Question

Which of these features a reversible change in cell polarity?

• A. Dysplasia
• B. Metaplasia
• C. Anaplasia
• D. Hyperplasia

Hint:

Dysplasia disturbs cell polarity and orientation, and can reverse if the cause is removed early.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Define cell polarity and why it matters here.
Normal epithelial cells sit in an organised, oriented arrangement, each with a defined top and bottom (apical and basal surface). This ordered arrangement is called polarity, and it is one of the first things lost when a tissue starts to change abnormally.

Step 2: Recall what dysplasia means.
Dysplasia is a disordered growth of epithelium marked by variation in cell size and shape, increased nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio, increased mitoses, and loss of the normal polarity or orientation of cells. It is considered a pre-neoplastic change.

Step 3: Establish that dysplasia is reversible.
Unlike frank cancer, dysplasia is potentially reversible if the causative stimulus, for example chronic irritation, infection, or a toxin, is removed early enough. Once removed, the epithelium can return toward its normal architecture and polarity.

Step 4: Compare with the other options.
Metaplasia is a reversible change in cell type (one differentiated cell type replaced by another), not primarily a polarity disorder. Anaplasia is a marked loss of differentiation seen in malignant cells and is not reversible. Hyperplasia is an increase in cell number in response to a stimulus and, while itself reversible, does not specifically describe a polarity change; the cells remain normally oriented.

Final Answer:
Dysplasia is the change that specifically features a reversible disturbance of cell polarity. \[ \boxed{\text{Dysplasia}} \]