columnar cell
- noun
- /ˈkɑləmnər sɛl/
- Specialized
:
célula columnar
- The respiratory tract is lined with columnar cells that often have cilia to help clear mucus and pathogens.
Examples
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The columnar cells showed abundant cytoplasm, with oval-shaped nuclei.
Academic text (2015) -
Goblet cells were largely scattered among columnar cells.
Academic text (2015) -
These mixed tall and columnar cells feature small, dark nuclei and uniformly condensed chromatin near the center.
Academic text (2009) -
Photomicrograph of the follicular ameloblastoma shows that the epithelial sheets are bordered by columnar cells that resemble ameloblasts.
Academic text (2003) -
In the intestinal lining, the tall, columnar cell type helps in nutrient absorption due to its elongated shape.
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Under the microscope, the columnar cells were easily identifiable by their rectangular shape and prominent nuclei.
Synonyms
A tall cell, longer than it is wide, that lines organs and tubes and often has tiny hairs
How Tall
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'columnar' means column-shaped and 'cell' is a biological unit, so a 'columnar cell' is immediately understood as a cell shaped like a column. This adjective + noun pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Columnar cell comes from the word columnar, meaning like a column, and cell, meaning a small room, so picture many tall, thin columns standing side by side. That's why columnar cell means 'a long, pillar-shaped cell' in the body today.