What is characteristic of hyperplasia in tissue growth?

Hyperplasia is characterized by an increased rate of cell division resulting in an enlargement of the tissue or organ. This growth is typically a response to a stimulus, which could be hormonal, compensatory, or due to irritation or injury. In hyperplasia, the increase is generally reversible if the stimulus is removed.

For example, in a woman's menstrual cycle, the endometrial lining undergoes hyperplasia in response to estrogen, leading to thickening in preparation for potential implantation of an embryo. If pregnancy does not occur, the tissue will shed during menstruation, demonstrating the reversibility of this process.

Unlike irreversible conditions such as hypertrophy (where cells increase in size) or neoplasia (where cells undergo malignant transformation), hyperplasia maintains normal cellular architecture. The cells in hyperplasia remain organized and functional, distinguishing it from more pathological growth forms.