apocrine
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Relating to a type of gland: Describes exocrine glands whose secretions contain part of the cytoplasm from the secreting cell itself. These glands release their product by pinching off a portion of the cell membrane and the cellular material within it.
Usage
- The term apocrine is used specifically in biological and medical contexts to classify and describe certain glands and their secretions. It is a technical term.
- It is typically used attributively before a noun (e.g., apocrine gland, apocrine secretion).
Examples
- Adjective:
- Apocrine sweat glands are found in specific areas like the armpits.
- The characteristic odor is associated with bacterial breakdown of apocrine secretions.
- As noted, mother's milk is one apocrine secretion.
Advanced Usage
- Apocrine metaplasia: A pathological change where a glandular tissue transforms to resemble apocrine gland tissue.
- The biopsy showed areas of apocrine metaplasia.
- Apocrine carcinoma: A rare type of cancer arising from apocrine glands.
- The dermatologist diagnosed an apocrine carcinoma.
Variants and Related Words
- Apocrinely (adverb, rare): In an apocrine manner.
- Eccrine (adjective): The contrasting type of sweat gland that produces a watery secretion without losing cellular material.
- Holocrine (adjective): A gland type where the entire secretory cell disintegrates to release its product (e.g., sebaceous glands).
Synonyms
- There are no direct common synonyms for this precise biological term. Descriptive phrases include:
- Decapitation secretion glands (an older histological term describing the pinching-off process).
Related Phrases / Compounds
- Apocrine gland: The gland itself that produces an apocrine secretion.
- Apocrine sweating: Sweating specifically from apocrine glands.
Adjective
- (of exocrine glands) producing a secretion in which part of the secreting cell is released with the secretion
- mother's milk is one apocrine secretion