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mast cell
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noun Biology.
a large granular cell, common in connective tissue, that produces heparin, histamine, and serotonin.
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Origin of mast cell
1885–90; partial translation of German Mastzelle, equivalent to Mast fattening of animals for slaughter, mast2 + Zelle cell
Words nearby mast cell
mastaba, mastax, mast ball, mast band, mast bed, mast cell, mast clamp, mast cloth, mastectomy, -masted, master
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use mast cell in a sentence
The substance of the mast cell granulations is also crystalline in some species of animals.
Histology of the Blood|Paul EhrlichThe mast cell granulations are stained pure blue, the eosinophil red, the neutrophil in mixed colour.
Histology of the Blood|Paul EhrlichEvidently part of the dyed mast cell substance is dissolved and retained in the immediate neighbourhood.
Histology of the Blood|Paul Ehrlich
British Dictionary definitions for mast cell
mast cell
noun
a type of granular basophil cell in connective tissue that releases heparin, histamine, and serotonin during inflammation and allergic reactions
Word Origin for mast cell
C19: from mast ², on the model of German Mastzelle
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for mast cell
mast cell
[ măst ]
A granular cell found in body tissue, especially connective tissue, that activates inflammation by releasing a variety of chemical substances including histamine, tumor necrosis factor, and interleukins. Mast cells have membrane receptors that bind to bacteria, triggering the release of inflammatory mediators from the mast cell's cytoplasmic granules. Mast cells also play an important role in allergic reactions. Other receptors on their membranes bind to specific antibodies that, combined with certain antigens, initiate granular release of chemical mediators that cause allergic signs and symptoms.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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