Pathology Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover important terms and concepts from pathology, focusing on assessment methods, cellular adaptations, and disease processes.

Hypertrophy

An increase in the size of cells resulting in an increase in the size of an organ.

Hyperplasia

An increase in tissue mass via cell replication in response to stimuli.

Atrophy

Shrinkage in cell size due to loss of cell substance, which may result from various factors.

Metaplasia

A reversible change where one adult cell type is replaced by another adult cell type better suited to withstand stress.

Etiology

The study of the causes and origins of disease.

Pathogenesis

The development and progression of a disease.

Cellular Adaptation

Reversible changes in cell number, size, phenotype, or function in response to environmental changes.

Dysplasia

Enlargement of an organ or tissue by the proliferation of cells of abnormal type, often an early stage in cancer development.

Apoptosis

A form of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms, characterized by specific morphological changes and cell shrinkage.

Necrosis

Uncontrolled cell death caused by external factors such as injury or infection, leading to inflammation.

Fibrosis

The thickening and scarring of connective tissue, usually as a result of injury.

Neoplasia

The process of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue or cells, which can be benign or malignant.

Inflammation

A localized physical condition characterized by redness, swelling, pain, and heat, usually as a response to injury or infection.