An enlargement of the skin due to multiplication of its cells is called

• A. Hyperplasia
• B. Edema
• C. Hypertrophy
• D. Atrophy

Answer: (C)

Enlargement from an increase in the number of cells is hyperplasia. In the skin, this means the epidermis grows thicker because cells are proliferating, not because the existing cells are getting larger. Hypertrophy would be an increase in tissue size due to larger cells themselves, not more cells. Edema is swelling from fluid buildup, and atrophy is a decrease in size from cell loss or shrinkage. So the skin enlargement described by multiplication of cells is hyperplasia.