Which term is the study of disease processes?

• A. Anatomy
• B. Oxygenation
• C. Pathophysiology
• D. Ventilation

Answer: (C)

Pathophysiology is the study of how disease disrupts normal body function. It links the mechanisms of illness—cell injury, altered signaling, inflammatory responses, and organ dysfunction—to the clinical signs, symptoms, and progression we observe. This field explains why a disease manifests the way it does and how it changes the body's systems over time. Anatomy focuses on structure, and physiology describes normal function, while oxygenation and ventilation cover specific gas-ex exchange processes rather than the broader mechanisms of disease. So, the term that best describes the study of disease processes is pathophysiology.