Metaplasia
noun
Metaplasia is a biological process where one type of mature tissue changes into another type of mature tissue in response to stress or injury.
Chronic irritation can lead to metaplasia, where the normal cells of a tissue are replaced by a different type of cell.
Usage tips
Formal
cell transformation,tissue adaptation,chronic irritation
noun
Metaplasia is a biological process where one type of mature tissue changes into another type of mature tissue in response to stress or injury.
Chronic irritation can lead to metaplasia, where the normal cells of a tissue are replaced by a different type of cell.
Usage tips
Formal
cell transformation,tissue adaptation,chronic irritation
Definition 1 of 1
Pro Tip 1/3Medical Context
Metaplasia is an important concept in pathology, helping to assess how tissues respond to stress.
In patients with chronic bronchitis, metaplasia can occur as the respiratory epithelium adapts to prolonged irritation.
Pro Tip 2/3Cellular Significance
Understanding metaplasia can provide insights into potential disease processes, including cancer development.
Metaplasia is often studied to understand how normal cells may become cancerous over time.
Pro Tip 3/3Prevention
Research suggests that reducing exposure to irritants may prevent metaplasia from occurring.
Avoiding smoking can help prevent metaplasia in lung tissues.
Compare with
hyperplasiadysplasticneoplasiaatrophy
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