TOPIC #1: THE HOMEOSTASIS OF THE CELL.

PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS. THE CONCEPT OF

ADAPTATION AND CELLULAR INJURY

HOMEOSTASIS OF THE CELL

# Homeostasis a process in which the cell regulates its internal
environment by continuous exchange of nutrients, fluids and
temperature (heat) with the external environment.
# Stress any stimulus that interrupts with the homeostasis of the
cell, which can be physiological or pathological.

TYPES OF STRESS
# Hypoxia interferes with aerobic oxidative respiration; it can be
caused by ischemia (loss of blood supply), inadequate
oxygenation of the blood, or reduction of the oxygen carrying
capacity (anemia, CO poisoning).
# Chemical agents substances that are osmotically active, such
as glucose or salts, which cause movement of fluids into or out
of the cell.
# Physical agents such as trauma, extreme temperatures,
radiation, atmospheric pressure etc.
# Infectious agents viruses, bacteria, fungi etc.
# Immunologic reactions autoimmune reactions, allergic
reactions.
# Genetic defects congenital malformations, damaged DNA,
misfolded proteins.
# Nutritional imbalance when the diet lacks certain nutritional
values (proteins, vitamins).
# Aging leads to alterations in the ability of the cell to replicate
and repair itself.

THE CONCEPT OF ADAPTATION

# Adaptation any response of the cell to stimuli (stress) to
achieve a new steady state and preserve its function.
# The responses of the cell can be either physiological or
pathological:
Physiological adaptation the responses of the cell to
normal stimulation by hormones or endogenous chemicals.

 Pathological adaptation the responses of the cell to

stress, allowing the cell to modulate its structure and
function to avoid cell injury.

CELLULAR INJURY
# When the cell is exposed to severe stress that exceeds its
adaptive capability, cell injury may occur.
# Cellular injury can be either acute or chronic.
# Acute cell injury can be divided into:
Reversible the cell can return to its normal state if the
stress is removed.
Irreversible the cell will eventually die.
# Chronic cell injury the causes of cell injury are the various
types of stress mentioned earlier, which induce distinctive
alterations that include only the organelles:
Autophagy lysosomal digestion of the cell's own
components, considered to be a survival mechanism in
nutrient deprived cells.
Hypertrophy of sER occurs in cells that are exposed to
certain chemical agents, such as barbiturates1.
Mitochondrial alterations change in the number, size and
shape of mitochondria.
Cytoskeletal abnormalities occur due to certain drugs
that interfere with the normal function of cytoskeleton
(disrupt polymerization, cause accumulation of fibrillar
material, defective mobility of organelles).

Processed by cytochrome P-450 in sER of hepatocyteshypertrophy of sER 1

.tolerance to the drug