atherogenesis
|a-the-ro-ge-ne-sis|
🇺🇸
/ˌæθəroʊˈdʒɛnəsɪs/
🇬🇧
/ˌæθərəʊˈdʒɛnəsɪs/
formation of arterial plaque
Etymology
'atherogenesis' originates from Greek elements: 'athēra' (ἄθηρα) meaning 'gruel, paste' (used in medicine to denote fatty deposit) combined with 'genesis' meaning 'origin, creation'.
'atherogenesis' was coined in modern medical English from the New Latin/Greek-derived term 'atheroma' (denoting a fatty deposit in an artery) combined with Greek 'genesis' to denote the process of formation; the compound came into use in 20th-century medical literature to describe plaque formation.
Initially it referred specifically to the formation of an 'atheroma' (a fatty deposit). Over time it came to be used more broadly for the biological and pathological processes that lead to atherosclerosis and plaque development.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the process by which atheromas (fatty plaques) form in the arterial walls; the biological and pathological development of atherosclerotic plaque.
Atherogenesis involves lipid accumulation, inflammation, and cellular responses that lead to plaque formation in arteries.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/11 00:04