Wasting away due to lack of use?

• A. Hypertrophy
• B. Dystrophy
• C. Atrophy
• D. Necrosis

Answer: (C)

Wasting away due to lack of use is called atrophy. It involves a reduction in the size of cells, leading to a smaller muscle or organ when it isn’t being used regularly. In muscles, disuse from immobilization or inactivity tells the body there’s less need to maintain large, strong fibers, so the cells shrink and the tissue mass decreases. This process can be reversible if use is resumed, though prolonged disuse may lead to more persistent loss.

Hypertrophy is the opposite: cells grow larger in response to increased demand or stimulus, causing tissue enlargement. Dystrophy refers to disease-related degeneration or abnormal development of tissues, often with weakness and progressive damage rather than simple shrinkage from not using something. Necrosis is cell death from injury or loss of blood supply, resulting in tissue death rather than just shrinking from disuse.