Cellular Adaptation, Injury, and Death

Flashcards for key vocabulary related to cellular adaptation, injury, and death.

Atrophy

Reduced size of an organ due to a decrease in cell size and number.

Hypertrophy

Increase in the size of cells resulting in increased size of the organ.

Hyperplasia

Increase in the number of cells resulting in increased size of the organ.

Metaplasia

Reversible change in which one differentiated cell type is replaced by another cell type, usually in response to stress or chronic irritation.

Physiologic Hyperplasia

Hormonal or compensatory increase in the number of cells.

Pathologic Hyperplasia

Excessive hormone stimulation or viral infections leading to an increase in cell number.

Physiologic Atrophy

Normal reduction in cell size and number, such as the notochord's development or post-partum uterus.

Pathologic Atrophy

Reduced cell size and number due to neuromuscular disorders, decreased workload, loss of innervation, ischemia, or inadequate nutrition.

Squamous Metaplasia

Replacement of cells in the respiratory tract due to tobacco smoke.

Barrett Esophagus

Gastric metaplasia of distal esophagus due to gastric acid reflux.

Myositis Ossificans

Muscle replaced by bone due to repeated skeletal muscle injury with hemorrhage.

Necrosis

A type of cell death that is always pathologic.

Apoptosis

A type of cell death that may be physiologic or pathologic.

Coagulative Necrosis

Cell death characterized by progressive loss of cell structure and coagulation of cellular constituents.

Liquefactive Necrosis

Cell death characterized by dissolution of necrotic cells, typically seen in abscesses or cerebral infarction.

Caseous Necrosis

Cell injury that occurs with granulomatous inflammation in response to certain microorganisms (e.g., tuberculosis), resulting in cellular debris with a cottage cheese-like appearance.

Fat Necrosis

Cell injury where lipases are released into adipose tissue, triglycerides are split into fatty acids, and insoluble salts are formed appearing chalky white.

Fibrinoid Necrosis

Cell injury that occurs in the wall of arteries in cases of vasculitis, with necrosis of smooth muscle cells and deposition of plasma proteins (fibrin) in the tunica media.

Hypoxia

A state of oxygen deprivation which can lead to cell injury.

Ischemia

Reduced blood supply causing cell injury.

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)

Unstable chemicals called free radicals that damage cell membranes and other structures.

Antioxidants

Compounds in foods that scavenge and neutralize free radicals.