Hypertrophy is the increase in the volume of an organ or tissue due to the enlargement of its component cells. It is distinguished from

hyperplasia Hyperplasia (from ancient Greek ὑπέρ ''huper'' 'over' + πλάσις ''plasis'' 'formation'), or hypergenesis, is an enlargement of an organ or tissue caused by an increase in the amount of organic tissue that results from cell proliferati ...

, in which the cells remain approximately the same size but increase in number.Updated by Linda J. Vorvick. 8/14/1
Hyperplasia
/ref> Although hypertrophy and hyperplasia are two distinct processes, they frequently occur together, such as in the case of the

hormonally A hormone (from the Greek participle , "setting in motion") is a class of signaling molecules in multicellular organisms that are sent to distant organs by complex biological processes to regulate physiology and behavior. Hormones are required fo ...

-induced proliferation and enlargement of the cells of the

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The uter ...

during

pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ca ...

. Eccentric hypertrophy is a type of hypertrophy where the walls and chamber of a hollow organ undergo growth in which the overall size and volume are enlarged. It is applied especially to the

left ventricle A ventricle is one of two large chambers toward the bottom of the heart that collect and expel blood towards the peripheral beds within the body and lungs. The blood pumped by a ventricle is supplied by an atrium, an adjacent chamber in the upper ...

of heart.

Sarcomere A sarcomere (Greek σάρξ ''sarx'' "flesh", μέρος ''meros'' "part") is the smallest functional unit of striated muscle tissue. It is the repeating unit between two Z-lines. Skeletal muscles are composed of tubular muscle cells (called musc ...

s are added in series, as for example in

dilated cardiomyopathy Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a condition in which the heart becomes enlarged and cannot pump blood effectively. Symptoms vary from none to feeling tired, leg swelling, and shortness of breath. It may also result in chest pain or fainting. Co ...

(in contrast to

hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM, or HOCM when obstructive) is a condition in which the heart becomes thickened without an obvious cause. The parts of the heart most commonly affected are the interventricular septum and the ventricles. This r ...

, a type of

concentric hypertrophy Concentric hypertrophy is a hypertrophic growth of a hollow organ without overall enlargement, in which the walls of the organ are thickened and its capacity or volume is diminished. Sarcomeres are added in parallel, as for example occurs in hy ...

, where sarcomeres are added in parallel).

Gallery

File:*+ * Photographic documentation on sexual education - Hypertrophy of breast - Nude of an elderly woman around 1870 - Photographer unknown - Public domain, since the copyright has expired;.jpg, Hypertrophy of

breast The breast is one of two prominences located on the upper ventral region of a primate's torso. Both females and males develop breasts from the same embryological tissues. In females, it serves as the mammary gland, which produces and secret ...

, c. 1870 File:Hypertrophied clitoris.jpg, Hypertrophy of the

clitoris The clitoris ( or ) is a female sex organ present in mammals, ostriches and a limited number of other animals. In humans, the visible portion – the glans – is at the front junction of the labia minora (inner lips), above the ope ...

File:Feet from a case of partial hypertrophy of the foot Wellcome L0061374.jpg, Hypertrophy of the

foot The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made ...

, partial File:Ipertrofia miocardica.jpg, Forensic post-mortem examination of a case of

, showing thickening of the

cardiac muscle Cardiac muscle (also called heart muscle, myocardium, cardiomyocytes and cardiac myocytes) is one of three types of vertebrate muscle tissues, with the other two being skeletal muscle and smooth muscle. It is an involuntary, striated muscle th ...

File:Head of a boy with hypertrophy of the ear Wellcome L0062496.jpg, Hypertrophy of the ear (

macrotia Macrotia refers to an ear that is larger than would be expected. The normal auricular axis An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: s ...

) File:Kidney hypertrophy Wellcome L0005308.jpg, Kidney hypertrophy File:Lip hypertrophy.jpg, Hypertrophy of the upper lip File:Face of man with hypertrophy of the temporal muscles Wellcome L0062508.jpg, Hypertrophy of the temporal muscles

References

External links

University of California Muscle Physiology Home Page: Hypertrophy
{{Pathology Muscular system Tissues (biology) Exercise physiology Physical exercise Anatomical pathology

Gallery

See also

References

External links