Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Immunology + Pathology > Cell injury > Flashcards

Cell injury Flashcards

1
Q

What is reversible cell injury

A

cells adapt to changes in environment​

return to normal once stimulus removed​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is irreversible cell injury

A

permanent​

cell death as consequence​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What factors decide how the cell reacts to a new environment

A

cell stress
cell vulnerability
Dose intensity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What occurs if a cell cannot adapt

A

Cell injury which could lead to cell death

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What determines whether the injury us reversible or irreversible

A

depends on type, duration, severity of injury​

AND on the susceptibility/adaptability of the cell: nutritional status, metabolic needs (cardiac vs skeletal muscle)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the aetiology of cell injury

A

hypoxia (=decreased oxygen supply)​

physical agents (radiation – free radicals)​

chemicals/drugs​

infections (bacterial toxins, viruses)​

immunological reactions​

nutritional imbalance​

genetic defects​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is hypoxia

A

deficiency of oxygen​

causes: anaemia, respiratory failure​

disrupts oxidative respiratory processes in cell – decreased ATP​

cells can still release energy via anaerobic mechanisms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is ischaemia

A

reduction in blood supply to tissue​

caused by blockage of arterial supply or venous drainage, e.g. atherosclerosis ​

depletion of not just oxygen but also nutrients, e.g. glucose​

more rapid/severe damage than hypoxia- anaerobic energy release will also stop.​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What physical agents can cause cell injury

A

mechanical trauma – affects structure, cell membranes​

extremes of temperature – affect proteins, chemical reactions​

ionising radiation – DNA damage – can often be repared by DNA repair systems (not immediate – may take years to appear usually in form of cancer)​

electric shock - burn​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What chemicals and drugs cause cell damage

A

simple chemicals (glucose), in excess cause osmotic disturbance​

poisons (cyanide blocks oxidative phosphorylation), environmental (insecticides)​

occupational hazards (asbestos) causes inflammation​

alcohol, smoking and recreational drug​

Disruption of cell membranes and proteins

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What immunological reactions occur to cause cell damage

A

anaphylaxis (tp 1 hypersensitivity, IgE mediated)​

auto-immune reactions (tp 2, antibodies directed towards host antigens, tp 3 – antigen-antibody complexes)​

cause damage as a result of inflammation (complement, clotting, neutrophil products, etc)​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How can a nutritional imbalance add to cell damage

A

Too little (inadequate intake)​

   Specific nutrient :scurvy, rickets.​

   Generalized: anorexia​

Too much (excessive intake)​

   Specific: hypervitaminosis A/D​

   Generalized :obesity​
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How might someone be more genetically predisposed to cell damage

A

sickle cell anaemia (haemoglobin chain)​

inborn error of metabolism (lack of enzyme causes build up of enzyme substrate)​

also more subtle variations in genetic make up determine susceptibility to cell injury from all of the previous causes​

cancer​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What counts as reversible cell injury

A

disruption to:

aerobic respiration/ATP synthesis (mitochondrial damage)​

plasma membrane integrity​

enzyme and structural protein synthesis​

DNA maintenance​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is the morphology of reversible cell injury

A

Cloudy swelling
Fatty change

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What causes cloudy swelling

A

cells are incapable of maintaining ionic and fluid homeostasis​ (sodium pumps fail)

failure of energy dependent ion pumps in the cell membrane​
-loss of ATP/energy dependent Na pump leads to influx of Na and water ​

there is also a build up of intracellular metabolites

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What causes the appearance of fatty change

A

accumulation of lipid vacuoles in cytoplasm caused by disruption of fatty acid metabolism so that triglycerides cannot be released from the cell, especially in liver.​

occurs with toxic and hypoxic injury (alcohol abuse, diabetes, obesity)​

macroscopically liver enlarged and pale​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the point of no return

A

Mitochondrial high amplitude swelling, mitochondrial matrix densities, violent blebbing (breaking off)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are irreversible changes

A

Membrane rupture, dispersal of organelles
Breakdown of lysosomes - will result in digestion of cells as well as those produced by the neutrophils (leucocytes) which are present as a result of inflammation response
Activation of inflammatory response

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is necrosis

A

cell death​

usually due to pathology​

irreversible cell injury​

intracellular protein denaturation and lysosomal digestion of cell.​

cell membrane is disrupted leading to leakage of cell contents​

inflammatory response in surrounding tissue​

cell remains are removed by phagocytosis​

histopathological changes may take some time to appear.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is pyknosis

A

Nucleus shrinks (darker staining in histology)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is karyolysis

A

the blue staining DNA in nucleus is digested by endonucleases and the blue staining fades away

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is Karyorrhexis

A

Nucleus fragments

24
Q

What cytoplasmic changes occur during necrosis

A

appears paler, because swollen, or more eosinophilic (pinker) because of denaturation of cytoplasmic structural and enzyme proteins

