Increase in number of cells in a tissue is called - - RUHS, Jaipur, PB B.Sc Nursing Entrance-2024

RUHS, Jaipur, PB B.Sc Nursing Entrance-2024

Pathology & Genetics

Easy

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, PB B.Sc Nursing Entrance-2024

Explanation

Hyperplasia is the correct term for an increase in the number of parenchymal cells in a tissue or organ.
This cellular adaptation leads to enlargement of the affected part.
It occurs in response to a stimulus and can be either physiological (e.g., hormonal changes in pregnancy) or pathological (e.g., endometrial hyperplasia due to excess estrogen).
Hyperplasia only happens in tissues containing cells that are capable of dividing.

Option A: Hypertrophy refers to an increase in the size of individual cells, not the number of cells.
Option C: Aplasia signifies the complete absence or failure of development of a tissue or organ. It is a developmental defect, not a cellular adaptation to stress.
Option D: Hypoplasia describes the underdevelopment or incomplete development of a tissue, meaning it has fewer cells than normal. This is the opposite of what the question describes.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Cellular adaptations and growth abnormalities as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding cellular adaptations is fundamental for nurses to recognize signs of both normal physiological changes (e.g., uterine enlargement in pregnancy) and pathological processes (e.g., benign prostatic hyperplasia, increased risk of endometrial cancer).
Nurses monitor for clinical manifestations of pathological hyperplasia, such as abnormal bleeding in endometrial hyperplasia or urinary difficulties in benign prostatic hyperplasia.
What if? If the question asked about the response of cardiac muscle to chronic high blood pressure, the answer would be hypertrophy. Adult heart muscle cells are permanent cells and cannot divide; they adapt to increased workload by increasing in size.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key phrase in the question stem: 'increase in number of cells'.
Next, analyze the prefixes and suffixes of the options. 'Hyper-' means 'excessive' or 'above normal'. '-plasia' relates to formation or growth in number. '-trophy' relates to size or nourishment.
Evaluate Hyperplasia: 'Hyper-' (excessive) + '-plasia' (number) directly translates to an excessive number of cells, matching the question.
Evaluate Hypertrophy: 'Hyper-' (excessive) + '-trophy' (size) means an increase in cell size, which is different from the question's focus on cell number.
Evaluate Aplasia and Hypoplasia: 'A-' means 'without' and 'Hypo-' means 'under'. Both indicate a lack or reduction in development, which is the opposite of an increase.
Based on this breakdown, select the term that precisely matches the definition provided in the question.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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