细胞

• Pinyin: xì bāo
• Hanzi breakdown: 细 = 纟(silk) + 田 (field), meaning fine or slender; 胞 = 月 (flesh radical) + 包 (wrap), meaning membrane or cell

Meaning

Cell. The basic structural and functional unit of living organisms.

A fundamental biology term learned in middle school science. Common collocations: 细胞分裂 (cell division), 干细胞 (stem cell), 癌细胞 (cancer cell), 红细胞/白细胞 (red/white blood cells). Also used metaphorically to describe basic units of organizations.

Examples

1. 人体由数万亿个细胞组成，每一个都有特定的功能。 The human body is made up of trillions of cells, each with a specific function.
2. 科学家正在研究如何利用干细胞治疗各种疾病。 Scientists are researching how to use stem cells to treat various diseases.
3. 这种病毒会直接攻击人体的免疫细胞。 This virus directly attacks the body's immune cells.

Usage Guide

Context: biology, medicine, science, education

Tone: scientific

Do Say

• 人的红细胞没有细胞核。(Human red blood cells have no nucleus.)
• 细胞是生命的基本单位。(The cell is the basic unit of life.)

Don't Say

• 我身体里有一个坏细胞 — 不能这样单独计数使用，应该说'癌细胞'或'异常细胞'

Origin & History

Compound of 细 (fine, minute) + 胞 (membrane, cell). Modern scientific term coined in the late 19th century during the introduction of Western biology to China.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal