Final answer:
The death of heart muscle due to absent blood supply is known as a myocardial infarction or heart attack, resulting from a blockage in the coronary arteries leading to ischemia and hypoxia of cardiac tissue.
Step-by-step explanation:
The death of heart muscle due to an absent blood supply is called a myocardial infarction (MI), also known as a heart attack. This occurs when a coronary artery becomes completely blocked, preventing blood from reaching a portion of the heart muscle. Without oxygen and nutrients from the blood, the affected cardiac muscle tissue succumbs to ischemia and hypoxia, leading to the death of myocardial cells.
Coronary artery blockages are often caused by the build-up of atherosclerotic plaque, composed of lipids, cholesterol, and fatty acids, combined with white blood cells, like macrophages. When the blood flow is restricted or halted, the heart muscle begins to die due to the lack of oxygen. This condition is irreversible since cardiac muscle cells do not regenerate, and the damage to the heart muscle is permanent.
Factors that can trigger a myocardial infarction include excessive exercise or severe stress, especially in individuals with underlying coronary artery disease. The blockage can also arise from unstable plaque detaching and lodging into the coronary arteries, further exacerbating the condition.