Hürthle cell

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/h-rthle-cell

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the cellular phenotype?Thyroid follicular cell exhibiting metaplasia, characterized by abundant enlarged mitochondria
2. What is the ultrastructural characteristics?Eosinophilic cytoplasm due to dense mitochondrial proliferation; enlarged nucleus with prominent nucleolus
3. Why do Hürthle cells have so many mitochondria?The many mitochondria help the cell make more energy. They may grow when the cell is stressed or inflamed, like in certain thyroid problems.
4. Where do Hürthle cells usually appear?Hürthle cells are found in the thyroid gland. They show up in conditions such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and in some thyroid tumors.

Metaplasia: A cellular adaptation in which one differentiated cell type is replaced by another differentiated cell type.
Mitochondria: Double-membraned organelles responsible for cellular respiration and ATP production; significantly proliferated in Hürthle cells.
Eosinophilic: Staining readily with eosin dye, typically indicating a high protein content, as seen in the cytoplasm of Hürthle cells.
Nucleolus: A dense structure within the nucleus involved in ribosome synthesis; often prominent in Hürthle cells.