Although ischemic cell death is the accepted name of the process, the alternative name of oncosis was introduced as the process involves the affected cell(s) swelling to an abnormally large size in known models. This is thought to be caused by failure of the plasma membranes ionic pumps. The name oncosis (derived from ónkos, meaning largeness, and ónkosis', meaning swelling) was first introduced in 1910 by pathologist Friedrich Daniel von Recklinghausen.