The morphology of reversible cell injury seen includes:

RRB Nsg. Superintendent -29 April-2025 (shift-2nd)

Pathology & Genetics

Easy

Appeared in: RRB Nsg. Superintendent -29 April-2025 (shift-2nd)

Explanation

Hydropic change, also known as cellular swelling or cloudy swelling, is a primary morphological hallmark of reversible cell injury.
It is often the first visible manifestation of almost all forms of cellular injury, resulting from an influx of water into the cell.
The underlying mechanism is the failure of energy-dependent ion pumps (like the Na⁺-K⁺ pump) in the cell membrane due to ATP depletion, leading to an osmotic imbalance.

Option A: Metabolic change refers to the functional or biochemical alterations (e.g., decreased ATP, acidosis) that precede and cause the visible damage. It is a mechanism of injury, not its morphological appearance.
Option C: Osseus change refers to the formation of bone tissue (ossification). This is a specialized process of tissue development or metaplasia and is not a general response to acute cellular injury.
Option D: Oxidative change describes a mechanism of injury where reactive oxygen species (free radicals) damage cellular components like lipids and proteins. It is a cause of injury, not the resulting physical appearance of the cell.

Visual 1: Diagram - A comparison of a normal cell with a cell undergoing reversible injury. The diagram should highlight features like cellular swelling (hydropic change), plasma membrane blebbing, and mitochondrial swelling.
Visual 2: Micrograph - A stained tissue sample (e.g., renal tubules) showing hydropic change. The image should clearly show swollen cells with pale, vacuolated cytoplasm compared to normal cells.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Morphology of Reversible Cell Injury helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Recognizing the signs of reversible injury is crucial in clinical practice, especially in organ transplantation. Organs that show only reversible changes like hydropic swelling after a period of ischemia are more likely to be viable and regain function after transplantation.
In conditions like angina pectoris, myocardial cells experience reversible injury due to transient ischemia. If blood flow is restored in time, the cells recover. If not, the injury becomes irreversible, leading to myocardial infarction (heart attack).
What if? If the injurious stimulus (e.g., hypoxia) persists, the reversible hydropic change will progress to irreversible injury. This 'point of no return' is marked by severe mitochondrial dysfunction and membrane damage, leading to cell death (necrosis). This highlights the critical window for clinical intervention.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key terms in the question stem: 'morphology' and 'reversible cell injury'. 'Morphology' refers to visible, structural changes.
The question asks you to identify a structural change from the options, not a cause or mechanism.
Evaluate each option against this criterion. Ask yourself, 'Is this a visible structural change, or is it a process that causes a change?'
Analyze the options: 'Metabolic change' and 'Oxidative change' are processes or mechanisms that lead to injury.
'Osseus change' is related to bone formation and is not a general type of cell injury.
'Hydropic change' describes the physical swelling of a cell due to water accumulation, which is a classic, observable morphological feature of reversible injury.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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