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cell

cell

∞ 2.1
The smallest unit of life that makes up plants and animals
  • noun
  • /sɛl/
  • Specialized
: célula
  • Under a microscope, you can see that each cell is surrounded by a membrane and contains a nucleus.
  • stem cells
  • blood cells
  • cell membrane

And it turned out that yeast cells get old, they age.

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Examples

  • In the absence of oxygen, the cell only knows how to grow.

  • While you sleep, there are cells in your brain called glial cells.

  • Once you take it out, those cells start to die, right?

  • The basic unit unit of life is the cell, not your body.

  • Only about half our cells are actually human.

  • And each one of these cells can open and close.

  • So you have these cells that are vulnerable.

  • And we can see these pink cells down at the bottom.

  • So these are cardiac cells from that patient.

  • Your cells react to bacteria and viruses differently than mine.

Compounds

stem cell
  • Specialized
159 4.1

A basic body unit that can become different kinds of cells and make more of itself

brain cell
  • Specialized
61 2.8

A cell in the brain that sends and receives messages

blood cell
  • Specialized
59 2.5

A cell in the blood that carries oxygen or fights infection

stem-cell research
  • Specialized
47 3.7

Study of cells that can become other cells and how they can treat disease

47 1.5

A small room in a prison where guards keep prisoners

fuel cell
  • Specialized
41 4.5

A device that makes electricity from hydrogen and oxygen

cancer cell
  • Specialized
39 2.5

An abnormal body cell that divides without control and forms a tumor

39 4.1

A secure room in a police station where people wait briefly before going to court

34 2.7

A small locked room in jail for holding a person

31 3.3

A blood cell that eats and kills germs to protect the body

T cell
  • Specialized
29 4.2

A white blood cell made in the thymus that helps the body fight infections and cancer cells

white blood cell
  • Specialized
21 2.5

A cell in the blood that helps the body fight infections

19 6.0

A small secret group that plans violent attacks for political reasons

red blood cell
  • Specialized
17 3.1

A small round cell in the blood that carries oxygen to body tissues

skin cell
  • Specialized
17 2.7

A small living part of the skin that makes it and helps protect the body

solar cell
  • Specialized
17 3.6

A device that changes sunlight into electricity

sickle cell
  • Specialized
16 4.3

A red blood cell with a crescent shape that can block small blood vessels

nerve cell
  • Specialized
15 3.4

A cell that sends electrical signals to carry messages between the brain and body

11 4.1

A study of cells taken from early human embryos to develop medical treatments

9 8.9

A secret group of people who stay inactive until told to attack or spy

fat cell
  • Specialized
8 2.8

A small part of the body that stores fat for energy

B cell
  • Specialized
8 4.3

A white blood cell that makes antibodies to fight infections

cell wall
  • Specialized
7 3.6

A hard layer around the cells of plants, fungi, and some bacteria that gives support and protection

cell death
  • Specialized
7 3.9

A natural process in which living cells die during growth or repair

cell membrane
  • Specialized
7 3.6

A thin flexible outer layer around a cell that controls what enters and leaves

muscle cell
  • Specialized
7 3.0

A long body cell that makes muscles move by becoming shorter and longer

cell division
  • Specialized
6 2.8

A cell splits to make two new cells for growth or repair

bone cell
  • Specialized
5 3.7

A living part inside a bone that helps make new bone and remove old bone

egg cell
  • Specialized
5 3.6

A female cell that can join with a sperm to grow into a new animal or plant

sickle-cell anemia
  • Specialized
4 4.1

An inherited blood illness in which red blood cells become crescent shaped, causing low red blood cell count and pain

epithelial cell
  • Specialized
4 5.0

A cell that forms a thin layer covering body surfaces and inner organs

4 3.5

A male cell that joins a female egg to make a baby

Leydig cell
  • Specialized
3 7.1

A cell in the testes that makes the hormone testosterone

embryonic cell
  • Specialized
3 4.6

A cell in an embryo during early growth

cell nucleus
  • Specialized
3 3.2

The part of a cell surrounded by a membrane that holds DNA and controls growth and reproduction

plant cell
  • Specialized
3 3.0

A tiny living part of a plant with a stiff wall, green chloroplasts, and a large storage space inside

