Canadian Medical Guide > Biological Sciences > Biological Phenomena, Cell Phenomena, and Immunity > Cell Physiology Terms and Definitions

Cell Physiology

Medical Definition:	Characteristics and physiological processes of cells from cell division to cell death.
Guide Notes:	GEN or unspecified; prefer specifics; DF: CELL PHYSIOL
Previously Indexed:	Cells/physiology (1968-1997)

Cell Physiology Categories.

	Cell Adhesion - Adherence of cells to surfaces or to other cells.
	Cell Aging - The decrease in the cell's ability to proliferate with the passing of time. Each cell is programmed for a certain number of cell divisions and at the end of that time proliferation halts. The cell enters a quiescent state after which it experiences CELL DEATH via the process of APOPTOSIS.
	Cell Communication - Any of several ways in which living cells of an organism communicate with one another, whether by direct contact between cells or by means of chemical signals carried by neurotransmitter substances, hormones, and cyclic AMP.
	Cell Compartmentation - A partitioning within cells due to the selectively permeable membranes which enclose each of the separate parts, e.g., mitochondria, lysosomes, etc.
	Cell Cycle - The complex series of phenomena, occurring between the end of one CELL DIVISION and the end of the next, by which cellular material is duplicated and then divided between two daughter cells. The mitotic cell cycle includes INTERPHASE, which includes G0 PHASE; G1 PHASE; S PHASE; and G2 PHASE, and MITOSIS.
	Cell Death - The termination of the cell's ability to carry out vital functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, responsiveness, and adaptability.
	Cell Differentiation - Progressive restriction of the developmental potential and increasing specialization of function that leads to the formation of specialized cells, tissues, and organs.
	Cell Membrane Permeability - A quality of cell membranes which permits the passage of solvents and solutes into and out of cells.
	Cell Movement - The movement of cells from one location to another. Contrast with CYTOKINESIS which is the process of the cytoplasm of a cell dividing following nuclear division.
	Cell Polarity - Orientation of intracellular structures especially with respect to the apical and basolateral domains of the plasma membrane. Polarized cells must direct proteins from the Golgi apparatus to the appropriate domain since tight junctions prevent proteins from diffusing between the two domains.
	Cell Respiration - The metabolic process of all living cells (animal and plant) in which oxygen is used to provide a source of energy for the cell.
	Cell Size - The physical dimensions of a cell. It refers mainly to changes in dimensions correlated with physiological or pathological changes in cells.
	Cell Survival - The span of viability of a cell characterized by the capacity to perform certain functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, some form of responsiveness, and adaptability.
	Contact Inhibition - Arrest of cell locomotion or cell division when two cells come into contact.
	Cytoplasmic Streaming - The movement of CYTOPLASM within a CELL. It serves as an internal transport system for moving essential substances throughout the cell, and in single-celled organisms, such as the AMOEBA, it is responsible for the movement of the entire cell.
	DNA Packaging - The folding of an organism's DNA molecule into a compact, orderly structure that fits within the limited space of a CELL or VIRUS PARTICLE.
	Endocytosis - Cellular uptake of extracellular materials within membrane-limited vacuoles or microvesicles. ENDOSOMES play a central role in endocytosis.
	Exocytosis - Cellular release of material within membrane-limited vesicles by fusion of the vesicles with the CELL MEMBRANE.
	Ion Channel Gating - The opening and closing of ion channels due to a stimulus. The stimulus can be a change in membrane potential (voltage-gated), drugs or chemical transmitters (ligand-gated), or a mechanical deformation. Gating is thought to involve conformational changes of the ion channel which alters selective permeability.
	Lymphocyte Cooperation - T-cell enhancement of the B-cell response to thymic-dependent antigens.
	Membrane Fusion - The adherence and merging of cell membranes, intracellular membranes, or artificial membranes to each other or to viruses, parasites, or interstitial particles through a variety of chemical and physical processes.
	Mitochondrial Swelling - Increase in volume of mitochondria due to an influx of fluid; it occurs in hypotonic solutions due to osmotic pressure and in isotonic solutions as a result of altered permeability of the membranes of respiring mitochondria.
	Receptor Aggregation - Chemically stimulated aggregation of cell surface receptors, which potentiates the action of the effector cell.
	Receptor Cross-Talk - The simultaneous or sequential binding of multiple cell surface receptors to different ligands resulting in coordinated stimulation or suppression of signal transduction.

Cell Physiology Medical Definitions and Terms

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Cell Physiology

Cell Physiology Medical Definitions and Terms

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