Introduction to Pathology and Cell Death

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Questions and Answers

What is the definition of pathology?

The study of disease by scientific methods.

What are the two ways cells can die?

Necrosis and apoptosis.

What are the mechanisms by which necrosis occurs? (Select all that apply)

  • Increased intracellular calcium level (correct)
  • Hypoxia (correct)
  • Free radical-induced cell injury (correct)
  • Cell membrane damage (correct)

Ischemia is a common cause of acute cell injury?

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a possible cause of mercuric chloride poisoning?

<p>Ingestion of contaminated seafood.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are some examples of infectious agents that can cause cell injury?

<p>Bacteria (A), Fungi (C), Viruses (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Immune reactions are always beneficial to the body and never cause cell injury.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is coagulative necrosis most often caused by?

<p>Sudden interruption of blood supply to an organ.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is liquefactive necrosis characterized by?

<p>Digestion of tissue, softening, and liquefaction of tissue.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of necrosis can be caused by trauma to tissue with high fat content?

<p>Fat necrosis.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Caseous necrosis has a characteristic cheese-like appearance.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the two types of gangrene?

<p>Wet gangrene and dry gangrene.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of necrosis?

<p>Loss of membrane integrity and leakage of cell content.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the three patterns of nuclear changes in necrosis?

<p>Karyolysis, pyknosis, and karyorrhexis.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Apoptosis causes the death of clusters of cells.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the characteristic features of apoptosis?

<p>Cell shrinkage, increased acidophilic staining, and fragmentation into apoptotic bodies.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Apoptosis is followed by inflammation and calcification.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do apoptotic cells in a normal crypt in the colonic epithelium show?

<p>Fragmented nuclei with condensed chromatin and shrunken cell bodies.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Pathology

The scientific study of disease.

Necrosis

A type of cell death caused by injury, characterized by swelling and membrane rupture.

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death, often a normal part of development or response to injury.

Hypoxia

Lack of oxygen.

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Free radical injury

Cell damage caused by unstable molecules.

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Cell membrane damage

Disruption of the cell's outer boundary.

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Increased intracellular calcium

Harmful elevation of calcium within cells.

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Ischemic injury

Lack of blood supply to a tissue.

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Toxic injury

Harms due to chemicals or substances.

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Infectious agent injury

Cell damage induced by microbes (viruses, bacteria, fungi).

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Immune reaction injury

Body's defence mechanisms causing damage.

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Genetic defects

Errors in cell's blueprints causing disease.

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Coagulative necrosis

Necrosis where tissues appear firm and thickened.

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Liquefactive necrosis

Necrosis where tissues soften due to digestion.

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Fat necrosis

Necrosis in fatty tissue, often from trauma.

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Caseous necrosis

Necrosis with a cheese-like appearance.

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Gangrenous necrosis

Necrosis due to vascular occlusion, may involve bacteria.

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Loss of membrane integrity

Cell membrane breakdown during necrosis, releasing content in death.

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Eosinophilia

Increased pink staining of cells (in necrosis).

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Karyolysis

Fading of nuclear basophilia (in necrosis).

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Pyknosis

Nuclear shrinkage (in necrosis).

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Karyorrhexis

Fragmentation of a pyknotic nucleus (in necrosis).

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Study Notes

Definition of Pathology

  • Pathology is the scientific study of disease.
  • The word pathology comes from Latin words "patho" and "logy".
  • "Patho" means disease, and "logy" means study.

Cell Death

  • Cells can die in two ways: necrosis and apoptosis.

Necrosis

  • Excess fluid enters the cell, causing swelling and rupture of the cell membrane.
  • Enzymes for cell digestion come from dying cells or leukocytes.
  • Necrosis can occur due to different mechanisms:
    • Hypoxia
    • Free radical-induced cell injury
    • Cell membrane damage
    • Increased intracellular calcium level
  • Causes of cell injury and necrosis:
    • Ischemic and hypoxic injury (reduced blood flow)
    • Chemical (toxic) injury (e.g., mercury chloride poisoning)
    • Infectious agents (viral, bacterial, fungal)
    • Immunological reaction (immune system attacking cells)
    • Genetic defects

Types of Necrosis

  • Coagulative necrosis: Often results from sudden interruption of blood supply to an organ (e.g., heart).
  • Liquefactive necrosis: Tissue digestion and softening, leading to liquefaction, typically seen in suppurative infections (pus formation).
  • Fat necrosis: Caused by trauma to tissues with high fat content (e.g., breast).
  • Caseous necrosis: Has a cheese-like appearance; typical in tuberculosis.
  • Gangrenous necrosis: Often affects lower extremities or bowel due to vascular occlusion; can be wet (with liquefactive necrosis) or dry (only coagulative).

Apoptosis

  • Apoptosis is the death of single cells within clusters of other cells.
  • Apoptosis involves cell shrinkage and increased acidophilic staining.
  • Cell fragments are called apoptotic bodies.
  • Apoptosis occurs as a normal physiological process (e.g., development, menstruation).
  • Apoptosis can also occur in pathological conditions due to mild injury.
  • Apoptosis is not followed by inflammation or calcification.
  • Necrosis vs. Apoptosis: Apoptosis and Necrosis differ in their morphological appearance.

Morphology of Necrosis

  • Cytoplasmic changes: Increased eosinophilia (pink).
  • Nuclear changes: Three patterns: karyolysis (chromatin fading), pyknosis (nuclear shrinkage), karyorrhexis (fragmentation).
  • The nucleus may completely disappear within 1-2 days.

Morphology of Apoptotic Cells

  • Apoptotic cells generally show fragmented nuclei with condensed chromatin.
  • Apoptotic cells have shrunken cell bodies.

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