Pathologists’ Assistant (ASCP) Exam Study Guide.
, Pathologists’ Assistant (ASCP) Exam Study Guide.
1. Hypertrophy Increased cell and organ size, often in response to increased workload: induced by
mechanical stress and by growth factors; occurs in tissue incapable of cell division
2. Hyperplasia Increased cell numbers in response to hormones and other growth factors; occurs
in tissues whose cells are able to divide
3. Atrophy Decreased cell and organ size, as a result of decreased nutrient supply or disuse:
associated with decreased synthesis and increased proteolytic breakdown of
cellular organelles
4. Metaplasia Change in phenotype of ditterentiated cells, often a response to chronic irritation
that makes cells better able to withstand the stress
5. Hypoxia Oxygen deficiency which interferes with aerobic oxidative respirations and is an
extremely important and common cause of cell injury and death
6. Ischemic Loss of blood supply in a tissue due to impeded arterial flow or reduced venous
drainage
7. Coagulative A form of tissue necrosis in which the component cells are dead but the basic
necrosis tissue architecture is preserved for at least several days
8. Liquefactive A form of necrosis seen in focal bacterial or occasionally fungal infections because
necrosis microbes stimulate the accumulation of inflammatory cells and the enzymes of
leukocytes digest the tissue
9. Caseous necrosis A form of necrosis encountered most often in foci of tuberculous infections
10. Fat necrosis Term referring to focal areas of fat destruction, typically resulting from release of
activated pancreatic lipases into the peritoneal cavity
11. Fibrinous necro- A special form of necrosis usually seen in immune reactions involving blood
sis vessels
, Pathologists’ Assistant (ASCP) Exam Study Guide.
12. Autophagy Lysosomal digestion of the cell's own components
13. Apoptosis A pathway of cell death that is induced by a tightly regulated suicide program in
which the cells destined to die activate enzymes capable of degrading the cells
own nuclear DNA
14. Steatosis (fatty Refers to any abnormal accumulation of triglycerides within parenchymal cells It
change) is most often seen in the liver
15. Dystrophic calci- Depositions of calcium at sites of cell injury and necrosis
fication
16. Metastatic calcifi- Deposition of calcium in normal tissues, caused by hypercalcemia (usually a
cation consequence of parathyroid hormone excess)
17. Inflammation A protective response intended to eliminate the initial cause of cell injury as well
as the necrotic cells and tissues resulting from the original insult
18. Acute inflamma- A rapid response to injury or microbes and other foreign substance that is
tion designed to deliver leukocytes and plasma proteins to sites of injury
19. Serous inflam- Fluid in a serous cavity
mation
Serous inflammation is marked by fluid transudates, reflecting moderately in-
creased vascular permeability. Such accumulations in the peritoneal, pleural, and
pericardial cavities are called ettusions;
20. Effusion Fluid in a serous cavity ,
21. Fibrinous inflam- Inflammation occurring as a consequence of more severe injuries, resulting in
mation greater vascular permeability that allows large molecules (such as fibrinogen) to
pass the endothelial barrier
22. Abscess
, Pathologists’ Assistant (ASCP) Exam Study Guide.
Focal collections of pus that may be caused by seeding of pyogenic organisms
into a tissue or by secondary infections of necrotic foci
23. Ulcer A local defect or excavation of the surface of an organ or tissue that is produced
by necrosis of cells and sloughing of inflammatory necrotic tissue
24. Cytokines Polypeptide products of many cell types that function as mediators of inflamma-
tion and immune responses
25. Chronic inflam- Prolonged inflammation in which active inflammation, tissue injury, and healing
mation proceed simultaneously
26. Granulomatous A distinctive pattern of chronic inflammation characterized by aggregates of acti-
inflammation vated macrophages that assume an epithelioid appearance
27. Repair The restoration of tissue architecture and function after an injury
28. Regeneration The process of replacing damaged tissue components and essentially returning
to a normal state
29. Fibrosis The extensive deposition of collagen that occurs in the lungs, liver, kidney and
other organs as a consequence of chronic inflammation
30. Angiogenesis A critical process in healing at sites of ischemia where a preexisting vessel sends
out capillary sprouts to produce new vessels
31. Keloid A prominent raised scar caused by the accumulation of exuberant amounts of
collagen
32. Edema Significant increased fluid in the interstitial tissue spaces
33. Anasarca Severe and generalized edema with profound subcutaneous tissue swelling
34. Hyperemia A local increase in blood volume that is an active process from augmented blood
flow due to arteriolar dilation
, Pathologists’ Assistant (ASCP) Exam Study Guide.