25
What are the types of necrosis
Coagulative necrosis Liquefactive necrosis (colliquative) - pus Caseous necrosis​ Gangrenous necrosis Fat necrosis Fibrinoid necrosis​
26
What is coagulative necrosis
MOSTCOMMON No proteolysis of the dead cells due to denaturation of enzymes​ Architecture of tissues is preserved for some days​ No nucleus; eosinophillic cells.​ Grossly, firm in texture​ Cells digested by lysosomes of leukocytes​
27
What is a localised area of coagulative necrosis called
Infarct
28
What is liquefactive necrosis
Digestion of dead tissues so tissue in in liquid viscous state​ Focal bacterial or fungal infections (abcess)​ Grossly, necrotic material is thick, pale yellow in colour​ CNS necrosis as a result of hypoxia often manifested as liquefactive necrosis
29
What is caseous necrosis
Grossly, friable white appearance (like cheese)​ Mostly seen in tuberculous infection​ Microscopically; granuloma-fragmented cells and granular debris ( mass apoptosis) surrounded by inflammatory cells​
30
What is gangrenous necrosis
coagulative necrosis with superimposed bacterial infection –liquefactive necrosis​
31
What is fat necrosis
focal areas of fat destruction. Fat cells may be liquefied by activated pancreatic enzymes (acute pancreatitis)
32
What is fibrinoid necrosis
-special type of necrosis seen in immune reactions in blood vessels immune (antigen –antibody) complexes are deposited in artery walls together with fibrin that leaks out of the vessels.​ bright pink and amorphous substance in H&E
33
What are the effects of necrosis
functional-depends on organ /tissue​ inflammation​ - release of cell contents activates inflammation​ - cell remains are then phagocytosed​ finally the necrotic area is replaced by a scar-i.e. it undergoes organisation or repair​ if remains are not removed then calcium salts may be deposited in necrotic tissue
34
What are the types of cell death
pyknosis karyorrhexis karyolysis
35
What is apoptosis
Genetically programmed cell death​ Orderly elimination of unwanted cells​ Important physiological role​ Can occur in pathological situations​ Requires energy​ Distinct pathways involved​ Does not cause inflammation​ Different morphology from necrosis​
36
What are the pathological triggers of apoptosis
hypoxia/ischaemia (protein misfolding)​ viral infection – cytotoxic T-lymphocytes contain enzymes which can induce apoptosis.​ DNA damage- if unrepairable p53 triggers apoptosis​ Caspases are activated enzymes that trigger apoptosis. ​ Cell contents are degraded by enzymes activated by the cell
37
What is the purpose of apoptosis
deletion of cell populations during embryogenesis​ hormone change dependent involution –uterus, breast, ovary​ cell deletion in proliferating cell populations to maintain constant number of cells - epithelium​ deletion of inflammatory cells after an inflammatory response​ deletion of self reactive lymphocytes in the thymus​
38
What can too much apoptosis lead to
Degenerative diseases
39
What can too little apoptosis cause
Cancer
40
What is the morphology (appearance) of apoptosis
cell shrinkage​ chromatin condensation – packaging up of nucleus​ cell membrane remains intact, with formation of cytoplasmic blebs​ break off to form apoptotic bodies​ phagocytosed, but no widespread inflammation​
41
What are the differences between necrosis and apoptosis
NECROSIS -enlarged cells -disrupted plasma membrane -nucleus appears as pyknosis - karyorrhexis - karyolysis APOPTOSIS -shrinkage of cells -intact plasma mebrane with disrupted structure -fragmentation of nucleus into nucleosome size fragments
42
Whar abnormal substances accumulate in cells
excessive normal cellular constituent​ Water, lipid (fatty change), glycogen​ abnormal endogenous/exogenous material​ Carbon, silica, metabolites, cholesterol
43
What is temporary accumulation called
cytoplasmic
44
What is permanent accumulation called
Nuclear
45
What is atherosclerosis
accumulation of cholesterol in macrophages and smooth muscle cells in blood vessel walls​
46
What is amyloid
Amyloid is a fibrillar protein material that is deposited as a result of pathologic processes
47
What stimulates amyloid deposits
Chronic inflammation Multiple myeloma Ageing Drug abuse
48
Where is amyloid most frequently found
Kidneys
49
What are the types of amyloid accumulation
AL -(amyloid light chain) derived from light chain immunoglobulins from plasma cells.​ AA -(amyloid associated): derived from proteins synthesized in the liver​ Aβ -Alzheimer's disease​
50
What is amyloidosis
Impairment of degreadation and removal of abnormal protein response
51
What is pathological pigmentation
Build up of pigmented substances in cytoplasm​ endogenous pigmentation exogenous pigmentation​
52
What causes endogenous pigmentation
Lipofuscin-cellular lipid breakdown products​ Melanin​ Haemosiderin-localised bruising​ Bilirubin
53
What causes raised serum calcium
1-increased levels of parathyroid hormone (hyperparathyroidism)​ - parathyroid gland tumour​ 2-destruction of bone tissue- leukaemia, metastasis to bone, immobilization​ 3- excess vitamin D​ 4- renal failure- causes secondary hyperparathyroidism​
54
What is hypercalcaemia
Raised serum calcium
55
What causes exogenous pathological pigmentation
Carbon deposition-commonest ​ in macrophages in alveoli of lungs​ black pigment=anthracosis​ inhaled soot/smoke​ in coal workers can be severe and lead to fibrosis=pneumoconiosis​ Tattoos​ Heavy metal salts eg lead​ Pigmentation associated with intravascular drug use​
56
Whar is pathological calcification
dystrophic​ -deposits of calcium phosphate in necrotic tissue. Serum calcium is normal metastatic​ -deposits of calcium salts in normal, vital tissue with raised serum calcium levels​ -often seen in connective tissue of blood vessels​ -can compromise function of tissue​
57
What are the types pathologic calcification
dystrophic metastatic

Immunology + Pathology (11 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions