columnar epithelial cell
- noun
- /kəˈlʌmnər ˌɛpɪˈθiːliəl sɛl/
- Specialized
:
célula epitelial columnar
- The digestive tract is lined with columnar epithelial cells that help absorb nutrients efficiently.
Examples
-
In the respiratory system, columnar epithelial cells often have cilia to aid in trapping and moving particles.
-
Although also covered by a single layer of columnar epithelial cells, its surface consists entirely of crypts interspersed between flat regions of surface epithelium.
Academic text (2016) -
The tissue sample revealed several layers of columnar epithelial cells that facilitate secretion and absorption.
Synonyms
A long thin cell shaped like a column that sometimes has tiny hairs
How Tall
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
1
5.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
columnar + epithelial + cell
The meaning is fully compositional: 'columnar' (column-shaped) modifies 'epithelial cell' (a cell of the epithelium), so a learner who knows the constituent words can infer it is an epithelial cell shaped like a column. Although somewhat technical, the adjective+adjective+noun structure follows normal English composition and is cross-linguistically transparent, making the sense predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Columnar epithelial cell is a simple description: columnar means 'like a column', epithelial means 'lining', and cell is a tiny living unit, so the name paints the image of a tall, narrow cell standing upright. These tall cells line places such as the stomach and the airways and often have tiny hairs or make mucus, so the name helps you remember their long shape and job.