Cellular Adaptations, Injury, Organelles, and Membrane Transport

Vocabulary flashcards covering cellular adaptations, major causes of cell injury, core cellular organelles, and mechanisms of cell membrane transport.

Atrophy

Decrease in cell size, leading to reduced tissue mass.

Hypertrophy

Increase in cell size, leading to enlarged tissue mass (such as cardiac muscle thickening under high blood pressure/stress).

Hyperplasia

Increase in the number of cells resulting in enlarged tissue mass.

Metaplasia

Replacement of one mature cell type by a different mature cell type.

Dysplasia

Variation in cell size and shape within a tissue, often a precursor to malignancy.

Major Causes of Cell Injury

Hypoxia (oxygen deprivation), physical agents, chemical agents, infectious agents, and inflammatory or immune responses.

Mitochondria

Produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the primary energy currency required for cellular processes and survival.

Ribosomes

Synthesize proteins using RNA and amino acid templates.

Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)

Smooth ER synthesizes lipids and carbohydrates; rough ER helps process and transport proteins.

Golgi Apparatus

Modifies, packages, and ships proteins and lipids out of the cell or into the membrane.

Lysosomes

Contain digestive enzymes to break down cellular waste and foreign matter.

Fluid Mosaic Model

Describes the cell membrane structure as a flexible lipid bilayer embedded with proteins.

Passive Transport

Movement across the membrane without energy (e.g., simple diffusion, osmosis).

Active Transport

Movement requiring cellular energy (ATP) to move molecules against a gradient, such as how glucose enters certain cells via facilitated/mediated transport.

Oncotic Pressure

The osmotic pressure exerted by plasma proteins in blood vessels that pulls water back into capillaries.