Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
hemocyte

hemocyte

1 9.5
A blood cell in animals without a backbone that helps fight infection and has other jobs
  • noun
  • /ˈhiːməˌsaɪt/
  • Specialized
: hemocito
  • During encapsulation, specialized hemolymph cells called hemocytes become attracted to an invader, such as the larva of a conopid fly.

Examples

  • The hemocytes are crucial for the immune response in invertebrates, helping to protect them from infections.

  • As the hemocytes attach to its surface and aggregate, the proPO cascade is activated.

    Academic text (2003)

  • The resulting melanin acts as a kind of mortar that cements hemocyte "bricks" in place around the larva.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Hemocytes may mediate fibronectin (FN)-like fibril formation in the shell matrix as they do in ECM.

    Blog text (31)

  • The role of hemocytes in combating pathogens is essential for maintaining the health of the organism.

  • Researchers are studying how hemocytes react during an infection process to better understand invertebrate immunity.

Surface Forms

hemocyte singular
hemocytes plural

Morphology

hemocyte = hemo + cyte (opaque) = hemo + cyte

Built from Greek combining forms 'hemo-' and '-cyte' which are technical and not transparent to an average B1 learner.

Etymology

The word hemocyte comes from two Greek parts: hemo- meaning 'blood', as in hemoglobin, and -cyte meaning 'cell'. So a hemocyte is literally a 'blood cell', which is why we use the word for the cells in animals like insects and crabs that help fight infection.