Atrophy

A wasting away.

Decrease in size of a cell, organ, tissue or part, a loss of tissue from an anatomic site due to nonuse, nonstimulation, pressure, or nutrients.

Loss or wasting of muscle tissue or function through lack of use or disease.

Wasting of normally developed tissue or muscle as a result of disuse, ageing or undernutrition.

A reduction in size or wasting away of any organ cell, resulting from disease or disuse.

Reduction in the size of a cell, tissue or organ.

A degeneration of a cell, tissue, organ, or muscle because of disease or other influences.

The wasting of an organ or part of the body.

Reduced size or shrinkage of an organ, tissue, or cell.

The shrinking, weakening, and “wasting away” of a part of the body, as because of disease, disuse, or damage, as in muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury, or prolonged hospitalization. In motor neuron diseases, for example, the muscles waste away because the nerves supplying communication with them are damaged.

Decrease in size of a part or organ, resulting from a wasting away of tissue, as may occur in disease or from lack of use.

Muscle tissue wasting as a result of disuse, ischemia, or nutritional deficiencies.

A reduction in the size of a body part owing to illness or other wasting condition.

Wasting or diminution in size or activity of a part of the body. Atrophy is caused by factors such as disease, aging, nutrition, immobility, and lack of exercise. For example, in a person who has polio, affected muscles decrease in size, or atrophy. As people age, the brain decreases in size, although this does not directly correlate with a decrease in intelligence or brain activity.

The wasting away of a normally developed organ or tissue due to degeneration of cells. This may occur through undernourishment, disuse, or aging. Forms of atrophy peculiar to women include the shrinking of the ovary at the menopause and of the corpus luteum during the menstrual cycle. Muscular atrophy is associated with various diseases, such as poliomyelitis.

Atrophy occurs when normal tissue, an organ or even the whole body wastes because the constituent cells die. Undernourishment, disease, injury, lack of use or ageing may cause atrophy. Muscular atrophy occurs in certain neurological diseases such as poliomyelitis or muscular dystrophy. The ovary atrophies at the menopause.

A wasting; a decrease in size of an organ or tissue. Atrophy may result from death and resorption of cells, diminished cellular proliferation, pressure, ischemia, malnutrition, decreased activity, or hormonal changes.

The condition of diminished muscle size and strength due to lack of use.

A wasting away or decrease in size of a cell, tissue, or organ of the body because of disease or lack of use.

The wasting or shrinking of muscles or glands due to disease, malnutrition, or lack of use.

Atrophy refers to the progressive degeneration or shrinkage of a typically developed tissue or organ, which occurs due to a decrease in the size or number of its constituent cells. This process involves the weakening and loss of functionality in the affected tissue or organ.

Atrophy often arises from disuse, such as when a limb remains immobilized in a plaster cast, or from insufficient cellular nourishment due to compromised blood circulation. Prolonged illness can also lead to atrophy, as the body may deplete protein reserves stored in the muscles. Furthermore, atrophy can be a natural occurrence, as seen in cases like ovarian atrophy in women who have reached menopause. In such instances, the shrinkage of the ovaries is considered a normal part of the aging process.