Degeneration (medical)
Encyclopedia
Degeneration is deterioration
in the medical sense
. Generally, it is the change from a higher to a lower form. More specifically, it is the change of tissue
to a lower or less functionally active form.
Deterioration
Deterioration is a term now commonly used in health care, to describe worsening of a patient's condition. It is often used as a shortened form of 'deterioration not recognised or not acted upon'. Much work to reduce harm from deterioration has been undertaken by the National Patient Safety Agency...
in the medical sense
Sense
Senses are physiological capacities of organisms that provide inputs for perception. The senses and their operation, classification, and theory are overlapping topics studied by a variety of fields, most notably neuroscience, cognitive psychology , and philosophy of perception...
. Generally, it is the change from a higher to a lower form. More specifically, it is the change of tissue
Biological tissue
Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism. A tissue is an ensemble of cells, not necessarily identical, but from the same origin, that together carry out a specific function. These are called tissues because of their identical functioning...
to a lower or less functionally active form.
- True degeneration: when there is actual chemical change of the tissue itself.
- InfiltrationInfiltration (medical)Infiltration is the diffusion or accumulation of substances not normal to it or in amounts in excess of the normal. The material collected in those tissues or cells is called infiltrate.-Classification:...
: when the change consists of the deposit of abnormal matterMatterMatter is a general term for the substance of which all physical objects consist. Typically, matter includes atoms and other particles which have mass. A common way of defining matter is as anything that has mass and occupies volume...
in the tissues - Degenerative diseaseDegenerative diseaseA degenerative disease, also called neurodegenerative disease, is a disease in which the function or structure of the affected tissues or organs will progressively deteriorate over time, whether due to normal bodily wear or lifestyle choices such as exercise or eating habits...