General Pathology and Pathophysiology

What this unit covers

This unit sits in the General Pathology strand of Internal medicine, pathology and clinical semiology. It follows the usual path of general pathology: cell injury and adaptation, inflammation and repair, haemodynamic problems, and tumours. Later items move into organ systems such as liver, kidney, lung, bone and skin.

Where to start

Begin with the basics. The General Pathology quiz opens with cell injury questions, including causes of injury and the body's protective response. The General Pathology mind map covers haemolysis and the structure of haemoglobin. The Introduction to Pathology mind map and the Concepts and Classification mind map are gentle ways in.

1. Read a mind map such as Response to cell injury to see the whole topic on one page.
2. Take a short quiz on the same topic, such as Pathology- tissue repair.
3. Use flashcards, such as Cell injury 1+ 2, to fix terms in memory.

Using quizzes and maps together

Maps show how ideas connect. The Edema mind map sets out the mechanisms: raised hydrostatic pressure, reduced plasma osmotic pressure, increased vascular permeability, sodium retention and lymphatic or venous obstruction. After reading it, test yourself on the same ground. Wrong answers tell you which branch to revisit.

The Pigments in histopathology quiz is a good example of a focused check. It asks you to identify deposits and recall stains, such as the Perls reaction for haemosiderin and Von Kossa's method for calcium.

Going further

For larger practice sets, the Clinical Pathology MCQs for Year 4 PMU cover tumour types, such as ovarian and colon tumours, along with breast lesions. The immunology flashcards, PATHO LE2: Immuno, cover T-cell and B-cell receptors and the actions of TH1 and TH2 cells. One resource mentions USMLE, and most items are written for university study.

When you're ready, choose one topic from the list, work through its map and quiz, and then make your own notes on whatever still feels shaky.