It indicates unhealthy condition of cells or tissue . wghen
the cells o=f a tissue are subjected to ub-lethal or non –fatal injury or
abnormal influence , certain retrograde changes occur in the cells . It is
charecterised by the accumulation of abnormal substance , either in the cell ,
protoplasm or in the tissue structure . The abnormal substance are not visible
in those cells normally . The degeneration may be defined according to the nature of the
accumulated materials in the cells .
The changes in
degeneration are functional as well as structural . In the earliest stage , the
functional changes can be detected ( bio-chemical lesion ) only structural
alteration may not be seen . Later on , morphological changes appear in the
cells ( signpost of the disease of the tissue ) which initially reversible but
inreversible later on ending in the cell death ( necrosis ) .
In degeneration , the irritant injures the cell first like
the cell is sick and the presence of visible metabolites in the cell is
secondary .
Different bacterial toxins are mainly responsible for the
alteration of the metanbolic activity of the cell . In degeneration , metabolic
activity will be disappeared which is
associated with altered functioning of the cell membrane with selective
permeability as a result the protein synthesizing activity of the cell will be
defective . In the cell cytoplasm , the lipoprotein complex will dissociate and
the free protein and lipid molecule are observed
Factors responsible for degeneration …..
Deficiency of oxygen
supply to the cells ---
i)
Low oxygen tension in air
ii)
Anaemia like low oxygen capacity
iii)
Vascular inefficiency
iv)
Inability of the cell to utilize oxygen
v)
Passive venous congestion
Effects of poisons
or chemically …..
i)
External chrmical poision - Arsenic , lead , mercury , gold etc .
ii)
Internal toxic substance -
a) Toxaemia
in pregnancy
b) Toxin
in chronic Rheumatoid arthritis
c) Chronic
gout
iii)
Bacteria toxin- In case of diphtheria , tuberculosis
etc .
Metabolic products – Acetone in diabetes mellitus