Ablation: meaning, definitions and examples

Medical procedure to remove tissue by various methods such as surgery, lasers, or other means. Commonly used in cardiology and oncology.

• Cardiac ablation is performed to correct heart rhythm problems.
• Laser ablation can be used to remove small tumors.

Surgical removal of a chunk of tissue or an organ, often used in a more general sense compared to other terms.

• The doctor performed an excision of the mole for biopsy.
• Excision of the cyst is scheduled for next week.

Surgical removal of part of an organ or structure, often used in gastrointestinal surgeries.

• He underwent a bowel resection to remove the obstructed section.
• Lung resection was necessary due to the spread of the infection.

Complete removal or eradication of an organ, tissue, or tumor, often used in relation to cancer treatment.

• The extirpation of the tumor was successful and the patient is recovering well.
• Extirpation of invasive species is crucial to protect native ecosystems.

This term is typically used in scientific and medical contexts. In medicine, it refers to the surgical removal of body tissue, and in geology or space science, it describes the process of surface removal due to wind, water, or other natural elements.

• The doctor performed an ablation to remove the abnormal tissue.
• The spacecraft's heat shield underwent ablation upon re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.

Erosion is commonly used in geological and environmental discussions. It refers to the process wherein natural forces like water, wind, or ice remove soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location and transport it to another.

• The riverbank suffered severe erosion after the storm.
• Erosion has created many natural landscapes over millions of years.

Weathering is used to describe the breaking down of rocks, soil, and minerals through direct contact with Earth's atmosphere. It is often discussed in geology and geography.

• The ancient ruins have undergone extensive weathering over the centuries.
• Chemical weathering has altered the composition of the rock formation.

Corrosion is often used in chemistry and engineering. It describes the gradual destruction of materials, usually metals, due to chemical reactions, commonly with oxygen or moisture.

• The steel beams showed significant signs of corrosion.
• To prevent corrosion, the pipes were coated with a special protective layer.