Angiopoietic is spelled with the prefix "angio-" which refers to blood vessels and the suffix "-poietic" meaning "producing". The proper pronunciation is [æn.dʒi.oʊ.pɔɪˈɛt.ɪk]. The first syllable is pronounced as "an-" because "g" followed by "i" produces a soft "g" sound. The second syllable is pronounced with a long "i" sound as in "eye", the third syllable is pronounced with a short "o" sound as in "pot", and the fourth syllable is pronounced with a short "i" sound as in "it".
Angiopoietic refers to the biological process or substances associated with the growth and development of blood vessels, specifically the formation and maturation of new blood vessels from existing ones. The term is derived from combining the Greek roots "angio," meaning vessel, and "poietic," meaning to make or produce.
In the context of medicine and biology, angiopoietic factors are signaling proteins that regulate blood vessel formation, known as angiogenesis. These factors play a crucial role in several physiological processes, including embryonic development, wound healing, and tissue repair. They are responsible for orchestrating the complex network of events required for blood vessel growth, which involves the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of endothelial cells – the cells that line the interior of blood vessels.
Angiopoietic factors are involved in both physiological and pathological angiogenesis. In physiological angiogenesis, they are involved in the normal development and maintenance of blood vessels. In contrast, pathological angiogenesis occurs in situations such as tumor growth, retinopathy, and certain inflammatory conditions. In these cases, angiopoietic factors are dysregulated, leading to excessive or abnormal blood vessel formation.
Understanding the mechanisms and functions of angiopoietic factors is essential for developing therapeutic approaches to modulate blood vessel growth. Many research efforts aim to identify and target specific angiopoietic factors to treat conditions associated with aberrant angiogenesis or promote the regeneration of damaged tissues.
Vasifactive, vasoformative, causing the formation of blood-vessels in newly organized tissues, noting certain cells.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word "angiopoietic" is derived from two roots: "angio-" and "-poietic".
- "Angio-" is derived from the Greek word "angeion", meaning vessel. It is commonly used as a prefix in medical terminology to refer to blood vessels.
- "-Poietic" is derived from the Greek word "poietikos", meaning creative or productive. It is often used as a suffix in medical terminology to refer to something that produces or forms a particular substance or structure.
Therefore, "angiopoietic" is a term that combines these two roots to describe something that produces or forms blood vessels.