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Glite Dictionary
Kupffer's cell

Kupffer's cell

1 8.1
A cell in the liver that eats bacteria, foreign particles, and old blood cells
  • noun
  • /ˈkʌpfərz sɛl/
  • Specialized
: célula de Kupffer
  • The Kupffer's cell destroys old blood cells and foreign particles in the liver.

Examples

  • Did you know that a Kupffer's cell can engulf bacteria?

  • Scientists observed a significant increase in Kupffer's cell activity following liver injury.

  • Kupffer's cell plays a crucial role in filtering harmful substances from the bloodstream in the liver.

  • The destruction of old red blood cells is one of the key functions of the Kupffer's cell.

  • A Kupffer's cell plays a crucial role in the immune response.

  • Researchers studied how Kupffer's cell activity increases during infections.

  • A Kupffer's cell is essential for maintaining a healthy immune response in the body.

Synonyms

macrophage
vsKupffer's cell
  • Specialized
6 6.7

A large white blood cell that eats and removes germs and dead cells

is the specialized liver form that removes bacteria foreign particles and old blood cells
scavenger cell
vsKupffer's cell
  • Specialized
1 5.8

A tiny part of the body that eats dead tissue and germs to help fight infection

is limited to the liver and also clears aged red blood cells

Surface Forms

Kupffer's cell singular
Kupffer's cells plural

Morphology

Kupffer's + cell

This is an eponymic term: 'Kupffer's' is a proper name and carries no descriptive meaning a B1 learner could combine with 'cell' to infer 'a specialized liver phagocytic cell'. While 'cell' is transparent, the possessive name does not indicate function or location, so knowledge of the constituents is insufficient. The sense requires domain-specific/encyclopedic knowledge rather than compositional inference, making it opaque to learners.

Etymology

Kupffer's cell is named after a doctor, Karl Kupffer, who first saw these cells in the liver. Think of Kupffer as a guard and cell as its tool that 'eats' bacteria and old red blood cells, so the name points to a cell that 'cleans' the blood.