The lung tissue of an individual with pulmonary fibrosis undergoes a decisive change: in fact, the lung parenchyma is replaced by fibrous (or scar-like ) tissue .
But what is meant by parenchyma and fibrotic tissue?
In the medical field, the term parenchyma identifies the tissue that gives a certain organ its specific functional characteristics. To understand this statement, it is useful to give a couple of examples: the parenchyma of the heart is the set of myocardial myocytes, while the parenchyma of the lungs is the alveolar tissue, the cells constituting the bronchioles, those forming part of the alveolar ducts, l interstice etc.
Fibrous tissue, on the other hand, is a tissue without function, composed of a cluster of collagen fibers. Its formation is due to a hyperactivity of some particular cells, belonging to the connective tissue and known as fibroblasts .
