Atrophy is the partial or complete wasting away of a part of the body. Causes of atrophy include poor nourishment, poor circulation, loss of hormonal support, loss of nerve supply to the target organ, or disease intrinsic to the tissue itself. Hormonal and nerve inputs that maintain an organ or body part are referred to as trophic. With regard to living things, a body is the integral physical material of an individual, and contrasts with soul, personality and behavior. ... Nutrition is interpreted as the study of the organic process by which an organism assimilates and uses food and liquids for normal functioning, growth and maintenance and to maintain the balance between health and disease. ... The word circulation can mean the following: The transport of blood through the circulatory system. ... A hormone (from Greek horman - to set in motion) is a chemical messenger from one cell (or group of cells) to another. ... A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers or axons, which includes the glia that ensheath the axons in myelin. ... In biology, an organ (Latin organum: instrument, tool) is a group of tissues, which perform a specific function or group of functions. ...

Atrophy is a general physiological process of reabsorption and breakdown of tissues, involving apoptosis on a cellular level. It can be part of normal body development and homeostatic processes, or as a result of disease. Atrophy resulting from disease of the tissue itself, or loss of trophic support due to other disease is termed pathological atrophy. Physiology (in Greek physis = nature and logos = word) is the study of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms. ... Biological tissue is a group of cells that perform a similar function. ... In biology, apoptosis (from the Greek words apo = from and ptosis = falling, pronounced ap-a-tow-sis[1]) is one of the main types of programmed cell death (PCD). ... Cells in culture, stained for keratin (red) and DNA (green) The cell is the structural and functional unit of all living organisms, sometimes called the building blocks of life. ... Homeostasis or homoeostasis is the property of an open system, especially living organisms, to regulate its internal environment so as to maintain a stable condition, by means of multiple dynamic equilibrium adjustments controlled by interrelated regulation mechanisms. ... A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. ...

Atrophy examples

In normal development

Examples of atrophy as part of normal development include shrinkage and involution of the thymus in early childhood and the tonsils in adolescence. In human anatomy, the thymus is a ductless gland located in the upper anterior portion of the chest cavity. ... The Palatine tonsils. ...

Atrophy of the breasts can occur with prolonged estrogen reduction, as with anorexia nervosa or menopause. Atrophy of the testes occurs with prolonged use of enough exogenous sex steroid (either androgen or estrogen) to reduce gonadotropin secretion. The adrenal glands atrophy during prolonged use of exogenous glucocorticoids like prednisone. A pair of female breasts The term breast, also mamma [1] in human anatomy, refers to the upper ventral region of an animals torso, particularly that of mammals, including human beings. ... Estrogens (or oestrogens) are a group of steroid compounds that function as the primary female sex hormone. ... Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by voluntary starvation and exercise stress. ... Menopause (also known as the Change of life or climacteric) is a stage of the human female reproductive cycle that occurs as the ovaries stop producing estrogen, causing the reproductive system to gradually shut down. ... A sex steroid is a steroid hormone which interacts with vertebrate androgen or estrogen receptors. ... Androgen is the generic term for any natural or synthetic compound, usually a steroid hormone, that stimulates or controls the development and maintenance of masculine characteristics in vertebrates by binding to androgen receptors. ... Estrogens (or oestrogens) are a group of steroid compounds that function as the primary female sex hormone. ... Gonadotropins are protein hormones secreted by gonadotrope cells of the pituitary gland of vertebrates. ... In mammals, the adrenal glands (also known as suprarenal glands or colloquially as kidney hats) are the triangle-shaped endocrine glands that sit atop the kidneys. ... Glucocorticoids are a class of steroid hormones characterised by an ability to bind with the cortisol receptor and trigger similar effects. ... Prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid drug which is usually taken orally and can be used for a large number of different conditions. ...

Disuse

Disuse atrophy of muscles and bones, with loss of mass and strength, can occur after prolonged immobility, such as extended bedrest. This type of atrophy can usually be reversed with exercise. Astronauts must exercise regularly to prevent atrophy of their limb muscles while they are in zero gravity. A top-down view of skeletal muscle Muscle is a contractile form of tissue. ... Grays illustration of a human femur, a typically recognized bone. ... Bedrest as a medical treatment refers to staying in bed day and night as a treatment for an illness or medical condition, especially when prescribed or chosen rather than resulting from severe prostration or imminent death. ...

Pathologic

Pathologic atrophy of muscles can occur due to diseases of the motor nerves, or due to diseases of the muscle tissue itself. Examples of atrophying nerve diseases include poliomyelitis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), and Guillain-Barre syndrome. Examples of atrophying muscle diseases include muscular dystrophy, myotonia congenita, and myotonic dystrophy. Poliomyelitis (polio), or infantile paralysis, is a viral paralytic disease. ... Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a term used to cover a number of illnesses of the motor neurone. ... For the motor neuron disease, see amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Als (German, Alsen) is an island in the Baltic Sea. ... Motor neurone disease (MND) is a term used to cover a number of illnesses of the motor neurone: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), progressive muscular atrophy (PMA), progressive bulbar palsy (PBP) and progressive lateral sclerosis (PLS). ... Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), is an acquired immune-mediated inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nervous system (i. ... The muscular dystrophies are a group of genetic and hereditary muscle diseases; characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness, defects in muscle proteins, and the death of muscle cells and tissue. ... Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is a chronic, slowly progressing, highly variable inherited disease that can manifest at any age from birth to old age. ...