| blast cell | <haematology> A immature cell of a proliferative compartment in a cell lineage that normally represent up to 5% of the cells in the bone marrow. An over-production of blasts in the marrow is characteristic of leukaemia when the blast cells often spill out into the blood stream. (17 Mar 1998) |
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| bone cell | <pathology> Osteoblast that is embedded in bony tissue and which is relatively inactive. (18 Nov 1997) |
| bottle cell | <embryology> The first cells to migrate inwards at the blastopore during amphibian gastrulation. The neck of the bottle is at the outer surface of the embryo. (18 Nov 1997) |
| bristle cell | Hair cell of the inner ear. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bronchiolar exocrine cell | A rounded, club-shaped, nonciliated cell protruding between ciliated cell's in bronchiolar epithelium; believed to be secretory in function. Synonym: bronchiolar exocrine cell. (05 Mar 2000) |
| brood cell | A cell which, by division, gives rise to two or more daughter cell's. Synonym: brood cell, metrocyte, parent cell. (05 Mar 2000) |
| brown fat cell | <pathology> Brown fat is specialised for heat production and the adipocytes have many mitochondria in which an inner membrane protein can act as an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation allowing rapid thermogenesis. (18 Nov 1997) |
| burr cell | Triangular helmet shaped cells found in blood, usually indicative of disorders of small blood vessels. (18 Nov 1997) |
| Cajal's cell | A small fusiform cell found in the superficial layer of the cerebral cortex with its long axis placed horizontally. Synonym: Cajal's cell. (05 Mar 2000) |
| caliciform cell | 1. <pathology> Cell of the epithelial lining of small intestine that secretes mucus and has a very well developed Golgi apparatus. 2. <zoology> Cell type characteristic of larval lepidopteran midgut, containing a potent H ATPase and thought to be involved in maintenance of ion and pH gradients. (10 Oct 1997) |
| cameloid cell | An elliptical red blood corpuscle found normally in the lower vertebrates with the exception of Cyclostomata; in mammals it occurs normally only among the camels (family Camelidae), hence cameloid cell. Synonym: cameloid cell, ovalocyte. Origin: G. Elleipsis, a leaving out, an ellipse, + kytos, cell (05 Mar 2000) |
| cancer cell | A cell that divides and reproduces abnormally with uncontrolled growth. This cell can break away and travel to other parts of the body and set up another site, referred to as metastasis. (09 Oct 1997) |
| capsule cell | One of the cells located around the bodies of the cerebrospinal and sympathetic ganglionic neurons. Synonym: capsule cell. Origin: amphi-+ G. Kytos, cell (05 Mar 2000) |
| carcinoma, acinar cell | A malignant tumour arising from secreting cells of a racemose gland, particularly the salivary glands. Racemose (latin racemosus, full of clusters) refers, as does acinar (latin acinus, grape), to small saclike dilatations in various glands. Acinar cell carcinomas are usually well differentiated and account for about 13% of the cancers arising in the parotid gland. Lymph node metastasis occurs in about 16% of cases. Local recurrences and distant metastases many years after treatment are common. This tumour appears in all age groups and is most common in women. (12 Dec 1998) |
| carcinoma, basal cell | A malignant skin neoplasm that seldom metastasizes but has potentialities for local invasion and destruction. Clinically it is divided into types: nodular, cicatricial, morphaic, and erythematoid (pagetoid). More than 95% of these carcinomas occur in patients over 40. They develop on hair-bearing skin, most commonly on sun-exposed areas. Approximately 85% are found on the head and neck area and the remaining 15% on the trunk and limbs. (12 Dec 1998) |