Cilium

Cilium
A fine hairlike projection from a cell such as those in the respiratory tract. Cilia can help to sweep away fluids and particles. Some single-celled organisms use the rhythmical motion of cilia for locomotion. Cilium is Latin. It referred to the edge of the eyelid and, much later, to the eyelashes. In the same sense, cilia came to refer to the fine hairlike projections from cells.
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1. [NA] SYN: eyelash. 2. A motile extension of a cell surface, e.g., of certain epithelial cells, containing nine longitudinal double microtubules arranged in a peripheral ring, together with a central pair. [L. an eyelid]

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cil·i·um 'sil-ē-əm n, pl cil·ia -ē-ə
1) EYELASH
2) a minute short hairlike process often forming part of a fringe esp one of a cell that is capable of lashing movement and serves esp. in free unicellular organisms to produce locomotion or in higher forms a current of fluid

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n. (pl. cilia)
1. a hairlike process, large numbers of which are found on certain epithelial cells and on certain (ciliate) protozoa. Cilia are particularly characteristic of the epithelium that lines the upper respiratory tract, where their beating serves to remove particles of dust and other foreign material.
2. an eyelash or eyelid.
ciliary adj.

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cil·i·um (silґe-əm) [L.] singular of cilia.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Cilium — Cil i*um, n. [L., eyelid.] See {Cilia}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cilium — cilium. См. ресничка. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • CILIUM — Africae propriae urbs. Antonin. Item civitas antiqua Apuliae Peucetiae …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • cilium — ► NOUN (pl. cilia) 1) Biology a microscopic hair like vibrating structure, occurring on the surface of certain cells. 2) Anatomy an eyelash. ORIGIN Latin …   English terms dictionary

  • cilium — [sil′ē əm] n. sing. of CILIA …   English World dictionary

  • Cilium — Not to be confused with Psyllium. Cilium SEM micrograph of the cilia projecting from respiratory epithelium in the lungs Code TH …   Wikipedia

  • Cilium — Darstellung von Zilien unter dem Elektronenmikroskop. Sichtbar ist die 9x2+2 Struktur. Als Zilie oder Cilium (lat., n.; auch Kinozilie, Flimmerhärchen, Wimper) bezeichnet man 5–10 µm lange und 250 nm dicke Zytoplasmafortsätze von eukaryotischen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • cilium — /sil ee euhm/, n. sing. of cilia. [ < L] * * * Short, eyelashlike filament that is numerous on tissue cells of most animals. Capable of beating in unison, cilia perform a variety of functions, including providing the means of locomotion for some… …   Universalium

  • Cilium — Cilia Cil i*a, n. pl. {Cilium}, the sing., is rarely used. [L. cilium eyelid.] 1. (Anat.) The eyelashes. [1913 Webster] 2. (Biol.) Small, generally microscopic, vibrating appendages lining certain organs, as the air passages of the higher animals …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cilium — (= cilia (plural) ) Motile appendage of eukaryotic cells that contains an axoneme, a bundle of microtubules arranged in a characteristic fashion with nine outer doublets and a central pair (‘9+2’ arrangement). Active sliding of doublets relative… …   Dictionary of molecular biology

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