plasticita

Plasticita, or plasticity, is the capacity of a system to undergo irreversible change in response to an applied stimulus. The term is used across disciplines such as materials science, biology, neuroscience, and geology. In several languages, plasticita is the equivalent of plasticity, describing similar ideas of permanent change or adaptability.

In solids, plasticita refers to permanent deformation after the elastic limit is exceeded. The material transitions from elastic to plastic response at the yield point, with plastic flow produced by mechanisms such as dislocation motion, diffusion, or phase transformations. Temperature and strain rate influence the extent of plasticity, and phenomena like creep (time-dependent deformation) and work hardening can occur during ongoing loading.

In biology and neuroscience, cellular plasticita denotes the ability of cells to change state or phenotype, as in dedifferentiation or transdifferentiation. Neural plasticity, or neuroplasticity, is the brain’s capacity to reorganize its structure and function in response to learning, experience, injury, or rehabilitation, involving synaptic remodeling and, in some cases, neuron growth.

In geology, plasticita describes ductile deformation of rocks under high temperature and pressure, contrasting with brittle fracturing. This form of deformation predominates in the lower crust and upper mantle and shapes tectonic processes, metamorphism, and rock flow over geological timescales. Plasticita here depends on mineralogy, grain size, water content, and the history of stress.

Overall, plasticita captures a unifying idea: systems adapt through permanent changes that enhance or modify function under appropriate conditions.