| carcinoma, renal cell | Carcinoma of the renal parenchyma usually occurring in middle age or later and composed of tubular cells in varying arrangements. It was first described in 1826. Possible causal factors are environmental, hormonal, cellular, and genetic. Smoking is a definite risk factor and obesity is associated with increased risk. Renal cell carcinoma accounts for approximately 3% of adult cancer; the male-female ratio is 2:1. It is more common among urban residents than rural. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| carcinoma, signet ring cell | A highly malignant, mucus-secreting tumour in which the mucus-secreting cells are anaplastic and appear rounded, with the nucleus displaced to one side by a globule of mucus in the cytoplasm. (12 Dec 1998) |
| carcinoma, small cell | An anaplastic, highly malignant, and usually bronchogenic carcinoma composed of small ovoid cells with scanty neoplasm. It is characterised by a dominant, deeply basophilic nucleus, and absent or indistinct nucleoli. There are admixtures of small cell lung carcinoma with other types of lung cancer. Small cell carcinomas are distinguished by their distinctive biological features, response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and by their nearly universal tendency to develop overt or subclinical metastases, which frequently eliminates surgery in most patients. (12 Dec 1998) |
| carcinoma, squamous cell | A carcinoma derived from stratified squamous epithelium. It may also occur in sites where glandular or columnar epithelium is normally present. (12 Dec 1998) |
| carcinoma, transitional cell | A malignant neoplasm derived from transitional epithelium, occurring chiefly in the urinary bladder, ureters or renal pelves (especially if well differentiated), frequently papillary. Transitional cell carcinomas are graded 1 to 3 or 4 according to the degree of anaplasia, grade 1 appearing histologically benign but being liable to recurrence. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cardiac cell | Strictly speaking any cell of or derived form the cardium of the heart, but often used loosely of heart cells. (18 Nov 1997) |
| packed cell volume | <haematology> Measurement of the proportion of the blood occupied by the red blood cells. Normal values are 40-54% in males, 35-47% in females. (13 Nov 1997) |
| packed red blood cell | <haematology> Red blood cells collected from one individual that are packed into a small volume for transfusion into a patient. (16 Dec 1997) |
| macroglia cell | <pathology> A glial cell found in vertebrate brain, named for its characteristic star like shape. Astrocytes lend both mechanical and metabolic support for neurons, regulating the environment in which they function. See: oligodendrocytes. (18 Nov 1997) |
| pagoda cell | <biology> Ganglion cells, from the central nervous system of a leech, with a spontaneous firing pattern that can look a little like a pagoda on an oscilloscope. (18 Nov 1997) |
| galvanic cell | <chemistry> See voltaic cell (09 Jan 1998) |
| gamma cell of pancreas | A cell of the pancreatic islets of the guinea pig. Synonym: gamma cell of pancreas. Synonym: parafollicular cells. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ganglion cell | <pathology> A type of interneuron that conveys information from the retinal bipolar, horizontal and amacrine cells to the brain. (18 Nov 1997) |
| Raji cell | A cell of a cultured line of lymphoblastoid cell's derived from a Burkitt's lymphoma; it possesses numerous receptors for certain complement components and is thus suitable for use in detection of immune complexes. It expresses certain complement receptors as well as Fc receptors for immunoglobulin G. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Raji cell binding test | <investigation> A test for the detection of soluble IgG antigen complexes. Raji cells are a line of EBV transformed lymphocytes with surface Fc receptors. Complexes are detected by their ability to compete with a radiolabelled aggregated IgG for binding to the cells. (18 Nov 1997) |