Pathology Flashcards
List and describe 10 eukaryotic cell components
Eukaryotic cell structure (10 points):
- Nucleus (contains genetic material)
- Nucleolus (synthesis of RNA/assembly of ribosome)
- Cell membrane (lipid bilayer with proteins and sugars)
- Cytoplasm (80% water, suspends organelles)
- Mitochondria (double membrane, supplies ATP for cell)
- Golgi apparatus (processes and packages proteins into vesicles)
- Smooth ER (lipid synthesis and metabolism)
- Rough ER (studded with ribosomes, protein metabolism)
- Ribosome (site of protein synthesis)
- Lysosome (contains enzymes, breakdown of waste products of cell).
List 6 types of cell
Types of cell:
“BBGGNM”
- Bone
- Blood (erythrocytes, leukocytes, lymphocytes)
- Gland
- Gamete.
- Nerve
- Muscle (voluntary striated; involuntary smooth; cardiac)
List and describe 3 shapes of cell
Shapes of cell:
- Squamous
- simple squamous e.g. capillary epithelium
- stratified squamous e.g. skin
- keratinized e.g. masticatory surfaces
- non-keratinized (or parakeratinized) e.g. lips, buccal surface
- Cuboidal
- simple cuboidal e.g. ovary surface
- Columnar
- simple columnar e.g. digestive tract
- pseudocolumnar e.g. respiratory tract.
Categorize different types of cell by their ability to divide and differentiate (3 main categories)
Tissue homeostasis – different types of cell have different abilities to divide and differentiate:
- Labile cells – constantly renewed e.g. stratified squamous epithelium of skin
- Stable cells – usually quiescent but can be stimulated to divide e.g. hepatocytes
- Permanent cells – incapable of regeneration in post-natal life e.g. neurons, cardiac myocytes.
What is the difference between hyperplasia and hypertrophy?
Cell growth:
- Hyperplasia (cell proliferation) – increase in number of cells
- Hypertrophy – increase in size of cells.
Recall each phase the eukaryotic cell cycle (4 phases)
Cell cycle: M → G1 → S → G2
G0 phase: cells are quiescent outside of cell cycle
Outline the 7 stages of mitosis (M phase of cell cycle)
Stages of mitosis (7 points):
“I _P_ush _P_oor _M_idgets _A_round _T_esco _C_arparks”
- Interphase
- Prophase
- Prometaphase
- Metaphase
- Anaphase
- Teleophase
- Cyctokinesis
Describe reversible and irreversible injury in cells under physiological stresses and pathological stimuli
Physiological stresses and patholigical stimuli pathway
List the causes of cell injury (10 points)
“THE MAGNIFIC” injury
The extra “E” is not included in the photo, however, take this as an extra injury: endocrine.
List the 4 main cell injury mechanisms
Cell injury mechanisms (4 points):
- Loss of energy (ATP/O2 depletion)
- Oxygen and oxygen-derived free radicals
- Loss of calcium homeostasis
- Defects in plasma membrane
Describe the mechanism of cell injury due to loss of energy (ATP/O2)
Loss of energy (ATP/O2):
- Mitochondria susceptible to injury from ischaemia, oxidants, free radicals, cations, weak acids
- Mitochondria damage leads to leakage of pro-apoptic proteins, reduced ATP
Describe the mechanism of cell injury due to oxygen and oxygen-derived free radicals
Oxygen and oxygen-derived free radicals:
- Free radicals chemically unstable (unpaired valence electrons) so prone to reacting with other stable molecules
- Causes chain reaction (autocatalytic)
- Cellular injury caused by:
- Lipid peroxidation causing cell membrane damage
- Protein fragmentation
- Reacts with thymine causing DNA mutations
Describe the mechanism of cell injury due to loss of calcium homeostasis
Loss of calcium homeostasis:
- Normally extracellular Ca2+ > intracellular Ca2+
- Ca2+ gradient maintained by membrane ATPase pumps
- Increase in cytoplasm Ca2+:
- Activation of intracellular enzymes
- Ca2+ is pro-aptotic
Describe the changes in cell morphology following reversible cell injury
Reversible cell injury:
- Light microscopic changes – cell swelling, fat accumulation
- Ultrastructural changes – cell membrane alterations, mitochondrial swelling, RER swelling and ribosomal detachment.
