Definition

1. Noun:
   • A cell with a specific receptor: A cell that possesses a specific molecular structure (a receptor) on its surface, allowing it to be selectively acted upon by a particular antigen, antibody, hormone, drug, virus, phagocyte, or nerve fiber.
   • An abnormal red blood cell: In hematology, an erythrocyte with a distinctive appearance resembling a dark ring with a dark center, often associated with certain types of anemia.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The insulin binds to its target cell in the liver.
  • Under the microscope, the presence of target cells suggested a possible hemoglobinopathy.
  • The virus cannot infect a cell unless it finds the correct target cell with the matching receptor.
  • The drug was designed to seek out and destroy the cancerous target cells.

Advanced Usage

• "To identify a target cell": To determine which specific cell type a particular agent (like a drug or hormone) is meant to affect.
  • The first step in developing the therapy was to identify the precise target cell.
• Conceptual use in research and medicine: The term is fundamental in describing mechanisms of action in pharmacology, immunology, endocrinology, and virology.
  • The study aimed to understand why the nerve fiber failed to connect with its target cell.

Variants and Related Words

• Target (verb): To direct something specifically toward a target cell or object.
  • The new medication targets cancer cells with high precision.
• Targeted (adjective): Designed to act on a specific target.
  • The patient received a targeted therapy.

Synonyms

• Receptor cell: Specifically emphasizes the cell's role in receiving signals.
• Effector cell: In some immunological contexts, though this more specifically refers to a cell that carries out an immune response.

Related Phrases

• Target cell destruction: The process of damaging or killing the intended target cells, often by the immune system or a drug.
  • Autoimmune diseases can involve the mistaken target cell destruction of the body's own tissues.
• Target cell interaction: The specific binding or communication event between an agent and its target cell.
  • The research paper detailed the molecular basis of the target cell interaction.

Noun

1. an abnormal red blood cell with the appearance of a dark ring surrounding a dark center; associated with anemia
2. any cell that has a specific receptor for an antigen or antibody or hormone or drug, or is the focus of contact by a virus or phagocyte or nerve fiber etc.