(Noun. fie-BRO-sis)
by Ana Cunningham
What does it mean?
A chronic, progressive buildup of excess connective tissue, particularly in extracellular matrix components. Often referred to colloquially as scarring or scar tissue. Fibrosis leads to organ stiffening and dysfunction. When a tissue is injured, it triggers damage repair mechanisms. However, when the damage is too great, the tissue is replaced with protective connective tissue to prevent further injury at the expense of reduced tissue function.
How do I use it in a sentence?
“Repeated lung injury can result in fibrosis, which impedes the lung’s ability to deliver oxygen to the body.”
Figure 1. Phenotype of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), characterized by a buildup of extracellular matrix around the alveoli that impedes gas exchange. Created by author in BioRender.
Etymology
Latin fibra “a fiber, filament” + Greek suffix –osis denoting a state of disease (OED).
Related terms
Inflammation; immunity; extracellular matrix; connective tissue; scar tissue; cirrhosis; cancer.
Fields of study in which this word is commonly used
Medicine; pathology; histology; fields focusing on the lungs and liver, where fibrosis is most common.
