Editing Atrophy (section)

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{{distinguish|Entropy}}
{{For|the American thrash metal band|Atrophy (band)}}
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{{Short description|Partial or complete wasting away of a part of the body}}
{{Infobox medical condition (new)
| name          = Atrophy
| image         = Mouse_with_spinal_muscular_atrophy.jpg
| caption       = Mouse (right) with spinal muscular atrophy
| field         = [[Pathology]]
| pronounce     = 
| synonyms      = 
| symptoms      = Loss of body cells, signs of [[ageing]]
| complications = 
| onset         = 
| duration      = 
| types         = [[Muscular atrophy]], gland atrophy
| causes        = Poor nourishment, poor circulation, loss of hormonal support, loss of nerve supply to target organ(s), excessive [[apoptosis]] of cells, insufficient exercise, ageing
| risks         = Old age, sedentary lifestyle
| diagnosis     = 
| differential  = 
| prevention    = 
| treatment     = 
| medication    = 
| prognosis     = Depends on the cause
| frequency     = 
| deaths        = 
}}

'''Atrophy''' is the partial or complete [[wasting]] away of a part of the body. Causes of atrophy include [[mutation]]s (which can destroy the gene to build up the organ), [[malnutrition|poor nourishment]], poor [[circulatory system|circulation]], loss of [[hormone|hormonal]] support, loss of [[nerve]] supply to the target [[Organ (anatomy)|organ]], excessive amount of [[apoptosis]] of cells, and disuse or lack of [[exercise]] or disease intrinsic to the tissue itself. In medical practice, hormonal and nerve inputs that maintain an organ or body part are said to have ''trophic'' effects. A diminished muscular trophic condition is designated as ''atrophy''. Atrophy is reduction in size of cell, organ or tissue, after attaining its normal mature growth. In contrast, [[hypoplasia]] is the reduction in the cellular numbers of an organ, or tissue that has not attained normal maturity.

Atrophy is the general [[physiological]] process of reabsorption and breakdown of [[biological tissue|tissues]], involving apoptosis. When it occurs as a result of disease or loss of trophic support because of other diseases, it is termed ''pathological atrophy'', although it can be a part of normal body development and [[homeostasis]] as well.