体细胞 (tǐ xì bāo) — somatic cell; body cell

Definition

Technical biology term: any cell of an organism except the reproductive (germ) cells — i.e. body cells, as opposed to 生殖细胞.

noun
somatic cellbody cell
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 体细胞。
    tǐ xì bāo Shì shēng wù tǐ de jī běn zǔ chéng bù fen.
    Somatic cells are the basic building blocks of an organism.
  • ，体细胞。
    Yǔ shēng zhí xì bāo bù tóng, tǐ xì bāo bù néng zhí jiē cān yù fán zhí.
    Unlike germ cells, somatic cells cannot directly participate in reproduction.
  • 体细胞。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū tǐ xì bāo de zài shēng néng lì.
    Scientists are studying the regenerative capacity of somatic cells.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

体tǐbody
细胞cell
细xìfine胞bāocell
偏正Modifier + head

体 (body) and 细胞 (cell) combine to mean a body cell.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ體tǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

Open 体 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 細; 细 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
囟
囟xìn細xì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 細 pairs 糸, silk or thread, with 囟 for the sound. The simplified 细 is a later shorthand, and the old right part changed shape.

Open 细 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
月Written in full as肉ròuflesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
包
包bāo胞bāo
Same sound today

胞 pairs 月 (flesh) with 包, a shape representing a pregnant figure, to point to the membrane enclosing a fetus.

Open 胞 →

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