What term describes the death of one or more cells or a portion of a tissue or organ?

The term that describes the death of one or more cells or a portion of tissue or an organ is necrosis. Necrosis refers specifically to the pathological process of cell death that occurs due to factors such as injury, infection, or lack of blood supply, leading to the breakdown of cellular structures. Understanding necrosis is crucial in medical contexts because it plays a significant role in various disease processes and can have serious implications for overall health.

While the term "necrotic" refers to the state or condition of tissue that has undergone necrosis, and "infarction" specifically refers to tissue death resulting from insufficient blood supply (like in a heart attack), necrosis provides the broader definition encompassing all types of cell death due to various causes. Bacteremia, on the other hand, refers to the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream and is unrelated to the concept of cell or tissue death. Thus, necrosis is the most appropriate term to describe the phenomenon in question.