Dictionary

celiac disease, adult See celiac sprue.

celiac sprue An immune disorder whereby the small intestine is injured when exposed to gluten, a protein found in wheat and related grains. Celiac sprue causes impaired absorption and digestion of nutrients through the small intestine. Symptoms include frequent diarrhea and weight loss. A skin condition called dermatitis herpetiformis is sometimes associated. The most accurate…

cell The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small container of chemicals and water wrapped in a membrane. There are 100 trillion cells in a human, and each contains all of the genetic information necessary to manufacture a human being. This information is encoded within the cell nucleus…

cell, alpha See alpha cell, pancreatic.

cell, beta See beta cell, pancreatic.

cell, delta See delta cell, pancreatic.

cell, germ The egg or sperm. Each mature germ cell is haploid, meaning that it has a single set of 23 chromosomes that contains half the usual amount of DNA and half the usual number of genes. This makes germ cells notable exceptions to the usual rules governing chromosomes, genes, and DNA.

cell, reproductive See cell, germ.

cell cloning The process of producing a group of cells that are genetically identical (clones) to a single ancestral cell.

cell cycle The sequence of events within the cell between mitotic (cell) divisions. The cell cycle is conventionally divided into five phases: G0 (the gap); G1, (the first gap); S (the synthesis phase, during which the DNA is synthesized and replicated); G2 (the second gap); and M (mitosis). Cells that are not destined to divide…

cellulite In popular language, deposits of fat that have a cottage cheese-like texture. Medically, cellulite is not considered abnormal.

cellulitis A spreading bacterial infection underneath the skin surface characterized by redness, warmth, swelling, and pain. Cellulitis commonly appears in areas where there is a break in the skin.