Cell and Tissue Destruction

Book excerpt: Cell and Tissue Destruction: Mechanisms, Protection, and Disorders provides an overview of the main mechanisms responsible for degradation in human beings and summarizes important strategies to counter these mechanisms. This book details the properties and limits of protective mechanisms, along with disturbances to systematic physiological functions. It provides examples of disease states resulting from the limits of protective systems. Three sections consider the physical and chemical reasons for destruction in living systems, protection against cytotoxic components, and the development of pathologic states. This book provides neuroscientists, cancer researchers and physicians with robust, overall coverage of the interrelated processes involved in cell and tissue destruction in living structures, and concomitant protective mechanisms and their limitations. - Describes the destruction of biological material as a consequence of the highly ordered nature of living structures - Specifies the main strategies used by cells to overcome destruction, including antioxidative systems, self-repair and growth - Highlights basic mechanisms of immune regulation - Considers the development of selected disease scenarios, from the perspective of destructive processes in cells and tissues - Details organ damage by cytotoxic components as well as septic conditions and multiple organ failure