Paper II
Question
Which of the following cellular changes is associated with irreversible injury
Answer
Correct answer: c) Nuclei undergo karyorrhexis
Nuclear fragmentation (karyorrhexis, along with pyknosis and karyolysis) is a hallmark of irreversible cell injury/cell death — it reflects the point of no return where the cell can no longer be rescued. In contrast, glycogen depletion, increased cytoplasmic sodium (from Na+/K+-ATPase pump failure), and decreased intracellular pH (from anaerobic glycolysis) are all early, reversible changes seen in the initial phase of hypoxic cell injury, before the point of irreversibility.