Pathology · Pathology · Hard
Hyperplasia
Meaning: An abnormal increase in the number of cells in a tissue or organ.
In practice: Benign prostatic hyperplasia causes urinary obstruction in older men.
Word parts
- hyper- means above or more than normal
- -plasia means formation or growth
Many medical words are built from Greek and Latin parts like these, so learning a few helps you work out new terms.
Quick check
Two questions on related pathology words.
Which word means: Benign growth of blood vessels, often appearing as a raised red lesion in infancy.
Answer: Haemangioma
Which word means: Benign tumour composed mainly of collagen-rich connective tissue.
Answer: Fibroma
Words like hyperplasia come up in the daily game
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