Definitions Flashcards
Inflammation
Local physiological response to injury
Granuloma
Aggregate of epitheloid histocytes (activated macrophages resembling epithelial cells)
Thrombus
A stationary blood clot along the wall of a blood vessel
Embolism
A detached thrombus carried through the circulation that obstructs a smaller vessel
Infarction
Reduced blood flow that leads to cell death
Ischaemia
Reduced blood flow
Apoptosis
Programmed cell death in a single cell
Necrosis
Un-programmed cell death of a large number of cells
Atrophy
Decrease in tissue size due to loss of cell size and number
Hypertrophy
Increase in tissue size due to increase in size of cells
Hyperplasia
Increase in tissue size due to increase in number of cells
Dysplasia
Morphological changes seen in cells in progression to becoming cancer
Metaplasia
Conversion of one differentiated cell into another differentiated cell
Resolution
Initiating factor removed. Tissue undamaged or able to regenerate
Repair
Initiating factor still present, tissue damaged and unable to regenerate
Laminar flow
Cells travel in the centre of arterial vessels and don’t touch the sides
Thrombosis
The formation of a solid mass from blood constituents in an intact vessel in a living person
Thrombus
A solid mass of blood constituents formed within the vascular system
Atherosclerosis
A disease in which plaque builds up in arteries
Hayflick limit
The maximum number of cell divisions
Carcinogens
Agents known or suspected to cause tumours
Carcinogenic
Cancer causing
Oncogenic
Tumour causing
Neoplasm
A lesion resulting from the autonomous abnormal growth of cells which persists after the initiating stimulus has been removed
Neoplasia
Autonomous, abnormal, persistent new growth
Innate immunity
Instinctive, non specific, doesn’t depend on lymphocytes and is present from birth
Adaptive immunity
Specific, ‘aquired/learned’ immunity, requires lymphocytes and antibodies`
