Squamous metaplasia
Squamous Metaplasia
Squamous metaplasia (pronunciation: /ˈskweɪməs metəˈpleɪziə/) is a benign, reversible transformation of epithelial cells into a squamous cell phenotype. This process is often a response to stress or damage, such as chronic inflammation or irritation.
Etymology
The term "squamous metaplasia" is derived from the Latin squama, meaning "scale", and the Greek metaplasia, meaning "transformation". This reflects the transformation of the cells into a scale-like, or squamous, form.
Related Terms
- Epithelial cells: These are the cells that line the surfaces of organs and structures in the body. They are involved in functions such as secretion, selective absorption, protection, transcellular transport, and sensing.
- Metaplasia: This is a reversible change in which one differentiated cell type is replaced by another cell type. It is often a response to stress or damage.
- Squamous cells: These are flat cells that look like fish scales under a microscope. They are found in the tissue that forms the surface of the skin, the lining of the hollow organs of the body, and the passages of the respiratory and digestive tracts.
- Dysplasia: This is an abnormal type of excessive cell proliferation characterized by loss of normal tissue arrangement and cell structure. Often considered a precancerous state, dysplasia is associated with increased risk of cancer.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Squamous metaplasia
- Wikipedia's article - Squamous metaplasia
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