Abnormal Growth, Differentiation & Morphogenesis Flashcards
What is meant by cellular adaptations?
Why do they need to occur?
cellular changes in response to changes in environment or demand
they need to occur as a normal cell in its resting state is confined to limited function and structure
What is meant by cellular adaptations being reversible?
when there is a change in demand, the cell adapts and reaches a new steady state of normal
the cell can recover and return to its original state without any harmful consequences
What are the 5 ways in which cells tend to adapt?
- size
- number
- phenotype
- metabolic activity
- function
Why do cells adapt?
they need to acquire a new, steady state of metabolism and structure
this better equips cells to survive in a new environment
What happens if cells fail to adapt?
failure of adaptation may lead to sub-lethal or lethal cell injury
What determines a cell’s susceptibility to environmental change?
whether or not it is able to adapt
some cells don’t need to adapt
some adapt easily
some cannot adapt at all
What is an example of a cell that doesn’t need to adapt?
Why?
fibroblasts
they can survive metabolic stress without harm
e.g. absence of oxygen
What is an example of a group of cells that can adapt easily?
How do they tend to adapt and how are they able to do this?
epithelial cells
they are a labile cell population with an active stem cell compartment
they are highly adaptive in number and function
What is meant by labile cells?
labile cells are cells that multiply constantly throughout life
they have a high turnover
What is an example of a cell that cannot adapt?
Why can it not adapt and what does this mean for the cell?
cerebral neurones
they are terminally differentiated and a permanent cell population
they have a highly specialised function and are easily damaged
What are the 2 types of stimuli that lead to cellular adaptation?
- physiological stimuli
- pathological stimuli
they are not always mutually exclusive - a physiological stimulus can become pathological if it persists for too long
What is an adaptation to a physiological stimulus?
responding to normal changes in physiology or demand
What is an adaptation to a pathological stimulus?
responding to disease related changes
What are the 3 types of adaptive response?
- increased cellular activity
- decreased cellular activity
- change of cell function and/or morphology (type of cells that are there in the first place)
How is an increase or decrease in cellular activity acheived?
through an increased or decreased size or number of cells
What is the difference between hypertrophy and hyperplasia?
hypertrophy:
increase in SIZE of cells
hyperplasia:
increase in NUMBER if cells due to excessive cell division
they both lead to an increased cell mass
How does hypertrophy affect cells, their functional capacity and their metabolism?
there is an increase in size of existing cells and an increase in functional capacity
there is increased metabolism and increased synthesis of structural components
What type of cell populations does hypertrophy tend to be seen in?
permanent cell populations
particularly cardiac and skeletal muscle
these are cells that don’t divide very well
What is the stimulus that leads to hypertrophy in the heart?
chronic haemodynamic overload e.g. due to high blood pressure
this increases the demand of the heart, leading to an increase in size of the muscles
What is an example of physiological hypertrophy?
during pregnancy, the uterus becomes hypertrophied to meet the demands of the growing foetus
What is shown by the different coloured arrows?
green - uterus in an elderly woman
yellow - normal healthy uterus
red - uterus in pregnancy
What changes are seen in the uterus in pregnancy (bottom picture)?
there are fewer cells which are larger
there are spaces between the cells due to oedema (fluid) between the cells
you can clearly see individual cells
What can benign hyperplasia of the prostate gland lead to?
trabeculated hypertrophied urinary bladder
this is because the bladder has to work harder to push urine through the urethra, so it becomes hypertrophied
What is the difference in the skeletal muscle shown?
left - normal 50 year old man
right - veteran marathon runner with hypertrophied skeletal muscle due to increased demands of the cells
What defect/condition is seen in this aortic valve?
it has 2 cusps instead of 3
a congenitally bicuspid aortic valve is more prone to calcification, which makes the valve stiff
this is aortic stenosis