Final answer:
The term associated with excessive growth is hyperplasia, which means an increase in the number of cells, causing tissue or organ enlargement. This is not to be confused with hypertrophy, which is an increase in the size of cells, or atrophy and dysplasia, which have different meanings.
Step-by-step explanation:
The word associated with excessive growth is hyperplasia. Hyperplasia is a term used to describe an increase in the number of cells in a tissue or organ, causing it to grow in size. This is different from hypertrophy, which refers to an increase in the size of the cells themselves, not the number of cells. Atrophy is the opposite of hypertrophy, indicating a decrease in cell size or number, and dysplasia refers to abnormal growth or development in cells or tissues, but not necessarily excessive growth.
Examples of situations involving hyperplasia include the excessive accumulation of colloid in the thyroid follicles, which could be a symptom of disease, or the abnormal enlargement of the anterior pituitary that could result in excessive secretion of growth hormone. Both scenarios suggest a hyperplastic condition, where there is an overproduction of cells leading to enlargement of the affected tissues or organs.