Which term describes the increase in tissue mass due to enlarged cells?

• A. Growth
• B. Hypertrophy
• C. Metabolism
• D. Excretion

Answer: (B)

The main concept tested is tissue mass increase from cells getting larger rather than from more cells forming. This is called hypertrophy. It happens when cells enlarge in response to increased demand or hormonal signals, so the tissue becomes bigger without an increase in cell number. For example, skeletal muscles can grow bigger when trained, and heart muscles can enlarge in response to high blood pressure. In contrast, growth can involve either cell size or cell number, metabolism refers to chemical processes in the body, and excretion is the removal of waste. So the term that best describes the increase in tissue mass due to enlarged cells is hypertrophy.