Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How is atrophy different from hypoplasia?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
atrophy
One example of atrophy is the progressive loss of bone that occurs in osteoporosis (normal bone shown on left; osteoporotic bone shown on right).
The primary difference between atrophy and hypoplasia lies in the developmental history of the affected tissue or organ.
- Atrophy is the decrease in size of a body part, cell, or organ that had previously reached a normal size for the individual, considering their age and circumstances. It represents a reduction in the size or number of component cells after the structure has already developed. This process can occur due to physiologic changes, such as aging or the menstrual cycle, or pathologic conditions like starvation or disease.12
- Hypoplasia is a condition of arrested development. Unlike atrophy, which involves the shrinkage of a previously normal structure, hypoplasia refers to an organ or part that remains below the normal size or in an immature state because it failed to develop fully.3
In short, atrophy is the wasting away of a structure that was once normal in size, whereas hypoplasia is the failure of a structure to reach its normal size during development.13