prickle cell
Noun: A specialized cell found in the germinal layer (stratum basale) of the epidermis, characterized by having numerous cytoplasmic spines (desmosomes) that connect it to neighboring cells, giving it a prickly or spiny appearance under a microscope.
The term is used primarily in histology, dermatology, and medical contexts to describe a specific type of epithelial cell that forms a key structural layer of the skin. * The prickle cell layer, or stratum spinosum, lies just above the basal layer of the epidermis. * Under microscopic examination, a prickle cell is easily identified by its spiny projections.
- The biopsy showed normal prickle cells in the stratum spinosum.
- In some skin diseases, the connections between prickle cells can become damaged.
- The pathologist noted the characteristic appearance of the prickle cell under high magnification.
- Prickle cell layer: The common compound term for the stratum spinosum, the layer of the epidermis composed primarily of these cells.
- The carcinoma was confined to the prickle cell layer.
- Stratum spinosum: The formal Latin name for the prickle cell layer.
- Keratinocyte: A broader term; prickle cells are a specific, spinous stage in the life cycle of a keratinocyte as it moves upward through the epidermis.
- Desmosome: The specialized cell structure (the "spine") that connects prickle cells to each other.
- Spinous cell
- Stratum spinosum cell (contextual)
This is a highly specialized scientific term with a single, precise meaning in anatomy and medicine. It does not have common idiomatic or figurative uses.
- a cell in the germinal layer of the skin (the prickle-cell layer); has many spines and radiating processes