Academic year : 2025/2026
Module name: Principles of diseases and drug therapy
Course code IMP-07-10104
Credit Hours 4 H
PATHOLOGY DEPARTMENT
Lecture 1 – 2
Introduction & cell injury
Presented by: Prof. Dr Eman Mohamed
Head of pathology department
Introduction
For Pathology Subject
INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS THE PATHOLOGY?
Pathology is the scientific study
of the diseases.
Disease
is an abnormal changes of the
Structure and/or Function of
any part of the body.
Studying the Pathology of disease
includes the following items:
1. Definition: What does this disease Mean or its Type?
2. Etiology: This means Causes of disease.
i- Direct causes: Acquired due (Infections by
Microorganisms, Trauma, Ischemia, Toxins Or
Irradiation) Or may be Congenital
Ii- Indirect or Predisposing Causes :
which facilitate the occurrence of the disease. They include:
Age, Sex, Environmental Factors, Low Immunity &
Host Factors.
3. Pathogenesis: the Mechanisms, or sequence of
Changes that finally lead to the full picture of the
disease.
4. Structural and morphological changes
(Pathological features) :
(a) Gross Changes (G/P) ;to describe
changes seen by the Naked Eye including :
Change in Size ,Color And Consistency, Cut
Section
(b) Microscopic Changes (M/P)
• Help in detecting the Etiology.
(Organism, Malignant cells, Inflammatory
cell,, Bilharzia ova).
• For Histopathology
The Tissue Is Removed from the body
(Surgery, Biopsy while individual is living ,
or Autopsy after death)
5. Clinical Effects : Symptoms are the Complaints Felt &
Described by The Patient Himself; e.g. headache,
toothache, pain, etc. Signs are The Findings by the
Examining Doctor; e.g., Abnormal Breath Sounds,
Enlarged Liver Etc.
6. Fate i.e (course & Prognosis): what is going to
happen to this disease?
✓ Will it Recover completely or partially with
residual effects eg. (scarring after wound healing)
✓ Will it become Chronic ?
✓ Will it end by the Death of the patient?
7. Complications: are the Bad Effects Of The
Disease; may or may not appear Along The
Course Of The Disease.
Traditionally, the study of pathology is
divided into :
1- GENERAL PATHOLOGY (Principles of diseases)
It is concerned with the basic reactions of cell
and tissues to abnormal stimuli that
underline all diseases.
2- SYSTEMIC PATHOLOGY : SYSTEMIC
PATHOLOGY (Special) : It is the study of the
pathological aspects of all diseases affecting
the body systems or different organs (CVS,
GIT, Urinary Ss.)
CELL INJURY
Why we start by
cell injury ?
• Cell Is The Smallest Living Unit Of The
Body Tissue
• All Diseases Is Due To Injury To Cell
Causes of cell injury
[Link] (Bacterial, Viral, Fungal,
Parasitic) are the most common important
causes of cell injury & inflammation.
2. Hypoxia (deficiency of
oxygen) due to:
(i) Ischemia (deficiency in blood
Supply)
(ii) Decrease of oxygen carrying
capacity of blood due to
anemia, & CO poisoning.
3. Physical agent: Burns, Deep Cold
(Frostbite), by coagulating their contents.
, Ionizing Radiation, mechanical trauma &
Electric Shock
4. Chemical agents & drugs e.g. alkalis,
acids, Insecticides, Alcohol , Narcotic
Drugs & Air Pollutants ;;;;.
5. Endogenous toxins as in case of some
diseases as (Uremia in renal failure),
Jaundice in Hepatic failure & Diabetic
Ketosis in Diabetes Mellitus).
6. Abnormal Immunologic reactions :
Immunity is the normal protective mechanism
against disease. In Abnormal Immune reactions
the immune system Damages Individual's
Own Tissues (Autoimmune diseases),
Allergy,& (“hypersensitivity”).
7. Nutritional imbalance such as, Starvation,
Obesity, diabetes mellitus (DM) & Vitamins
deficiency.
8. Genetic abnormalities Such as
Down's syndrome
Pathogenesis of Cell Injury &
Sites of the Cell injury
[Link] membranes 2- Mitochondria.
3-Nucleus is the
Maestro of the cell.
4. Damage of Endoplasmic
Reticulum interfere with new
proteins formation
Effects of cell Injury or
How a cell responds to stress
Pattern of Cellular Reaction to Stress
Depends on:
1. The severity and duration of
exposure to Injury :Stressor:
2. Types, state & adaptability, of
the Cells.
Types Of Cellular Reaction
To An Injury
1-Stress Is Mild, For
Short Duration, & Is
1-Stress Is
severe III-Cellular
Removed In Time
Adaptation
1- Adaptation of
growth
I-Reversible
2- of differentiation
Cell Injury and morphology
Death of cells
IV-Intracellular&
Extracellular
Fatty Cellular Necrosis Accumulation
Liver swelling &
Apoptosis
Example for Reversible Cell Injury
1. Cellular Swelling
➢ Cloudy swelling (early stage)
➢ Hydropic swelling (late stage)
2. Fatty change
(Liver Steatosis).
II-Irreversible Cell Injury
If the Stress is Severe & Exceed
the capacity of cellular
homeostasis death of cell
➢ Necrosis
➢ Apoptosis
Summary of Sequence of
Necrosis :
Reversible Irreversible
Injury Injury
Fate & effects
of Necrosis
Local General
Effects Effects
Types of necrosis
The variable types of necrosis differ as
regards :
Causes, Gross \P,
Microscopic\ P
Apoptosis
Apoptosis characterized by :
➢ It is an Programmed Active Process
➢Controlled by some Genes including:
bcl-2 gene, Bax , p53
➢ Occurs in both Physiological and
Pathological conditions.
➢ Occurs in Single Or Small
clusters of cells.
➢Characterized by Decrease or
Shrinkage of cells.
Examples of physiologic &
Pathologic cases
accompanied with apoptosis
Refereneces:
• Robbins & cotran pathologic basis of disease
(2020),10th edition, Kumar V., Abbas A., and Aster J. C.,
ElSevier
• Rosai and Ackerman’s Surgical Pathology, juan Rosai,
10th Ed , Elsevier.
• Harsh Mohan - Textbook of Pathology, Harsh Mohan,
6th Edition, JAYPEE brothers medical publishers:
Fundamentals of pathology, Husain A. Sattar, Pathoma
LLC