Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Which tissues shrink especially greatly during prolonged starvation?
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).
During prolonged starvation, the body prioritizes the maintenance of essential organs by breaking down its own protein stores into amino acids. Consequently, certain tissues shrink significantly more than the body as a whole. These include the body's fatty stores, the liver, the spleen, and lymphoid tissues.1
In contrast, vital organs such as the brain, heart, kidneys, adrenal glands, thyroid gland, pituitary gland, and gonads exhibit relatively less atrophy, as the body works to preserve their structure and function during periods of nutritional deprivation.1