One thought on “Q: What is the difference between degenerative and adaptive changes?”

1. Dear Marie,
   A degenerative change occurs when the cells or the organ doesn’t get the tropic stimulation as it uses to, or the nutrition is lower than needed. The cells degenerate, i.e. begins a path towards death. In adaptation, the stimulation is changed or the cells are exposed to a milieu significantly changed, where the normal cells have difficulty surviving. In degeneration, the cells remain “themselves”, but becomes for example smaller (atrophy) or get cytoplasmic changes such as steatosis or cellular swelling (hydropia) until the stress becomes too severe and the cells go into apoptosis (remember, though, that apoptosis and cell death is not a degenerative change, as it is irreversible). In adaptation, the cells become accustomed to the changed environment and change their morphology accordingly. Adaption therefore includes metaplasia, but also hypertrophy, hyperplasia, and atrophy. Note, that both degeneration and adaptation are reversible, meaning that the affection of (or injury to) the cells is still lower than the mitochondrias’ ability to manage the changes.

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