DYSFUNCTIONAL

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

I. (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(of a trait or condition) failing to serve an adjustive purpose

Example:

dysfunctional behavior

Synonyms:

dysfunctional; nonadaptive

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

maladaptive (showing faulty adaptation)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Impaired in function; especially of a bodily system or organ

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

impaired (diminished in strength, quality, or utility)

Derivation:

dysfunction ((medicine) any disturbance in the functioning of an organ or body part or a disturbance in the functioning of a social group)

Credits

Context examples:

As can experiences of trauma, such as physical or sexual abuse, or being raised in a dysfunctional family in which there was a high degree of marital discord.

(Depression - men far more at risk than women in deprived areas, University of Cambridge)

Using two animal models of a degenerative neurological disorder, the researchers were able to find a similar dysfunctional process occurring in fruit flies and mice, as well as human cells, meaning that their findings are likely to be replicated in human brains.

(New Mechanisms Found of Cell Death in Neurodegenerative Disorders, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The study indicates that a dysfunctional relationship between the Smad7 and β-catenin complex can lead to a situation of impaired muscle cell differentiation—a hallmark of some soft tissue cancers such as Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS).

(New Genes Found Responsible for Regulating Muscle Cells, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

To better understand the dysfunctional enzyme’s role in Parkinson’s disease, a team at NIH’s National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) compared cells from patients who have Gaucher disease, with and without Parkinson’s disease, and healthy adults.

(Molecule may impact Gaucher, Parkinson’s disease, NIH)

Specifically, they found that in this condition nerve cells in certain areas of the brain become stalled and are no longer able to remove toxins or old and dysfunctional brain cells, which is a naturally occurring process known as autophagy.