Molecular Biology Revision

Question 1

What is the main cell type associated with hypertrophy and why

Answer 1

Muscle cells

They can’t divide so the only way to adapt to increased demand is to increase in size

Question 2

2 broad causes of hypertrophy

Answer 2

Hormonal stimulation

Increased functional demand

Question 3

What do the consequences of cell injury depend on

Answer 3

Type of cell

Status of cell eg if it’s dividing

Question 4

What does the mechanism of cell injury depend on

Answer 4

Type of injury
Severity of injury
Duration of injury

Question 5

What are the key genetic and cytological features of dysplasia that distinguish dysplasia cells from normal cells

Answer 5

Large nuclei
Increased nuclei : cytoplasmic ratio
Increased number of mitoses

Question 6

What are the two light microscopic changes that can be seen in reversible cell injury

Answer 6

Cellular swelling/ballon degeneration
- due to hypoxia, no ATP, na/k lump breaks down, intracellular ion conc increases, water enters cell by osmosis

Fatty change

• build up of fat in cells
• fatty liver disease

Question 7

Difference between apoptosis and necrosis

Answer 7

Apoptosis may be physiological
Apoptosis is an active energy depend process
Apoptosis is not associated with inflammation

Question 8

Define a bio marker

Answer 8

A measurable indicator of the severity or presence of some disease state

Question 9

Define necroptosis and what is a common cause of it

Answer 9

Programmed cell death associated with inflammation

Viral infections

Question 10

5 causes of apoptosis

Answer 10

Embryogenesis
Deletion of auto reactive T cells in the thymus
Hormone dependent physiological involution
Cell deletion in proliferating populations
Mild injuries stimuli that cause irreparable DNA damage that triggers cell suicide pathways

Question 11

Define apoptosis

Answer 11

Programmed cell death

Question 12

Define necrosis

Answer 12

Confluent cell death associated with inflammation

Question 13

Compare and contrast apoptosis and necrosis

Answer 13

Both are cell death
Apoptosis is not associated with inflammation, necrosis is
Apoptosis is energy dependent, necrosis is not
Apoptosis can be physiological, necrosis cannot

Question 14

2 potential outcomes for acute inflammation

Answer 14

Resolution

Progression to chronic inflammation

Question 15

What happens to the shape of cells when ATP levels are depleted

Answer 15

Less ATP for Na+/K+ ATPase to use
Ions flow into cell
Water flows into cell
Cell becomes more spherical

Question 16

Exceptions to the rule that you don’t get scarring 8n acute inflammation

Answer 16

MI
deep wounds
Parenchymal cell death

Question 17

Causes of granulomas

Answer 17

Infection - TB, leprosy, syphilis, fungi
Foreign material - suture material
Tumour reaction - lung cancer
Granulomatous disease - sarcoidosis, Crohn’s disease

Question 18

Histology all features of granulomatous inflammation

Answer 18

Giant multi nucleated cells with horse shoe shaped nuclei

Form due to aggregation of macrophages togethe

Question 19

Causes of chronic inflammation

Answer 19

Insidious low grade smouldering inflammation 
Persistent infection - TB
Prolonged exposure to toxins - nickel 
Autoimmunity- rheumatoid arthritis 
Foreign body - silica stuck in alveoli

Question 20

What medication to give someone with excessive bleeding during an operation

Answer 20

Tranexamic acid

Question 21

Why is it important to test the liver function if a patient who is bleeding more than expected during surgery

Answer 21

Most coagulation factors are synthesised in the liver

Question 22

A patient who bled excessively during surgery is advised against taking aspirin as a painkillers killer, why

Answer 22

It irreversibly inhibits platelet activation

Question 23

What do coagulation factors 2, 7, 9, 10 all have in common

Answer 23

They’re all vitamin K dependent