| MCD | magnetic circular dichroism; mast-cell degranulation; mean cell diameter; mean of consecutive differ... |
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| MCT | manual cervical traction; mean cell thickness; mean cell threshold; mean circulation time; mean corp... |
| MCV | mean cell volume; mean clinical value; mean corpuscular volume; median cell volume; motor conduction... |
| MRBC | monkey red blood cell; mouse red blood cell |
| NRBC | National Rare Blood Club; normal red blood cell; nucleated red blood cell |
| cell line | <cell culture> A cell line is a permanently established cell culture that will proliferate indefinitely given appropriate fresh medium and space. Lines differ from cell strains in that they have escaped the Hayflick limit and become immortalised. Some species, particularly rodents, give rise to lines relatively easily, whereas other species do not. No cell lines have been produced from avian tissues and the establishment of cell lines from human tissue is difficult. Many cell biologists would consider that a cell line is by definition already abnormal and that it is on the way towards becoming the culture equivalent of a neoplastic cell. (26 Mar 1998) |
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| cell lineage | <cell culture, embryology> The lineage of a cell relates to its derivation from the undifferentiated tissues of the embryo. Committed embryonic progenitors give rise to a range of differentiated cells: in principle it should be possible to trace the ancestry lineage) of any adult cell. (26 Mar 1998) |
| cell line rights | <cell culture> Ownership of a new organism entity. Rulings indicate that any organism that is patentable at all can be patented if it has been manipulated to do something useful. Usually, the rights do not reside with the individual who has supplied the source of the organism, but with the individual or organisation who has made it. (26 Mar 1998) |
| cell line, transformed | Eukaryotic cell line obtained in a quiescent or stationary phase which undergoes conversion to a state of unregulated growth in culture, resembling an in vitro tumour. It occurs spontaneously or through interaction with viruses, oncogenes, radiation, or drugs/chemicals. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cell locomotion | <cell biology> Movement of a cell from one place to another. (26 Mar 1998) |
| cell marker | <cell biology> Biochemical or genetic characteristics which distinguish and discriminate between different cell types. (26 Mar 1998) |
| cell matrix | A fluid cytoplasmic substance filling the interstices of the cytoskeleton. Synonym: cell matrix, cytomatrix. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cell-mediated immunity | <immunology> Immune response that involves effector T lymphocytes and not the production of humoral antibody. Responsible for allograft rejection, delayed hypersensitivity and in defence against viral infection and intracellular protozoan parasites. (26 Mar 1998) |
| cell-mediated reaction | Immunological reaction of the delayed type, involving chiefly T lymphocytes, important in host defense against infection, in autoimmune diseases, and in transplant rejection. See: skin test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cell membrane | <cell biology> The structure enveloping a cell, enclosing the cytoplasm and forming a selective permeability barrier. It consists of lipids, proteins and some carbohydrates, the lipids thought to form a bilayer in which integral proteins are embedded to varying degrees. Synonym: plasma membrane. (26 Mar 1998) |
| cell membrane permeability | A quality of cell membranes which permits the passage of solvents and solutes into and out of cells. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cell migration | <cell biology> Implies movement of a population of cells from one place to another as in the movement of neural crest cells during morphogenesis. (26 Mar 1998) |
| cell migration inhibition | Phenomenon of cell-mediated immunity measured by in vitro inhibition of the migration or phagocytosis of antigen-stimulated leukocytes or macrophages. Specific assays have been developed to estimate levels of migration-inhibitory factor, immune reactivity against tumour-associated antigens, and immunosuppressive effects of infectious microorganisms. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cell movement | <cell biology> A more general term than locomotion, that can include shape change, cytoplasmic streaming etc. (26 Mar 1998) |
| cell nucleolus | Within most types of eukaryotic cell nucleus, a distinct region, not delimited by a membrane, in which some species of rrna (RNA, ribosomal) are synthesised and assembled into ribonucleoprotein subunits of ribosomes. In the nucleolus rrna is transcribed from a nucleolar organiser, i.e., a group of tandemly repeated chromosomal genes which encode rrna and which are transcribed by RNA polymerase I. (12 Dec 1998) |