Sclerosis Definition

Sclerosis is a pathological term meaning the "morbid thickening and hardening of a tissue; especially, the hardening of the coats of the arteries," as defined by Funk & Wagnalls in the New International Dictionary of the English Language.

Etymology

• According to New International Dictionary of the English Language, sclerosis is from the Medieval Latin word "sclirosis", which is from the Greek word "sclerosis" from "skleroein" meaning, "harden." "Skleroein" is from "skleros" meaning, "hard."

Mechanism

• According to TheFreeDictionary, sclerosis of an artery occurs by the overproduction of fibrous connective tissue that infiltrates and hardens the arterial walls.

Atherosclerosis

• In atherosclerosis, fat deposits adhere to the arterial walls that harden and thicken, restricting both the elasticity of and blood flow through the arteries. Stroke, heart attack or kidney diseases are some effects of atherosclerosis.

Multiple Sclerosis

• Multiple sclerosis causes damage to the myelin sheath covering the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. The immune system then attacks the exposed nerves, decreasing body's ability to function in the affected areas.

Other Types of Sclerosis

• Bone sclerosis or osteosclerosis increases bone density, liver sclerosis affects hormonal balances, otosclerosis affects the ears and lichen sclerosus or lichen sclerosis affects the genitals. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, affects motor neurons, systemic sclerosis affects the skin. Tuberous sclerosis affects many areas of the body and promotes tumor growth.

Botany

• In botany, sclerosis describes the infiltration of lignin into a plant's cell wall. This causes hardening of the plant cell.