Hypertrophied - this is what? Direct and portable meaning of a word

Hypertrophy is one of the ways in which cells grow to adapt to changes in their environment. It can be either good or bad. What does hypertrophied mean? This, in the literal sense of the word, has undergone hypertrophy.

Definition of hypertrophy

The term is used to describe one of the ways in which cells (those tiny units that perform important work in our bodies) adapt to environmental changes. It can be hormonal stimulation, inflammation or increased workload.

In order for them to remain healthy, the environment in which this biological building material exists must also be healthy, and the work that they must perform must remain within normal limits. If there are significant changes in the environment, the cells will try to adapt to the situation in order to be able to continue working. One of the methods that they use is the process of hypertrophy.

Hypertrophied cells

As the cell size grows, some of the tiny intracellular organelles, for example mitochondria, will increase in the amount that is necessary to maintain the activity of each enlarged unit.

Good or bad?

The increase in size can be both normal and pathological. Good hypertrophy (it is also called physiological) can happen with many types of cells throughout the body. Certain situations can lead to the fact that the smallest particles and, consequently, the organs and tissues that consist of them, can grow in size. How to determine whether hypertrophy is physiological or pathological? This can best be considered on specific examples.

Physiological hypertrophy

Let's say you want to build a bicep on your hands and increase muscle strength. To achieve this, you begin to engage in a special program, which includes lifting weights. After a few weeks, your biceps became bigger, and you became much stronger than before. What happened? Lifting weights caused an increase in the load on the muscles, which stimulated the start of the process of cell adaptation. This type of hypertrophy is normal and expected, accompanied by normal structural changes in the muscles and increasing their strength and functionality.

Physiological hypertrophy can also occur in the heart with increasing workload. This can be found among athletes who regularly participate in intensive training. In this case, the hypertrophy of individual cells leads to an increase in muscle mass, as well as increased cardiac function and increased endurance. It is important to note that physiological hypertrophy is reversible, therefore, when the exercises become less intense or stop, hypertrophied (this in our case is an enlarged one) returns to its normal (original) size.

Pathological hypertrophy

Which body is hypertrophied? This is part of the body that has been subjected to hypertrophy processes. Its abnormal type is also called pathological. It can arise for a number of reasons. A common example is pathological hypertrophy, which occurs when a person has chronically high blood pressure (hypertension). The increase in the size of one of the ventricles of the heart, in this case, is necessary in order to better cope with the pumping of blood.

True and false hypertrophy

Hypertrophied - this is translated from Greek (hyper - "excess, too, through" and trophy - "food, food, food") means increased in volume. These can be cells, tissues, organs, which begin to grow under the influence of a variety of factors.

There are true and false hypertrophy. The first is characterized by the increased development of adipose tissue, the second is the increase in working muscles in people actively engaged in sports or any other physical labor.

Meaning: hypertrophied

This, in the literal sense of the word, increased in volume (due to illness, physical exertion). In a figurative sense, this word denotes the excessiveness of something. So, hypertrophied feeling is an exaggerated (embellished) feeling. The same can be said about qualities, properties, and the like. For example, the hypertrophied instinct of self-preservation is associated with increased, unjustified fear for one's life, and so on.