key term - Hyperplasia

Definition

Hyperplasia in the context of smooth muscle is the increase in the number of smooth muscle cells. This process contributes to the growth of tissues and organs without necessarily increasing the size of each individual cell.

Related terms

Hypertrophy:

This is the enlargement of an organ or tissue from the increase in size of its cells rather than cell number.

Mitosis:

A type of cell division that results in two daughter cells each having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus, typical of ordinary tissue growth.

Smooth Muscle Tissue: A type of muscle tissue which is found in walls of hollow organs like intestines and blood vessels, characterized by spindle-shaped cells with central nuclei, functioning involuntarily