A poptosis A type of cell death in which the cells are genetically programmed to die, often in developmental programmes such as the loss of webs between fingers in the human hand.
A rchaea Previously classified with bacteria, Archaea are a similar group of primitive single cell organisms that can also live in the most extreme conditions on earth.
A xoneme A central complex of microtubules which supports cell extensions such as the classic 9+2 organization found in cilia and flagellae.
Ciliopathies A group of genetic conditions resulting from defects in cilia, flagellae, or their basal bodies, leading to a variety of different diseases.
Condensation The final packaging of chromosomes at metaphase, prior to separation of chromatids to the daughter cells.
Cytokinesis The last stage of cell division, following nuclear division, when the mother cell cytoplasm is separated into two daughter cells.
Cytoskeleton The combined organization of microtubules, intermediate filaments, and microfilaments, which works together to control cell shape, locomotion, and division.
Dalton The unit of atomic mass, equal to one atom of hydrogen.
Desmosome A specialized region of the cell membrane between adjacent cells in tissue, forming a junction which joins cells together, anchored in the cytoplasm by intermediate filaments.
Diploid Normal amount of DNA in somatic cells, in the form of paired (homologous) chromosomes, in contrast to germline cells (sperm and eggs) which have a single set of chromosomes, and are haploid.
Endosymbiosis The mutually advantageous relationship of previously free-living precursors of mitochondria and chloroplasts with the larger cells they came to live in early in the evolution of eukaryotic cells.
Epithelium Cells that line surfaces in the body. One of the four basic types of tissue that make up the body, along with nervous tissue, muscle tissue, and connective tissue.
Eukaryote A cell with a clearly defined nucleus, enclosed in a membrane, and with other membrane-bound organelles in the cytoplasm.