metaplasia
(met′ə plā′z̸hə)
noun
- abnormal change of one type of adult tissue to another
- conversion of one tissue into another, as of cartilage into bone
Origin:
meta- + -plasia
See metaplasia in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun- Normal transformation of tissue from one type to another, as in the ossification of cartilage to form bone.
- Transformation of cells from a normal to an abnormal state.
Related Forms:
- metˌa·plasˈtic (-plăsˈtĭk) adjective
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