Describing the changes in cell morphology following irreversible cell injury
Irreversible cell injury:
- Light microscopic changes: loss of RNA, cytoplasmic vacuolisation, chromatin clumping
- Ultrastructural changes: membrane disruption, mitochondrial amorphous densities, nuclear changes (pyknosis – shrinkage; karyorrhexis – fragmentation; karyolysis – fading).
Define necrosis and describe the 5 distinct patterns of necrosis
Necrosis – pathological early cell death:
- Unregulated; initiated by extrinsic factors (e.g. infection, trauma).
- Separate distinctive morphological patterns (5 points):
- Coagulative
- Liquefactive
- Gangrenous
- Caseous
- Fat.
Describe coagulative necrosis
Coagulative necrosis:
- Most commonly caused by ischaemia (e.g. myocardial infarction)
- Basic tissue architecture stays the same due to denatured lysosomal enzymes, so no degradation
- Necrotic cells ultimately removed by inflammatory cells
- Dead cells replaced by regeneration (or scar tissue in the case of cardiac infarction).
Describe liquefactive necrosis
Liquefactive necrosis:
- Most commonly caused by brain tissue infarcts
- Enzymatic break down of tissue which leads to loss of tissue architecture (viscous liquid mass)
- Puss due to leukocyte accumulation.
Describe gangrenous necrosis
Gangrenous necrosis:
- Most commonly caused by disrupted blood supply to extremities (e.g. toes)
- Dry gangrene (no bacterial superinfection; mainly coagulative necrosis)
- Wet gangrene (bacterial superinfection; mainly liquefactive necrosis)
- Advanced and macroscopically obvious presentation.
Describe caseous necrosis
Caseous necrosis:
- Most commonly caused by mycobacterium and fungal infections
- Macroscopically “cheesy”
- Microscopically amorphous granular debris surround by inflammatory cells (i.e. granuloma)
- Tissue architecture unrecognizable (due to combination of coagulative and liquefactive necrosis).
Describe fat necrosis
Fat necrosis:
- Most commonly found in adipose tissue (especially of pancreas in pancreatitis)
- Occurs following hydrolytic action of lipases
- Fatty acids released are mopped up by free calcium – saponification reaction (soap).
Define and describe the triggers and mechanisms of apoptosis
Apoptosis – programmed cell death (“cell suicide”):
- Controlled; triggered by intrinsic or extrinsic pathway; active process (requires ATP)
- Physiological – embryonic development, hormone-dependent involution of organs
- Pathological – controlled cell death in tumours; controlled cell death of virally infected cells
- Excessive apoptosis results in atrophy; insufficient apoptosis leads to hyperplasia.
Differentiate between necrosis and apoptosis; stimuli, cell morphology, biochemical mechanism and tissue reaction (6 points each)
Define acute inflammation
Acute inflammation is an essential defence mechanism in response to tissue injury e.g. traumas:
- Mechanical
- Thermal
- Radiation
- Chemical
- Infection
- Ischaemia
- Immunological
- Foreign body
List the 5 cardinal signs of acute inflammation
Macroscopic features – cardinal signs of acute inflammation (5 points):
- Rubor
- Tumor
- Calor
- Dolor
- Functio laesa.
List the keys stages (3 points) and key components (3 points) of acute inflammation
Acute inflammation:
- 3 key stages of acute inflammation:
- vasodilatation
- increased vascular permeability
- migration of leukocytes.
- 3 key components of acute inflammatory process:
- vascular component
- cellular component
- chemical mediator component
Describe the vascular changes in acute inflammation (7 points)
Vascular changes in acute inflammation (7 points):
- Initial rapid & transient arteriolar vasoconstriction
- Activation of clotting cascade
- Resultant fibrin plug traps platelets
- Platelets activation causes release of inflammatory mediators (e.g. histamine, 5-HT, LKTs, PGs)
- Arteriolar smooth muscle relaxation → increased blood flow
- Increased vessel permeability → leak of exudate
- Increased oncotic pressure in interstitial tissue draws H20.
