Cellular adaptations Flashcards
What is apoptosis?
Programmed cell death
All normal cells have a predetermined life span.
What is necrosis?
Cell damage + cell death
All necrotic cells are dead, but not all dead cells are necrotic.
What factors play a role in cell longevity?
Genetic and environmental factors
These factors contribute to how long a cell can survive and function.
What happens to enzyme systems as a cell ages?
They gradually decline
This decline affects the cell’s ability to protect itself from injury.
What is atrophy?
Reduction in cell size
Can result from inadequate hormonal stimulation or reduced blood supply.
What is hypertrophy?
Increase in cell size, but not cell number
Example: Muscles of a weight lifter.
What is hyperplasia?
Increase in size of tissue or organ because of increase in cell number
Example: Glandular tissue of breasts during pregnancy.
What is metaplasia?
Change from one type of cell to another
Example: Lining of chronically inflamed bladder.
What are the changes resulting from cell injury?
- Cell swelling
- Fatty change
Cell swelling occurs due to sodium diffusion into the cell.
What is dysplasia?
Disturbed and abnormal cell development and maturation
Individual cells vary in size and shape.
What is neoplasia?
Tumor
It can result from dysplasia and is characterized by uncontrolled cell growth.
What is the relationship between cell growth and cell death?
Determines the number of functional cells
A balance between growth and death is essential for tissue homeostasis.
Fill in the blank: Cell aging may be caused by damage to _______.
DNA, RNA and organelles
These damages contribute to the overall aging process of the cell.
True or False: All normal cells have a predetermined life span.
True
This concept is central to understanding apoptosis.
What does cell necrosis indicate?
Cell damage and death
It is often associated with pathological conditions.
What occurs during fatty change in a cell?
Accumulation of fat droplets in cytoplasm
This results from impairment of enzymes that metabolize fat.
List three ways in which an aging cell becomes increasingly vulnerable to injury.
- Decline in enzyme systems
- Reduced ability to repair DNA
- Increased susceptibility to environmental stressors
These factors contribute to the aging process and vulnerability of cells.
