissue and can metastasize; metastasis is the one feature that is unequivocally malignant.Neoplasia
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How do heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction differ in mechanism?In reduced EF (systolic) failure, the ventricle contracts poorly, often after MI or in dilated cardiomyopathy, so less of its volume is ejected. In preserved EF (diastolic) failure, a stiff, often hypertrophied ventricle relaxes and fills poorly; ejection fraction is normal but filling pressures are high.Heart Failure
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How do stenotic and regurgitant valves load the heart differently?A stenotic valve impedes forward flow, creating pressure overload in the chamber behind it, which thickens its wall (concentric hypertrophy). A regurgitant valve lets blood leak back, creating volume overload, which dilates the chamber (eccentric hypertrophy).Valvular Disease
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Why does blood lactate rise in every form of shock?Inadequate perfusion means cells receive too little oxygen for oxidative phosphorylation, so they rely on anaerobic glycolysis and convert pyruvate to lactate. A rising lactate signals tissue hypoperfusion and contributes to metabolic acidosis.Shock
Watch out: in septic shock, adrenaline-driven aerobic glycolysis and reduced liver clearance also raise lactate, so it is not a pure marker of tissue hypoxia. -
Why does pulmonary fibrosis make the lungs stiff and cause rapid, shallow breathing?Scar tissue lowers lung compliance, so every breath takes more effort; small, quick breaths reduce the work of stretching stiff lungs. The thickened alveolar–capillary membrane also slows diffusion, so oxygen saturation drops with exercise.Restrictive Disease and Lung Injury
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How does Virchow's triad explain why deep vein thrombosis is common after hip surgery?Clots form with venous stasis, endothelial injury and hypercoagulability. Hip surgery supplies all three: immobility slows venous flow, the operation damages veins and tissue, and surgery triggers a hypercoagulable acute-phase response.Pulmonary Embolism
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Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.
Checked against:
- OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, consulted as a reference where applicable; no text copied.
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