Describe the cellular changes in acute inflammation (6 points)
Cellular changes in acute inflammation (6 points):
“MRADCP”
- Margination – as blood flow slows (vascular changes) leukocytes move to lie against endothelium
- Rolling – GLPs on leukocytes (salyl-Lewis X) bind on and off to endothelial selectins (E- and P-selectins)
- Adhesion – firm adhesion of leukocytes (not on and off) occurs via integrin molecules (LFA-1) on leukocytes bind to corresponding Ig ligands (ICAM-1 and ICAM-2) on endothelium
- Diapedesis – adherent leukocytes transmigrate through endothelium into interstitial space of tissues
- Chemotaxis – migrated leukocytes move along gradient of chemotactic factors* toward site of injury
- Phagocytosis – opsonized bacteria are engulfed by neutrophils and macrophages to create a phagosome; phagosome fuses with lysosome and engulfed particles are digested and exocytosed.
*Initially neutrophils (initial 24 hr) followed by macrophages (after 48 hr) migrate to area of injury
List the plasma and cellular chemical mediators of acute inflammation
Chemical mediators of acute inflammation
- Plasma chemical mediators:
- Complement system (membrane attack complex); kinin system (bradykinin vasodilatation); coagulation system (clot formation); fibrinolytic system (clot breakdown)
- Cellular chemical mediators:
- Vasoactive amines (leukocytes – histamine, 5-HT; endothelium – NO)
- Lysosomal enzymes
- Arachidonic acid derivatives (COX pathway – PG, LKT)
- Cytokines (TNF, IL-1, IL-6, Chemokines, IL-17)
- Free radicals
List the diagnostic outcomes of acute inflammation (4 points)
Diagnostic outcomes of acute inflammation (4 points):
“SCAR”
- Scaring and fibrosis
- Chronic inflammation
- Abscess and pus formation
- Resolution
List the key systemic effects of acute inflammation (3 points)
Key systemic effects of acute inflammation:
- Fever (endogenous pyrogens: IL-1 – prostaglandins in hypothalamus; TNF-α)
- Leukocytosis – IL-1 and TNF-α produce an accelerated release of leukocytes from bone marrow
- Acute phase response:
- Decreased appetite
- Altered sleep patterns
- Changes in plasma concentrations of CRP, fibrinogen, serum amyloid A
List 3 key features of chronic inflammation
Key features of chronic inflammation (3 points):
- Ongoing tissue destruction (hence “chronic”)
- Infiltration of tissues by mononuclear inflammatory cells
- Evidence of healing.
List 3 main causes of chronic inflammation
Main causes of chronic inflammation (3 points):
- Non-specific (underlying injurious agent persists, inadequate blood supply, failure to drain)
- Autoimmune (production of antibodies against self – antibody complexes, necrosis)
- Granulomatous (organized collection of macrophages; offending agent walled off in pus-filled cavity).
Define granuloma and describe its formation
Organized collection of macrophages during inflammation.
Granulomas form when the immune system attempts to wall off foreign substances which it is unable to eliminate, e.g. infection organisms (TB), foreign objects, keratin and suture fragments.
Define periapical granuloma (6 points)
Localized mass of chronically inflamed granulation tissue that forms at the opening of the pulp canal, generally at the apex of a nonvital tooth root.
Most cases of periapical granuloma are completely asymptomatic and are discovered incidentally on radiograph → well-circumscribed radiolucency
Describe periapical (i.e. radicular) cyst (7 points)
Describe periapical cyst (radicular cyst):
- True cyst (unlike periapical granuloma)
- A true cyst is an abnormal, closed, epithelium-lined cavity in the body
- There is a proliferation of the epithelial rests of Malassez
- As the cells in the core of the mass become increasingly separated from the source of nutrition in the connective tissue, they undergo necrosis centrally, forming a cavity that is lined by epithelium and filled with fluid.
- Most periapical (radicular) cysts are asymptomatic and discovered on radiographic examination (similar to periapical granuloma)
- It is not possible to differentiate reliably a periapical granuloma from a periapical (radicular) cyst on the basis of the radiographic appearance alone
- Lateral periapical (radicular) cyst may be used to describe this inflammatory cyst when it occurs laterally (e.g. due to laterally positioned foramen of root apex)
List 7 diseases with associated chronic inflammation
Diseases associated with chronic inflammation (non-exhaustive list):
- Atherosclerosis
- Allergy
- Asthma
- Transplant rejection
- Vasculitis
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Sarcoidosis
List the macroscopic features of chronic inflammation (5 points)
Macroscopic features of chronic inflammation (5 points):
- Chronic ulcer
- Chronic abscess
- Thickening of hollow viscus wall
- Granuloma
- Fibrosis.