What does friability refer to in medical terms?

Friability in medical terms refers to the tendency of tissue, especially mucosal tissue, to bleed easily when manipulated or touched. This characteristic is often observed in inflamed tissues, where inflammation causes the mucosa to become more fragile and vascularized, leading to increased bleeding. This can occur in various conditions, such as colitis or other inflammatory diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract.

The other options describe different aspects of medical terminology that do not pertain directly to the definition of friability. The ability of tissue to heal quickly pertains to healing processes, the thickness of skin layers relates to dermatological assessment, and methods of wound closure are techniques for surgical management. None of these concepts encompass the fragility and bleeding tendency associated with friable tissue.