Cellular Injury Mechanisms

May 7, 2026

Upload by Patrick

This document outlines the mechanisms of cellular injury, distinguishing between reversible and irreversible processes. Reversible cellular injury is characterized by a loss of microvilli, membrane blebbing, decreased protein synthesis in the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), and chromatin clumping. These changes can be restored if the injurious stimulus is removed. Irreversible injury, however, leads to membrane damage, including plasma membrane damage which results in enzyme leakage into the serum, mitochondrial membrane damage that releases cytochrome c into the cytosol, and lysosomal membrane damage that liberates hydrolytic enzymes into the cytosol. The document also details a pathway leading to cellular damage initiated by ischemia, which involves impaired Na+/K+ pump function and subsequent cell swelling, and decreased Ca2+ pump activity leading to lysosome activation. This can be exacerbated by hypoxia, which inhibits oxidative phosphorylation, leading to a decrease in ATP. With reduced ATP, anaerobic glycolysis increases, further decreasing protein synthesis and damaging DNA. Hypoxia also reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, compounding the detrimental effects of ischemia and contributing to irreversible cellular damage.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

May 7, 2026

Upload by Patrick