What medical term refers to the death of tissue?

The term 'necrosis' refers specifically to the death of tissue in the body due to various factors, such as lack of blood flow, infection, or trauma. This process can occur in any type of tissue, and it is characterized by cellular degeneration and inflammation.

In contrast, ischemia describes a condition in which there is an insufficient blood supply to an organ or tissue, which can lead to necrosis if not resolved. Infarction typically refers to tissue death caused by a loss of blood supply, often due to blockage of a blood vessel, making it closely related to necrosis but not synonymous. Atrophy refers to the process of tissue or organ wasting away due to a decrease in cell size or number, which does not imply tissue death but rather a reduction in function and size.

Thus, the precise definition of necrosis makes it the correct choice for indicating tissue death.