Definition

Noun: A type of white blood cell (a T cell) that carries the CD8 receptor on its surface. Its primary function is to identify and destroy body cells that have been infected by a virus or that have become cancerous. It recognizes specific antigens presented on the surface of the target cell and binds to it, leading to the target cell's death.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The body's immune response relies on killer T cells to eliminate virus-infected cells.
  • Researchers are studying how to enhance killer T cell activity in cancer immunotherapy.

Advanced Usage

• "Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)": This is a formal, synonymous term for a killer T cell, emphasizing its cell-killing (cytotoxic) function.
  • The cytotoxic T lymphocyte response is crucial for controlling viral infections.

Variants and Related Words

• Cytotoxic T cell: Another term for killer T cell.
• CD8+ T cell: A technical term referring to the same cell type, named for the presence of the CD8 glycoprotein.
• Helper T cell: A different type of T cell (CD4+) that assists in activating immune responses, including those of killer T cells.

Synonyms

• Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)
• CD8-positive T lymphocyte

Related Phrases

• Cell-mediated immunity: The arm of the immune system in which killer T cells are a primary component.
  • Vaccines aim to stimulate strong cell-mediated immunity, including killer T cells.
• Target cell lysis: The process by which a killer T cell destroys its target.
  • The killer T cell induces target cell lysis through the release of toxic granules.

Noun

1. T cell with CD8 receptor that recognizes antigens on the surface of a virus-infected cell and binds to the infected cell and kill it