T cell
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T cell
n.
Any of a class of lymphocytes, including the helper T cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes, that form in bone marrow and mature in the thymus. T cells are activated when receptors on the cell surface recognize specific antigens. Also called T lymphocyte.
[t(hymus-derived) cell.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
T cell
n.
any of several closely related lymphocytes, developed in the thymus, that circulate in the blood and lymph and regulate the immune system's response to infected or malignant cells. Also called T lymphocyte.
[1965–70; T(hymus-derived)]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
T cell
Any of the lymphocytes that act to defend the body against disease by binding foreign antigens to receptors on the surface of their cells. T cells also regulate the function of B cells.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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| Noun | 1. | T cell - a small lymphocyte developed in the thymus; it orchestrates the immune system's response to infected or malignant cells lymph cell, lymphocyte - an agranulocytic leukocyte that normally makes up a quarter of the white blood cell count but increases in the presence of infection CD4 cell, CD4 T cell, helper cell, helper T cell - T cell with CD4 receptor that recognizes antigens on the surface of a virus-infected cell and secretes lymphokines that stimulate B cells and killer T cells; helper T cells are infected and killed by the AIDS virus CD8 cell, CD8 T cell, cytotoxic T cell, killer cell, killer T cell - 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 |
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