malacia
Abnormal tissue softening
Malacia is a medical term for abnormal softening of tissue or organ.
It typically appears as a suffix in compound words naming specific conditions: osteomalacia (softening of bones), tracheomalacia (softening of the windcartilage), keratomalacia (softening of the cornea).
The term derives from a Greek word meaning softness.
Reduced bone mineral density
- dystrophyDegenerative tissue disorder
- necrosisLocalized cell death
- lesionArea of pathological change
- degenerationProgressive loss of function
atrophy · hypotonia · asthenia · weakness · fragility · brittleness · diagnosis · prognosis
Ability to bend easily
- malleabilityCapacity for deformation without breaking
- supplenessCapacity to bend easily
- flexibilityAbility to adapt easily
- flaccidityLack of firmness
sponginess · laxity · tenderness · compliance · yielding · elasticity · plasticity · ductility
osteopenia
Reduced bone mineral density
degeneration · atrophy · hypotonia · asthenia · weakness · fragility · brittleness · diagnosis · prognosis
pliability
Ability to bend easily
- malleabilityCapacity for deformation without breaking
- supplenessCapacity to bend easily
- flexibilityAbility to adapt easily
flaccidity · sponginess · laxity · tenderness · compliance · yielding · elasticity · plasticity · ductility · compressibility
cartilage
Flexible connective body tissue
- boneHard skeletal tissue
- brainSeat of cognition
- spinal cordBrain's extension through vertebrae
cornea · trachea · bronchi · larynx · stomach · esophagus · mucosa · parenchyma · stroma · matrix
malaciasclerosis
Morbid tissue hardening
hardening · calcification · ossification · induration · fibrosis