visual cell
- noun
- /ˈvɪʒuəl sɛl/
- Specialized
:
célula visual
- The scientist studied how visual cells transmit information to the brain.
Examples
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There are patients with visual cell loss like our rodless coneless mice, but they've still got the photosensitive retinal ganglion cells.
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There are patients with visual cell loss, like our rodless coneless mice, but they've still got the photosensitive retinal ganglion cells.
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So the visual cells, the rods and cones, give us our sense of space.
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The visual cell in the retina helps us detect light and color.
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Damage to visual cells can lead to significant vision impairment.
Synonyms
2
6.5
A cell in the eye that detects light and sends signals to the brain
How Sensitive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently compositional: 'visual' (related to sight) modifies 'cell' (a microscopic living unit), so the phrase denotes a cell involved in vision. This adjective+noun combination follows a standard, cross-linguistically common pattern, making the concept immediately inferable to a B1 learner who knows both words.
Etymology
Visual cell comes from the parts visual, which means 'seeing', and cell, a tiny unit, so the phrase gives the image of a small unit that 'sees' light. These small units at the back of the eye catch light and send messages to the brain, so visual cell means a light-sensitive cell that helps us see.