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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).
Sheila Jennett See also dementia; muscle wasting. |
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COLIN BLAKEMORE and SHELIA JENNETT. "atrophy." The Oxford Companion to the Body. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. COLIN BLAKEMORE and SHELIA JENNETT. "atrophy." The Oxford Companion to the Body. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O128-atrophy.html COLIN BLAKEMORE and SHELIA JENNETT. "atrophy." The Oxford Companion to the Body. 2001. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O128-atrophy.html |
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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. |
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"atrophy." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "atrophy." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-atrophy.html "atrophy." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-atrophy.html |
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atrophy
atrophy , diminution in the size of a cell, tissue, or organ from its fully developed normal size. Temporary atrophy may occur in muscles that are not used, as when a limb is encased in a plaster cast. Interference with cellular nutrition, as through starvation; diseases affecting the nerve supply of tissues, e.g., poliomyelitis and muscular dystrophy; and prolonged disuse may cause a permanent wasting away of tissue. Atrophy may also follow hypertrophy . |
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"atrophy." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "atrophy." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-atrophy.html "atrophy." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-atrophy.html |
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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.
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"atrophy." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "atrophy." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-atrophy.html "atrophy." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-atrophy.html |
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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. |
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T. F. HOAD. "atrophy." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "atrophy." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-atrophy.html T. F. HOAD. "atrophy." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-atrophy.html |
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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.
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"atrophy." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "atrophy." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-atrophy.html "atrophy." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-atrophy.html |
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atrophy
atrophy Wasting of normally developed tissue or muscle as a result of disuse, ageing, or under‐nutrition.
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DAVID A. BENDER. "atrophy." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAVID A. BENDER. "atrophy." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-atrophy.html DAVID A. BENDER. "atrophy." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-atrophy.html |
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atrophy
atrophy Of a structure, limb, organ, tissue, etc., to diminish in size.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "atrophy." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "atrophy." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-atrophy.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "atrophy." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-atrophy.html |
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atrophy
atrophy Of a structure, limb, organ, tissue, etc., to diminish in size.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "atrophy." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "atrophy." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-atrophy.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "atrophy." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-atrophy.html |
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atrophy
atrophy The degeneration or withering of an organ or part of the body.
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"atrophy." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "atrophy." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-atrophy.html "atrophy." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-atrophy.html |
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atrophy
atrophy
•daffy, taffy
•Amalfi
•Cavafy, Gaddafi
•Effie
•beefy, Fifi, leafy
•cliffy, iffy, jiffy, Liffey, niffy, sniffy, spiffy, squiffy, stiffy, whiffy
•salsify
•coffee, toffee
•wharfie
•Sophie, strophe, trophy
•Dufy, goofy, Sufi
•fluffy, huffy, puffy, roughie, roughy, scruffy, snuffy, stuffy, toughie
•comfy • atrophy
•anastrophe, catastrophe
•calligraphy, epigraphy, tachygraphy
•dystrophy, epistrophe
•autobiography, bibliography, biography, cardiography, cartography, chirography, choreography, chromatography, cinematography, cosmography, cryptography, demography, discography, filmography, geography, hagiography, historiography, hydrography, iconography, lexicography, lithography, oceanography, orthography, palaeography (US paleography), photography, pornography, radiography, reprography, stenography, topography, typography
•apostrophe
•gymnosophy, philosophy, theosophy
•furphy, murphy, scurfy, surfy, turfy
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"atrophy." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "atrophy." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-atrophy.html "atrophy." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-atrophy.html |
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