Cell Degeneration, Injury and Death Flashcards
What is Atrophy?
Decrease in size/number of cells after the end of normal development.
What is involution?
Give three examples.
Physiological Atrophy
- The uterus after parturition
- Thymus after puberty
- Senile atrophy
Give examples of pathological atrophy.
- Disuse atrophy
- Nerve damage
- Decreased perfusion
- Pressure atrophy
- Loss of endocrine stimuli
- Senile
What is this? It is an example of which degenerative cell process?

Hydrocephalus.
Pressure atrophy.
What is this? It is an example of which cell degenerative process?

Hydronephrosis.
Pressure atrophy
Neutering an animal can cause atrophy of which organ? Why?
The prostate gland, due to a loss of endocrine stimuli.
What is this histological feature called? Explain its presence.

Found in atrophic cells, filled with small degenerating organelles.
An increase in size of a cell/organ.
What causes this?
Hypertrophy
Increased functional demand on the cell.
Give examples of pathological and physiological hypertrophy.
Pathological - Genetic, Obstruction, pressure overload, tumour
Physiological - Muscle training, pregnant uterus
Name this gross pathological feature.

Right ventricular hypertrophic myopathy. Caused by haemodynamic overload.
Name this gross pathological feature.
Explain.

Adenocarcinoma obstructing the small intestine. Obstruction increases force of peristalsis contraction leading to hypertrophy.
Name this gross pathological feature.
Explain.

Severe diffuse hypertrophy (X-linked dystrophin deficiency), caused by congenital deficiency of dystrophin.
Altered number of cells.
______Plasia
Outline two examples of physiological hyperplasia.
- Hormonal hyperplasia
- mammary epithelium during pregnancy
- uterine epithelium during pregnancy
- Compensatory hyperplasia
- Partial loss of parenchyma (eg. partial hepatectomy)
- Symmetrical organs, with functional loss of one organ (eg. kidneys)
Explain this gross pathological feature.

Unilateral hypo/aplasia of one kidney with contralateral hyperplasia of the other.
If one kidney is absent or not fully developed, the controlateral one is required to work more it therefore increases its dimension by the means of increasing number of functional cell.
Give examples of pathological hyperplasia and briefly explain each.
- Excessive hormonal stimulation or growth factors
- Cystic endometrial hyperplasia (dog)
- Proud flesh
- Regeneration
- Nodular hyperplasia with age
- Viral
- Papilloma
Which organs can be see in this image?
What can cause this?

Parathyroid and thyroid gland (hyperplasia)
Caused by chronic renal failure and abnormal calcium handling.
What organ can be seen in this image?
Name the gross pathological feature seen.

Pancreas
Nodular hyperplasia which occurs in old age.
Metaplasia
Exchange of one adult cell type with another adult cell type.
True or False.
Metaplasia is an example of a reversible cellular change.
True.
Once the cellular stimuli is removed the original cell type will return.
Give an example of a tissue which can undergo metaplasia and name two causes.
The respiratory tract, replacement of respiratory epithelium by squamous epithelium due to chronic irritation or vitamin A deficiency.
Name and give example of the three categories of intracellular accumulations.
- Normal cellular constituents - water, lipid, protein, carbohydrates
- Abnormal substance
- Exogenous: mineral, products of infectious agents
- Endogenous: due to abnormal synthesis/ metabolism
- Pigment
Steatosis. State causes.
Intracellular accumulation of triglycerides.
Causes:
- Toxic injury
- Dibetes mellitus
- Hypoxia
- Elevated fat intake
Describe this pathological histology feature.

Steatosis. Large white vacuoles can be seen within cells, these contained triglycerides before processing.













