Hypertrophy
Increase in the size of biological cells
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of individual cells.[1] In multicellular organisms, growth is typically achieved through a combination of this cellular enlargement and hyperplasia, which is an increase in the number of cells.[2] While distinct processes, they often occur concurrently. Hypertrophy can lead to a relative increase in the volume of a tissue or organ, and contributes to the overall growth of an organism. In organisms characterized by eutely, where the total number of somatic cells is fixed upon reaching maturity, post-embryonic growth is achieved almost exclusively through hypertrophy.[3] In humans and other mammals, hypertrophy is a normal physiological process, such as the hormonally induced enlargement of uterine cells during pregnancy.
| Hypertrophy | |
|---|---|
| |
| Hypertrophy results from an increase in cell size, whereas hyperplasia stems from an increase in cell number. |
Clinical significance in humans
Eccentric hypertrophy is a type of hypertrophy in which the walls and chamber of a hollow organ undergo growth, resulting in an overall increase in size and volume. It is most commonly described in the left ventricle of the heart.[4] Sarcomeres are added in series, as for example in dilated cardiomyopathy (in contrast to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a type of concentric hypertrophy, where sarcomeres are added in parallel).
_(14780430391).jpg)