Pathology, Pathophysiology, Pathophysiology - What's the difference?
Anatomy = Structure
• Focuses on what things are.
• Example: A bronchiole has:
• Smooth muscle in its walls
• Goblet cells (make mucus)
• Cilia (tiny hairs that move mucus)
Physiology = Function
• Focuses on how things work.
• In bronchioles:
• Air flows to alveoli for gas exchange
• Goblet cells trap particles in mucus
• Cilia sweep mucus up and out of the lungs
Pathogenesis = Disease Creation
• Patho = abnormal
• Genesis = origin or creation
• This is the start of the disease process.
• In asthma:
• A trigger (e.g., pollen) activates mast cells
• They release histamine, causing:
• Inflammation
• Smooth muscle contraction
• Mucus production
Pathology = Structural & Functional Damage
• Patho = abnormal
• -logy = study
• This is what you’d see under a microscope.
• In asthma:
• Thickened smooth muscle
• Swollen airway walls (inflammation)
• Goblet cell hyperplasia (too many mucus-producing cells)
Pathophysiology = Abnormal Function
• Patho = abnormal
• Physiology = function
• Explains how the disease causes symptoms.
• In asthma:
• Narrowed airways and excess mucus make it hard to exhale
• This leads to air trapping and hyperinflation:
• Hyper = excessive
• Inflation = expansion
• Lungs become overinflated, making it harder to breathe in fresh air
• Symptoms: wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, fatigue
• Pathogenesis: Starts the disease
• Pathology: Shows the damage
• Pathophysiology: Explains the symptoms