Cellular adaptation to stress and toxic injury Flashcards
What is hypoxia?
Insufficient oxygen levels in body tissues
What is ischaemia?
Reduced or restricted blood flow to part of body, which results in hypoxia of that area
How can ischaemia damage cells?
Less oxygen supplied to mitochondria, so less ATP is produced by oxidative phosphorylation, so cell has less energy
What 2 conditions can cause oxygen starvation of tissues?
Anaemia, carbon monoxide poisoning
How can anaemia cause oxygen starvation?
Low healthy RBC count, so less oxygen is carried to tissues
How can carbon monoxide poisoning cause oxygen starvation?
Carbon monoxide displaces oxygen bound to haemoglobin, as CO has a higher affinity for haemoglobin
Give 6 examples of physical agents that damage cells?
Radiation, electric shock, atmospheric pressure changes, temperature extremes, mechanical trauma
Give 3 examples of chemical agents that damage cells?
Alcohol, cyanide, arsenic
Give 4 examples of infectious agents that damage cells?
Viruses, parasites, bacteria, fungi
How can the immune system damage own cells?
Autoimmune diseases attack own cells
Give an example of how genetic abnormalities can damage cells?
Mutation of haemoglobin gene causes sickle cell anaemia
Give 3 examples of nutrition imbalance that damages cells?
Starvation, excess nutrition, vitamin deficiency
What is the general response of normal cells in a stressful environment?
Adapt to undergo reversible injury
What is cellular adaptation?
Reversible changes in size, number, phenotype, metabolic activity, function in response to changes in the environment
Give 4 methods of cellular adaptation?
Hypertrophy, hyperplasia, metaplasia, atrophy
What is hypertrophy?
Increase in the size of cells, resulting in increase in size of affected organ
How do hypertrophic cells increase their size?
Synthesise more intracellular structural components
Why do cells undergo hypertrophy?
They have limited ability to divide, so cannot respond by hyperplasia, as hyperplasia requires cell proliferation to increase organ size
When do muscle cells undergo hypertrophy?
Increased workload
What are the 2 types of hypertrophy?
Pathological, physiological
Give an example of physiological hypertrophy?
uterus size increases in response to pregnancy
Give an example of pathological hypertrophy?
Cardiac muscle size increases due to high bp created by damaged heart valves
What is hyperplasia?
Increase in number of cells by excessive cell division, in an organ/tissue in response to a stimulus
Give 2 types of stimuli that trigger hyperplasia?
Hormones, growth factors