A large room in a jail or police station where officers keep several people for a short time

photovoltaic cell
  • Specialized
2 4.6

A device that changes sunlight into electricity

somatic cell
  • Specialized
2 4.9

A body cell that is not a sex cell

CD4 cell
  • Specialized
2 5.1

A white blood cell that helps control the immune system and that HIV attacks

target cell
  • Specialized
2 5.2

A cell that responds to a specific agent, like a hormone or a virus

sickle-cell disease
  • Specialized
2 3.4

A blood condition passed from parents that makes red blood cells crescent-shaped and causes pain

unit cell
  • Specialized
2 6.8

The smallest part of a crystal that repeats in three directions to form the whole crystal

glial cell
  • Specialized
2 6.9

A part of the brain and nerves that supports, protects, and helps nerve cells work

CD4 T cell
  • Specialized
2 4.6

A white blood cell that helps the body fight infection by guiding other immune cells

squamous cell
  • Specialized
2 5.8

A thin, flat cell that forms the outer layer of the skin and some body surfaces

hair cell
  • Specialized
2 5.6

A cell in the inner ear that senses sound vibrations

germ cell
  • Specialized
2 5.8

Cell like a sperm or egg that carries genes to children

killer cell
  • Specialized
2 4.3

A white blood cell that finds and kills virus-infected cells

CD8 cell
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A type of white blood cell that finds and kills virus-infected or abnormal cells

reproductive cell
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A cell like a sperm or egg that carries half the genes for a new life

beta cell
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A cell in the pancreas that makes and releases insulin to control blood sugar

A small device that makes electricity when its chemicals change

plasma cell
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A white blood cell that makes antibodies to fight infections

CD8 T cell
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A kind of immune cell that finds and kills cells infected by viruses

1 6.1

A special cell inside bones that makes red and white blood cells and platelets

mast cell
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A large cell in body tissue that releases chemicals during allergic reactions and inflammation

storage cell
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A device that stores electricity and can be charged again

mother cell
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A cell that makes another cell during the growth or reproduction of a living thing

lymph cell
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A small white blood cell that helps the body fight infection and often increases during illness

1 9.6

A small secret group of people who plan or use political violence

sex cell
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A cell that joins another to make a new living thing, like sperm or egg

1 4.6

A common skin cancer that starts in the flat cells of the middle and outer layers of skin

programmed cell death
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A process where a cell kills itself to help the body stay healthy

ganglion cell
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A nerve cell with its main part outside the brain and spinal cord, often in the retina

sleeper cell
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A hidden program in a computer network that stays inactive until activated to do harm

daughter cell
  • Specialized
1 4.9

A cell formed when one cell divides, usually like the parent cell

helper cell
  • Specialized
1 4.9

A white blood cell that helps other immune cells fight infections

intelligence cell
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A small secret group that watches places or people to gather information

cell organ
  • Specialized
1 4.0

A part inside a cell that does a specific job, like making energy

small cell carcinoma
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A very serious cancer made of small round cells that grows and spreads quickly in the lungs

Sertoli cell
  • Specialized
1 7.4

A long cell in the tubes of the testis that supports and feeds growing sperm cells

electrolytic cell
  • Specialized
1 7.3

A device with a liquid that uses electricity to force a chemical reaction

How Big

organism
198 3.5
organ
394 2.6
tissue
  • Specialized
418 3.2
cell
  • Specialized
∞ 2.1
organelle
  • Specialized
2 5.6
molecule
  • Specialized
182 3.4

Surface Forms

cell singular
cells plural

Etymology

The word cell for biology comes from Latin cella, meaning 'small room': when Robert Hooke looked at cork he saw many tiny box-like 'rooms' and called them cells, which is why a biological cell is the tiny unit of life.