inflammation

Home > ... > Medicine > Diseases and Conditions > Pathology > ...

inflammation

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | 2008 | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

inflammation reaction of the body to injury or to infectious, allergic, or chemical irritation. The symptoms are redness, swelling, heat, and pain resulting from dilation of the blood vessels in the affected part with loss of plasma and leucocytes (white blood cells) into the tissues. White blood cells communicate with each other via cytokines, which are polypeptides released by cells of the immune system that regulate other cells. They are a broad class of soluble compounds that signal one cell type to another, particularly in response to foreign substances. Granulomas are most common in infectious diseases such as tuberculosis , leishmaniasis , and schistosomiasis , in which the body's defenses, unable to destroy the offending organisms, try to enclose them in a mass of inflammatory cells. Certain types of inflammation result in pus formation, as in an abscess. The leukocytes destroy harmful microorganisms and dead cells, preventing the spread of the irritation and permitting the injured tissue to repair itself.

Hide all research tools
Print this article Print all entries for this topic Cite this article Link to this article
Link to this article

CloseClose

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1E1-inflamma" title="Facts and information about inflammation">inflammation</a>

Add this article to Del.icio.usBookmark this article on DiigoShare this article on FacebookSubmit this article to RedditGive this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"inflammation." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 26 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"inflammation." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (November 26, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-inflamma.html

"inflammation." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved November 26, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-inflamma.html

Learn more about citation styles

inflammation

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | © World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

inflammation Reaction of body tissue to infection or injury, with resulting pain, heat, swelling and redness. It occurs when damaged cells release histamine, which causes blood vessels at the damaged site to dilate. Leucocytes invade the area to engulf bacteria. Macrophages remove dead tissue, sometimes with the formation of pus.

Hide all research tools
Print this article Print all entries for this topic Cite this article Link to this article
Link to this article

CloseClose

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1O142-inflammation" title="Facts and information about inflammation">inflammation</a>

Add this article to Del.icio.usBookmark this article on DiigoShare this article on FacebookSubmit this article to RedditGive this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"inflammation." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"inflammation." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (November 26, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-inflammation.html

"inflammation." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved November 26, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-inflammation.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

Free Article Breaking news in inflammation.(lead story)
Magazine article from: Access; 8/1/2008
Free Article Slow burn: how inflammation can trigger a heart attack.(Cover story)
Newspaper article from: Nutrition Action Healthletter; 1/1/2009
Free Article Critical care: applying genomics to inflammation outcomes.(Environews / Focus)
Magazine article from: Environmental Health Perspectives; 12/1/2005

Facts and information from other sites

Related topics

  Edit this list

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, and more

Inflammation linked to a range of diseases.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service; 8/2/2002; ; 700+ words ; Byline: Karen Uhlenhuth Inflammation is getting a nasty reputation...had a mean streak, of course. Inflammation run amok is the culprit behind...Over the past year, however, inflammation _ the pain, swelling and redness...
INFLAMMATION IS CULPRIT IN MANY AILMENTS
Newspaper article from: The Boston Globe; 4/3/2006; ; 700+ words ; ...is as simple as it is radical: Chronic inflammation spurred by an immune system run amok appears...that pumps out the chemicals that drive inflammation (more on all these later). Inflammation, of course, is not all bad. In fact...
Inflammation--the silent killer.
Newspaper article from: Women's Health Letter; 7/1/2003; 700+ words ; ...problem was due, in part, to chronic inflammation--something her doctor had missed...supplement program designed to lower chronic inflammation, she began to feel better--and...Recent studies are pointing to chronic inflammation as being a major risk factor for heart...
Systemic inflammation and mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (1).
Magazine article from: Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology; 1/1/2007; ; 700+ words ; ...disease (COPD). Some have implicated systemic inflammation, which is commonly observed in COPD, as the...clearly demonstrated the effect of local lung inflammation on systemic inflammation and on the progression of atherosclerosis and...
Chronic inflammation alters protein metabolism in several organs of adult rats
Magazine article from: The Journal of Nutrition; 7/1/2002; ; 700+ words ; Chronic Inflammation Alters Protein Metabolism in Several...protein metabolism occur during chronic inflammation, and the consequences they have...induced body weight loss and chronic inflammation characterized by an increase of spleen...
EXPERTS: INFLAMMATION TRIGGERS HEART ATTACKS FROM 25 MILLION TO 35 MILLION HEALTHY MIDDLE-AGED AMERICANS WITH NORMAL CHOLESTEROL HAVE AN UNUSUAL RISK OF HEART ATTACKS AND STROKES.(FRONT)
Newspaper article from: Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI); 8/4/2002; 700+ words ; ...attacks. The condition is low-grade inflammation, which may originate in a variety...evidence has become overwhelming that inflammation hidden deep in the body is a common...certainly recommend broad testing. Inflammation can be measured with a $10 test that...
Inflammation 911
Magazine article from: Pointe; 2/1/2009; ; 700+ words ; ...you should know about dealing with inflammation. When Washington Ballet apprentice...with what could have become a painful inflammation. "Just as I was lowering my partner...back became a persistent problem. Inflammation is the body's way of getting our...
Deflating Inflammation
Magazine article from: Today's Woman; 12/1/2006; ; 700+ words ; ...and more information is pointing to inflammation playing a major role in the development...GINGIVITIS PSORIASIS and even strokes, inflammation is being cited as a contributor, and...thousands every year. "That is because inflammation represents a very basic response by...
Inflammation May Impair Heart as Much As Cholesterol
Newspaper article from: The Washington Post; 1/6/2005; ; 700+ words ; Damping down inflammation in the body appears to be just as important...the first direct evidence that curbing inflammation can independently protect the heart. Patients who reduced inflammation were significantly less likely to have...
Inflammation may be key cause of heart disease and more: diet's role.
Magazine article from: Environmental Nutrition; 7/1/2004; ; 700+ words ; Inflammation used to be considered a sign of infection...that what you eat can either aggravate inflammation or lessen its effects. Here's the...recommendations. Defense Gone Awry. Inflammation is the body's normal defense reaction...

Pictures from Google Image Search

Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture

For students and teachers!

Encyclopedia.com provides students and teachers facts, information, and biographies from verified, citable sources, including:

Encyclopedia.com provides students and teachers facts, information, and biographies from verified, citable sources, including:

Current inflammation News: