Germ cell
Health dictionary
Untitled Document
Search :      

Art dictionary
Financial dictionary
Hollywood dictionary
Insurance dictionary
Literature dictionary
Medical Glossary
Real Estate dictionary
Tourism dictionary

 
  Germ cell



Germ cell

    Or germline cell. A sperm or egg, or a cell that can develop into a sperm or egg; all other body cells are called somatic cells.

RELATED TERMS
--------------------------------------

Cell
Fundamental structural unit of all life. The cell consists primarily of an outer plasma membrane, which separates it from the environment; the genetic material (DNA), which encodes heritable information for the maintainance of life; and the cytoplasm, a heterogeneous assemblage of ions, molecules, and fluid.

Sperm
A sperm cell, or spermatozoon (pl. spermatozoa) (in Greek: sperm = semen and zoon = alive), is the haploid cell that is the male gamete. It is carried in fluid called semen, and is capable of fertilising an egg cell to form a zygote. A zygote can grow into a new organism, such as a human. Sperm cells contain half of the genetic information needed to create life. Generally, the sex of the offspring is determined by the sperm, through the chromosomal pair "XX" (for a female) or "XY" (for a male).

Egg
The mature female reproductive cell.

Somatic
Pertaining to the cells and structures of the body, and their function.



SIMILAR TERMS
--------------------------------------

Germ
A disease-causing microorganism.

Germ cell tumor
A tumor that arise from a germ cell. These tumors may arise within the gonads -- the ovary and testis. Most testicular tumors are, in fact, germ cell tumors. Germ cell tumors also occur in sites outside the gonads, reflecting the fact that germ cells travel to diverse areas of the body, such as the chest, abdomen, and brain.

Germ line
Refers to genes in germ cells as opposed to somatic cells, that is, genes in their unrearranged state rather than those rearranged for production of a protein.

Germa-medica
Germa-medica is a prescription or over-the-counter drug which is (or once was) approved in the United States and possibly in other countries. Active ingredient(s): hexachlorophene.

Germa-medica "mg"
Germa-medica "mg" is a prescription or over-the-counter drug which is (or once was) approved in the United States and possibly in other countries. Active ingredient(s): hexachlorophene.

German doctor
A doctor who, being or not a citizen of that country, has been admitted to practice medicine in Germany.

German measles
See rubella.

German measles immunization
The standard MMR vaccine is given to prevent measles, mumps and rubella (German measles). The MMR vaccine is now given in two dosages. The first should be given at 12-15 months of age. The second vaccination should be given at 4-6 years. Most children should receive MMR vaccinations. Exceptions may include children born with an inability to fight off infection, some children with cancer, on treatment with radiation or drugs for cancer, on long term steroids (cortisone). People with severe allergic reactions to eggs or the drug neomycin should probably avoid the MMR vaccine. Pregnant women should wait until after delivery before being immunized with MMR. People with HIV or AIDS should normally receive MMR vaccine. Measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines may be administered as individual shots, if necessary, or as a measles- rubella combination.

German measles vaccine
A vaccine designed to prevent rubella, or German measles. The rubella vaccine has since been refined into the vaccine now known as MMR for mumps, measles and rubella. The congenital rubella syndrome is now largely a chapter in the history of medicine, thanks to the rubella vaccine.

Germanium
A nonessential trace element that has caused nephrotoxicity (kidney injury) and death when used chronically by humans, even at recommended levels of use.

Germantown Health Care Center
The Germantown Health Care Center is a hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

Germantown Hospital and Medical Center
The Germantown Hospital and Medical Center is a hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

Germantown Mediq Mri Center
The Germantown Mediq Mri Center is a hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

Germinal vesicle transfer
Or oocyte nuclear transfer. An assisted reproductive technique involving transfer of an egg nucleus (usually from a woman with age-related infertility or mitochondrial disease) into a healthy donor egg whose nucleus has been removed. This reconstituted egg can then be fertilized by a sperm in vitro. This technique may restore fertility to older women or to prevent the passing of mitochondrial disease to offspring.

Germinoma
A type of germ cell tumor.

Germiston doctors
All doctors near Germiston, South Africa. Doctors who can assist a patient in Germiston.

Germline cell
Or germ cell. A sperm or egg, or a cell that can develop into a sperm or egg; all other body cells are called somatic cells.

Germline mutation
A heritable change in the DNA that occurred in a germ cell (a cell destined to become an egg or in the sperm) or the zygote (the conceptus) at the single-cell stage. When transmitted to a child, a germline mutation is incorporated in every cell of their body. Germline mutations play a key role in genetic diseases. They play a role, too, in certain types of cancer as, for example, the eye tumor retinoblastoma and Wilms tumor, a childhood malignancy of the kidney. A germline mutation is in contrast to a somatic mutation which is acquired in a single body cell.



PREVIOUS AND NEXT TERMS
--------------------------------------

Granulomatous colitis
Another name for Crohn's disease of the colon.

Granulomatous enteritis
Another name for Crohn's disease of the small intestine.

Gynecology
The branch of medicine dealing with health care for women, especially the diagnosis and treatment of disorders affecting the female reproductive organs.

Gene expression
The process by which RNA and proteins are made from the instructions encoded in genes. Alterations in gene expression change the function of the cell, tissue, organ, or whole organism and sometimes result in observable characteristics associated with a particular gene.

Genome
The complete genetic material of an organism.

Germ cell

Germline cell
Or germ cell. A sperm or egg, or a cell that can develop into a sperm or egg; all other body cells are called somatic cells.

Genomic imprinting
See imprinting.

Graft-versus-host disease
A condition that occurs after tissue transplantation in which the donor-derived T cells attack the host's tissues.

Germinal vesicle transfer
Or oocyte nuclear transfer. An assisted reproductive technique involving transfer of an egg nucleus (usually from a woman with age-related infertility or mitochondrial disease) into a healthy donor egg whose nucleus has been removed. This reconstituted egg can then be fertilized by a sperm in vitro. This technique may restore fertility to older women or to prevent the passing of mitochondrial disease to offspring.

Gamete intra-Fallopian transfer
A treatment for infertility in which sperm and surgically removed eggs areinserted into the Fallopian tube at the same time, in the hope that the egg will be fertilized and implant.

   We thank you for using the Health Dictionary to search for Germ cell. If you have a better definition for Germ cell than the one presented here, please let us know by making use of the suggest a term option. This definition of Germ cell may be disputed by other professionals. Our attempt is to provide easy definitions on Germ cell and any other medical topic for the public at large.
 
This dictionary contains 25007 terms.      









  
                    © Health Dictionary 2005 - All rights reserved -

   germcell / erm cell / grm cell / gem cell / ger cell / germcell / germ ell / germ cll / germ cel / germ cel / ggerm cell / geerm cell / gerrm cell / germm cell / germ cell / germ ccell / germ ceell / germ celll / germ celll / term cell / g3rm cell / g4rm cell / grrm cell / gfrm cell / gdrm cell / gsrm cell / gwrm cell / ge4m cell / ge5m cell / getm cell / gegm cell / gefm cell / gedm cell / geem cell / ge3m cell / gern cell / gerj cell / gerk cell / ger, cell / ger cell / germ xell / germ sell / germ dell / germ fell / germ vell / germ ell / germ c3ll / germ c4ll / germ crll / germ cfll / germ cdll / germ csll / germ cwll / germ ceol / germ cepl / germ ce;l / germ ce.l / germ ce,l / germ cekl / germ ceil / germ celo / germ celp / germ cel; / germ cel. / germ cel, / germ celk / germ celi /