degenereret

Degenerert is the Norwegian adjective formed from the verb degenerere, meaning to degenerate. It is used to describe tissue, cells, organs, or processes that have deteriorated in structure or function. The term is common in medical, veterinary, and biological literature.

In medical and scientific usage, degenerative changes are alterations resulting from aging, disease, injury, ischemia, metabolic disturbance, or exposure to toxins. Examples include fatty degeneration (steatosis) of liver or heart tissue, accumulation of lipofuscin in aging cells, or loss of tissue integrity due to chronic inflammation. Degenerative changes can be focal or diffuse and may be reversible in early stages if the underlying cause is addressed; others progress and lead to functional impairment.

In practice, the term is often found in phrases like degenerative diseases or degenerative changes in tissues. In neurology, degenerative diseases refer to progressive neuronal loss, such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease; in orthopedics, osteoarthritis is described as a degenerative joint disease.

Etymology: from Latin degenerare; related Norwegian terms include degenerasjon (degeneration) and degenerativ (degenerative). The concept is distinct from necrosis, where cells die from injury; degeneration implies deterioration that may be gradual and, in some cases, reversible.