atrophy
at·ro·phy / ˈatrəfē/ • v. (-phies, -phied) [intr.] (of body tissue or an organ) waste away, typically due to the degeneration of cells, or become vestigial during evolution: without exercise, the muscles will atrophy | [as adj.] (atrophied) in some beetles, the hind wings are atrophied. ∎ fig. gradually decline in effectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect: her artistic skills atrophied from lack of use.• n. the condition or process of atrophying: gastric atrophy. ∎ fig. the gradual decline of effectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect: extensive TV viewing may lead to atrophy of children's imaginations.DERIVATIVES: a·troph·ic / āˈtrōfik; āˈträfik/ adj.
atrophy
atrophy The word comes from the Greek, meaning ‘ill-fed’. In biomedical terms it means wasting — loss of mass from a tissue or organ from whatever cause. It is used as a verb: muscles, for example, can atrophy with simple disuse; or as a noun (they undergo disuse atrophy); or, they become atrophied if their nerves are damaged, so that they can no longer be stimulated into action. Another type — closer to ‘ill-feeding’ — is ischaemic atrophy from deprivation of blood supply, such as may happen in parts of the brain after stroke or severe head injury, or in heart muscle in coronary artery disease. Atrophy also happens in the normal course of events to cells or tissues which have fulfilled their useful life (such as umbilical blood vessels after birth or ovaries after the menopause) or as cells die off progressively with age (as in kidneys and brain).
See also dementia; muscle wasting.
Sheila Jennett
See also dementia; muscle wasting.
atrophy
atrophy (at-rŏ-fi) n. the wasting away of a normally developed organ or tissue due to degeneration of cells. Pathological atrophy may occur through starvation, disuse, denervation, or ischaemia. muscular a. atrophy of muscular tissue associated with various diseases, such as poliomyelitis. See also multiple system atrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, Sudek's atrophy.
atrophy
atrophy wasting away of the body. XVII. — late L. atrophia — Gr. atrophíā, f. átrophos ill-nourished, f. A-4 + tréphein nourish.
So atrophied XVI. — F. atrophié.
So atrophied XVI. — F. atrophié.
atrophy
atrophy In medicine, shrinking or wastage of tissues or organs. It may be associated with disease, malnutrition, or, in the case of muscle atrophy, with disuse.
atrophy
atrophy Wasting of normally developed tissue or muscle as a result of disuse, ageing, or under‐nutrition.
atrophy
atrophy Of a structure, limb, organ, tissue, etc., to diminish in size.
atrophy
atrophy Of a structure, limb, organ, tissue, etc., to diminish in size.
More From encyclopedia.com
Tissue , Tissue
Tissue is the name for a group of similar cells that have a common structure and function and which work together. Tissues fit together to for… Adipose Tissue , adipose tissue Body fat–the cells that synthesize and store fat, releasing it for metabolism in fasting. Also known as white adipose tissue, to disti… Lymphoid tissue , lymphoid tissue The type of tissue found in the lymph nodes, tonsils, spleen, and thymus. It is responsible for producing lymphocytes and therefore c… necrosis , necrosis •glacis, Onassis •abscess •anaphylaxis, axis, praxis, taxis •Chalcis • Jancis • synapsis • catharsis •Frances, Francis •thesis • Alexis • am… Tissue Typing , Tissue Typing
Definition
Tissue typing is a group of procedures that determines the type of histocompatibility antigens on a person's cells or tissue… Vascular Tissue , vascular tissue (vascular system) The tissue that conducts water and nutrients through the plant body in higher plants (tracheophytes). It consists o…
About this article
atrophy
All Sources -
You Might Also Like
NEARBY TERMS
atrophy