Module 1 Cell And Tissue Function

Question 1

Define acute in medical terminology:

Answer 1

A disease or condition that comes on rapidly

Question 2

The word “tumour” characterizes what type of symptom?

Answer 2

Swelling

Question 3

You are asked to counsel the parents of an infant with cystic fibrosis. The parents are clinically normal, but both have been identified as carrying mutations in the CFTR gene. The most likely cause of this condition in this infant is:

Answer 3

Autosomal recessive

Two copies of the gene must be mutated for a person to be affected by an autosomal recessive disorder. An affected person usually has unaffected parents who each carry a single copy of the mutated gene and are referred to as genetic carriers.

Question 4

In the ER, you have just treated a wound that you tell the patient will heal by second intention. She asks what that means, and you explain

Answer 4

The wound heals from the bottom up through epithelial regeneration

Question 5

While looking at a slide, you see a wide range of cell sizes and shapes, something best described a

Answer 5

Polymorphism

Question 6

You are asked to give a medical terminology lecture to high school students who are interested in entering the health care field. As part of the lecture, you talk about ischemia, which you describe as

Answer 6

Cell injury or death due to deficiency of oxygen to cells

Question 7

Following a lecture, you are trying to keep the different types of necrosis straight. You clearly recall that liquefaction necrosis occurs when:

Answer 7

Dead cells dissolve under the influence of certain enzymes.

Question 8

During rounds in the neonatal intensive care unit, you ask a mother sitting at her newborn’s bedside whether she has any questions, and she remarks that she has heard the health care team talk about the phenotype and genotype, two terms she has not heard before. You explain to her that phenotype is:

Answer 8

The physical manifestations of a genetic condition

Question 9

In the newborn nursery, you assess an infant who has unusual features and a cardiac defect. The patient is hypotonic, with a small head and flat facial profile. The patient’s palpebral fissures are slanted, and her mouth tends to hang open, with a large protruding tongue. Her hands are small, with a single palmar crease. Which one of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

Answer 9

Down syndrome (trisomy 21)

Question 10

As you discuss the possible complications of wound healing to a patient, you mention that bands of scar tissue may bind tissues that are normally separate, a process best described as:

Answer 10

Adhesion

Question 11

A prophylactic treatment in relation to cancer means:

Answer 11

Attempting to stop the disease from occurring (preventative)

Question 12

You are counselling a patient facing treatment options for his condition. He has heard the term palliative care but does not know its meaning. You tell him that palliative care:

Answer 12

Reduces the manifestations and complications associated with the condition.

Question 13

As you discuss the possible complications of wound healing to a patient, you mention that tissue may shorten, resulting in loss of function, which is a process best described as:

Answer 13

Contracture

Question 14

In the ER, you have just treated a wound that you tell the patient will heal by first intention. She asks what that means, and you explain:

Answer 14

The edges of the wound need to be brought together to aid healing.

Question 15

You are asked to give a medical terminology lecture to high school students interested in entering the health care field. As part of the lecture, you talk about apoptosis, which you describe as:

Answer 15

Cell death due to normal programmed degeneration

Question 16

In the newborn nursery, you assess a newborn who has unusual features and a cardiac defect. The patient is hypotonic, with a small head and flat facial profile. The patient’s palpebral fissures are slanted, and her mouth tends to hang open, with a large protruding tongue. Her hands are small and have a single palmar crease. You suspect Down syndrome. Which one of the following tests is appropriate to confirm this diagnosis?

Answer 16

Cytogenetic analysis

Cytogenetics is essentially a branch of genetics, but is also a part of cell biology/cytology (a subdivision of human anatomy), that is concerned with how the chromosomes relate to cell behaviour, particularly to their behaviour during mitosis and meiosis.

Question 17

While getting hand-over from a colleague at shift change, you hear the story of a patient whose lower leg is warm to the touch. You recall that this is one of the cardinal signs of inflammation. Which one of the following characterizes this type of swelling?

Answer 17

Calor

Calor Latin for “heat” - calorie, caloricity

Question 18

You are discussing treatment options with a patient who was recently diagnosed with cancer. She has read a lot about various radiation therapy alternatives but is confused by them. She specifically asks about brachytherapy, which you explain is:

Answer 18

Implantation of radioactive material in tissue near the tumor site

Question 19

You meet with a husband and wife in your clinic who have questions about gene therapy. There are a number of genetic conditions that run in their families, and they want to know about the potential for gene therapy. You explain that the goal of gene therapy is to essentially replace defective genes with normally functioning ones, and that this type of therapy is of particular interest for single gene mutation disorders. These include which one of the following conditions?

Answer 19

Huntington disease

Huntington disease (HD) is caused by a mutation in the HTT gene. Genetic therapy uses synthetic micro RNA tailored to silence the hunting (HTT) gene.

Question 20

Following a lecture, you are trying to keep the different types of necrosis straight. You clearly recall that coagulative necrosis occurs when:

Answer 20

Cell proteins are altered or denatured, but the cell maintains its form.

Question 21

You have just finished cutting off a lower leg cast on a 14-year-old girl who was injured playing competitive soccer. She looks at her calf muscle and remarks that it looks smaller. You explain that because she has not been using many of the muscles in her lower leg that they have undergone atrophy, characterized by:

Answer 21

Reduction in cell size

Question 22

While caught up in the care of a patient brought into the ER, you briefly update the family members and report that the patient appears to be septic. They look confused, and you explain that the patient has developed an infection that has become systemic. The family then asks what does systemic mean, and you explain:

Answer 22

A disease or condition that spreads to or affects many parts of the body

Question 23

You are reading a book about England’s royal family and learn of a disease, hemophilia A, that is only manifest clinically by males and only passed on through mothers. The inheritance pattern of this condition is:

Answer 23

X-linked recessive

Question 24

While looking at a slide, you see where a group of mature cells has been replaced with a different type of mature cells, a process best described as:

Answer 24

Metaplasia

Question 25

While on your oncology rotation, you recall that Adriamycin acts as a chemotherapeutic agents by:

Answer 25

Specifically binding DNA and inhibiting the synthesis of nucleic acids

Question 26

During a school fair, you are asked by a student what the most common kind of cancer causing death is in adults, and you respond:

Answer 26

Lung

Question 27

During rounds in the neonatal intensive care unit, you ask a mother sitting at her newborn’s bedside whether she has any questions, and she remarks that she has heard the health care team talk about the phenotype and genotype, two terms she has not heard before. You explain to her that genotype is:

Answer 27

The genetic abnormalities related to a condition

Question 28

You are asked to counsel the parents of an infant with neurofibromatosis, type I. The parents are clinically normal, and there is no history of the disease in either family, dating back generations. The most likely cause of this condition in this infant is:

Answer 28

New mutation

Question 29

In the pathology lab, you are studying tissue that was injured following reperfusion, and recall this type of injury occurs due to:

Answer 29

Free radical formation

Question 30

In the pathology lab, you are reviewing the different types of cancers. You learn that pre-invasive cancers are called:

Answer 30

Cancer in situ