Definition

1. Noun:
   • The passage of blood cells, especially white blood cells, through the intact walls of capillaries and into the surrounding tissue: This is a physiological process in the immune response where leukocytes exit the bloodstream to reach sites of infection or injury.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Diapedesis is a crucial step in the inflammatory response, allowing white blood cells to reach the site of an infection.
  • The process of diapedesis involves the leukocyte changing shape to squeeze through the endothelial lining of the blood vessel.

Advanced Usage

• "to undergo diapedesis": to experience or carry out the process of passing through a capillary wall.
  • Neutrophils are among the first cells to undergo diapedesis at the site of inflammation.

Variants and Related Words

• Diapedetic (adj): Pertaining to or characterized by diapedesis.
  • The diapedetic movement of monocytes is essential for tissue repair.

Synonyms

• Emigration (in a specific biological/medical context): The movement of cells out of the bloodstream into tissues.
• Extravasation (in a specific biological/medical context): The leakage of a fluid, such as blood or cells, from a vessel into the tissues. (Note: This term is broader and can include diapedesis.)

Related Phrases

• Leukocyte extravasation: A multi-step process that includes diapedesis, describing the entire sequence of white blood cell migration from the blood vessel to the tissue.
  • Leukocyte extravasation involves rolling, adhesion, and finally, diapedesis.

Noun

1. passage of blood cells (especially white blood cells) through intact capillary walls and into the surrounding tissue