1. Hypertrophy Increased cell and organ size, often in response to increased workload: induced by
mechanical stress and by growth factors; occurs in tissue incapable of cell division
2. Hyperplasia Increased cell numbers in response to hormones and other growth factors; occurs
in tissues whose cells are able to divide
3. Atrophy Decreased cell and organ size, as a result of decreased nutrient supply or disuse:
associated with decreased synthesis and increased proteolytic breakdown of
cellular organelles
4. Metaplasia Change in phenotype of ditterentiated cells, often a response to chronic irritation
that makes cells better able to withstand the stress
5. Hypoxia Oxygen deficiency which interferes with aerobic oxidative respirations and is an
extremely important and common cause of cell injury and death
6. Ischemic Loss of blood supply in a tissue due to impeded arterial flow or reduced venous
drainage
7. Coagulative A form of tissue necrosis in which the component cells are dead but the basic
necrosis tissue architecture is preserved for at least several days
8. Liquefactive A form of necrosis seen in focal bacterial or occasionally fungal infections because
necrosis microbes stimulate the accumulation of inflammatory cells and the enzymes of
leukocytes digest the tissue
9. Caseous necrosis A form of necrosis encountered most often in foci of tuberculous infections
10. Fat necrosis Term referring to focal areas of fat destruction, typically resulting from release of
activated pancreatic lipases into the peritoneal cavity
11. Fibrinous necro- A special form of necrosis usually seen in immune reactions involving blood
sis vessels
, Pathologists’ Assistant (ASCP) Exam Study Guide.
12. Autophagy Lysosomal digestion of the cell's own components
13. Apoptosis A pathway of cell death that is induced by a tightly regulated suicide program in
which the cells destined to die activate enzymes capable of degrading the cells
own nuclear DNA
14. Steatosis (fatty Refers to any abnormal accumulation of triglycerides within parenchymal cells It
change) is most often seen in the liver
15. Dystrophic calci- Depositions of calcium at sites of cell injury and necrosis
fication
16. Metastatic calcifi- Deposition of calcium in normal tissues, caused by hypercalcemia (usually a
cation consequence of parathyroid hormone excess)
17. Inflammation A protective response intended to eliminate the initial cause of cell injury as well
as the necrotic cells and tissues resulting from the original insult
18. Acute inflamma- A rapid response to injury or microbes and other foreign substance that is
tion designed to deliver leukocytes and plasma proteins to sites of injury
19. Serous inflam- Fluid in a serous cavity
mation
Serous inflammation is marked by fluid transudates, reflecting moderately in-
creased vascular permeability. Such accumulations in the peritoneal, pleural, and
pericardial cavities are called ettusions;
20. Effusion Fluid in a serous cavity ,
21. Fibrinous inflam- Inflammation occurring as a consequence of more severe injuries, resulting in
mation greater vascular permeability that allows large molecules (such as fibrinogen) to
pass the endothelial barrier
22. Abscess
, Pathologists’ Assistant (ASCP) Exam Study Guide.
Focal collections of pus that may be caused by seeding of pyogenic organisms
into a tissue or by secondary infections of necrotic foci
23. Ulcer A local defect or excavation of the surface of an organ or tissue that is produced
by necrosis of cells and sloughing of inflammatory necrotic tissue
24. Cytokines Polypeptide products of many cell types that function as mediators of inflamma-
tion and immune responses
25. Chronic inflam- Prolonged inflammation in which active inflammation, tissue injury, and healing
mation proceed simultaneously
26. Granulomatous A distinctive pattern of chronic inflammation characterized by aggregates of acti-
inflammation vated macrophages that assume an epithelioid appearance
27. Repair The restoration of tissue architecture and function after an injury
28. Regeneration The process of replacing damaged tissue components and essentially returning
to a normal state
29. Fibrosis The extensive deposition of collagen that occurs in the lungs, liver, kidney and
other organs as a consequence of chronic inflammation
30. Angiogenesis A critical process in healing at sites of ischemia where a preexisting vessel sends
out capillary sprouts to produce new vessels
31. Keloid A prominent raised scar caused by the accumulation of exuberant amounts of
collagen
32. Edema Significant increased fluid in the interstitial tissue spaces
33. Anasarca Severe and generalized edema with profound subcutaneous tissue swelling
34. Hyperemia A local increase in blood volume that is an active process from augmented blood
flow due to arteriolar dilation
