Pathology Definitions Flashcards
Pathology
The study of disease through examination of body tissues and organs
Histology
the study of the microscopic structure of tissues
Histopathology
the study of microscopic changes in diseased tissue
Cytology
the study of individual cells and tissue components
Cytopathology
the study of disease in individual cells and tissue components
Health
absence of disease and infirmary
Disease
physiological or psychological dysfunction
Causes of injury/disease
environmental factors
behavioural factors
mechanical factors
hypoxia
Causes of disease
infection
immunological reactions
genetic conditions
idiopathic (spontaneous, unknown)
Congenital
genetic defects (CF, phenylketouria)
non-genetics (intrauterine infection - rubella, HIV)
Acquired
inflammatory - arthritis
vascular - atherosclerosis
growth disorders - cancer
metabolic - gout
Cellular adaptation
when a cell is between normal state and injured state
Cellular adaptive processes
atrophy (decrease cell no. - organ shrinkage [starvation - muscle wasting])
hypertrophy (^ cellular components > cell size > organ size [keloid])
hyperplasia (^ cellular numbers, ^ reproduction of cell rate)
metaplasia (abnormal changes in tissue)
reversible processes
Cellular changes
swelling of cytoplasm (reversible)
clumping of nuclear chromatin (reversible)
disruption of cellular membranes (irreversible)
nuclear shrinkage + breakup (irreversible)
Cell death
- loss of plasma membrane
- fragmentation into discrete bodies
- fragments engulfed by neighbouring cell
