#cells

• Acanthocyte — A pathologically altered erythrocyte (red blood cell) characterized by an abnormal spherical or star-like shape, displaying multiple rigid, sharp cytoplasmic protrusions (spicules) of irregular length and distribution across its membrane. This morphological change (acanthocytosis) is caused by membrane lipid abnormalities and is encountered in severe conditions such as abetalipoproteinemia, advanced liver diseases, or neuroacanthocytosis.
• Adelomorphous — Having an indefinite, vague, or poorly defined shape; in histology, it specifically refers to the chief (adelomorphous) gastric cells within the stomach glands, characterized by indistinct cell boundaries and a granular cytoplasm that secretes pepsinogen. This structural term describes microscopic entities whose morphological profile lacks a clear geometric differentiation relative to the surrounding tissues.
• Adipose — Containing fat, structurally formed of fat, or possessing its characteristics. In anatomy and histology, it describes the type of connective tissue specialized in storing triglycerides inside cells called adipocytes, fulfilling essential roles as an energy reserve, thermal insulation, and mechanical protection of organs.
• Aglobulia — A marked decrease or total absence of red blood cells (erythrocytes) in the blood, representing a severe and critical form of structural anemia. This hematological condition severely disrupts the blood's capacity to transport oxygen to biological tissues and is often caused by a severe dysfunction of the hematopoietic bone marrow.
• Agglutinated — As an adjective and participle, having undergone the process of agglutination; cells, bacteria, or particles closely united, adhered, or grouped into clusters under the action of a specific biochemical agent. In linguistics, it describes elements or words formed by welding invariable affixes. As a neuter noun, it represents the product or compact mass resulting from this structural binding process.
• Agranulocytic — Relating to agranulocytes or agranulocytosis; describing cellular phenomena, immune reactions, or clinical syndromes associated with white blood cells that lack specific cytoplasmic granules or with conditions marked by a severe depletion of granulocytes.
• Agranulocytosis — An acute and severe hematological condition characterized by a drastic reduction or near-complete disappearance of granulocytes (primarily neutrophils) in the peripheral blood, dropping below 500 per microliter. It leaves the body highly vulnerable to life-threatening infections.
• Aleukemia — A particular clinical form of leukemia characterized by the malignant proliferation of hematopoietic tissues, but in which the total number of leukocytes in the peripheral blood remains normal or even decreased, with tumor cells (blasts) being absent or extremely rare in the general circulation, although heavily present in the bone marrow.
• Alloxan — A heterocyclic organic compound derived from pyrimidine, obtained through the oxidation of uric acid; a highly hydrophilic and crystalline chemical substance exhibiting a remarkable selective toxicity toward the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans (pancreas). In structural and experimental medical research, it is utilized as a laboratory diabetogenic agent to induce experimental diabetes mellitus in laboratory animals to study the disease's pathogenesis.
• Anaplastic — Pertaining to or characterized by anaplasia; exhibiting a total or partial loss of cellular differentiation and normal structural orientation within a tissue. In oncology, the term describes highly aggressive malignant tumors (such as anaplastic thyroid carcinoma or anaplastic astrocytoma), whose cells have reverted to a primitive, embryonic stage, displaying a very high division rate and an increased resistance to standard treatments.
• Anaplasia — A pathological cellular condition characterized by the complete loss of structural and functional differentiation of cells within a tissue, causing them to revert to a primitive, embryonic-like form. This phenomenon represents a major indicator of tumor malignancy, being associated with an accelerated rate of cell division, severe nuclear atypia, and a profound alteration of the normal architecture of the affected organ.
• Anemia — The definite articulated form of the feminine noun 'anemie', designating a hematological condition characterized by a decrease in the number of erythrocytes (red blood cells) or the hemoglobin concentration below normal values. This pathological process disrupts structural oxygen transport.
• Anemia — A pathological condition characterized by a decrease in the number of erythrocytes (red blood cells) or the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood below the normal age- and sex-adjusted values. This pathophysiological process disrupts the structural transport of oxygen to tissues, manifesting clinically as pallor, chronic fatigue, muscle weakness, and dizziness.
• Aneosinophilia — A severe form of hematological alteration characterized by the total and complete absence of eosinophil granulocytes in peripheral blood, detected through a complete blood count with a differential white blood cell count. This structural clinical phenomenon is frequently associated with the acute stages of severe bacterial infections, septic shock, or as a secondary adverse reaction following prolonged glucocorticoid administration, reflecting a transient collapse of specific immunity.
• Anergic — In a state of anergy; characterized by the total lack or severe diminution of an organism's immune reactivity when exposed to specific antigens. Clinically, the term describes the state of a patient whose T or B lymphocytes structurally fail to generate a normal inflammatory or defensive response, a phenomenon observed in immunodeficiencies, terminal stages of chronic diseases, or following aggressive immunosuppressive therapies.
• Angioblast — An early embryonic mesodermal cell of a pluripotent nature, derived from the mesoderm, which constitutes the direct precursor of the endothelial cells that line the interior of blood vessels. In a structural and ontogenetic context, these cells migrate and organize into isolated cellular cords (blood islands), initiating the process of vasculogenesis fundamental for forming the embryo's primitive circulatory system.
• Angioendothelioma — A rare vascular tumorous formation, characterized by the abnormal and uncontrolled proliferation of endothelial cells lining the interior of blood or lymphatic vessels. In oncological and histopathological terminology, this structural term defines a spectrum of lesions ranging from borderline malignant forms, such as endovascular papillary angioendothelioma, to highly aggressive variants, requiring an early and well-defined microscopic diagnosis.
• Angioplast — A rare terminological variant or structural synonym for 'angioblast', denoting an immature embryonic precursor cell of a pluripotent nature that originates from the mesoderm and differentiates directly into a capillary endothelial cell. In an ontogenetic and laboratory context, these structural precursors organize into compact cellular cords to form the first primitive vessels during embryonic vasculogenesis.
• Angiosarcoma — A highly aggressive and rare malignant tumorous formation, developed through the chaotic and atypical proliferation of endothelial cells lining the interior of blood vessels or lymphatic vessels. This well-defined structural oncological lesion can appear in any region of the body, but frequently affects the skin (especially the scalp), subcutaneous tissue, breast, liver, or spleen, being characterized by rapid progression, deep local infiltration, and a high rate of early metastasis.
• Anisocytosis — A pathological condition characterized by the presence in the blood of cells (especially red blood cells or erythrocytes) of abnormally unequal and varied sizes; anisocytosis. Frequently identified via a peripheral blood smear examination and quantified by the RDW (red cell distribution width) parameter, it serves as a critical clinical indicator for the differential diagnosis of various types of anemia, iron deficiencies, or bone marrow disorders.