Fragmentation

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Fragmentation (medicine)

Fragmentation (/fræɡmənˈteɪʃən/; from Latin fragmentum, meaning "a broken piece") is a medical term referring to the process or state where something is broken into small parts or fragments. In the medical field, fragmentation can refer to various phenomena, such as the breaking apart of kidney stones or the division of cells during mitosis.

Etymology

The term "fragmentation" originates from the Latin word fragmentum, which means "a broken piece". It entered the English language in the late 15th century, initially referring to the act of breaking something into pieces. In the medical context, it has been used since the 19th century to describe various biological and pathological processes.

Related Terms

  • Cellular fragmentation: A process in which a cell is broken down into smaller parts. This can occur during certain stages of cell death or as a part of normal cell function.
  • DNA fragmentation: The breaking apart of DNA strands into smaller fragments. This can occur as a result of damage or during certain biological processes, such as apoptosis.
  • Fragmentation (reproduction): A form of asexual reproduction where an organism is split into fragments, each of which develop into mature, fully grown individuals.
  • Kidney stone fragmentation: A medical procedure where kidney stones are broken into smaller pieces that can be more easily passed or removed.

See Also

References


External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski