細胞

• Reading: さいぼう
• Romaji: saibou
• Kanji breakdown: 細 (sai) — fine, detailed, thin; 胞 (bou) — cell, sac
• Pronunciation: /sai.boː/

Meaning

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

A biology noun essential for science education and medical contexts. Common in compounds like 細胞分裂 (saibou bunretsu, cell division), 幹細胞 (kansaibou, stem cell), がん細胞 (gan saibou, cancer cell), and 赤血球 (sekkekkyuu, red blood cell). Also used metaphorically in expressions like 体の細胞が喜ぶ (every cell in my body rejoices).

Examples

1. 人間の体は約三十七兆個の細胞からできている。 The human body is made up of approximately 37 trillion cells.
2. 幹細胞の研究が再生医療の発展につながっている。 Stem cell research is contributing to advances in regenerative medicine.
3. 顕微鏡で細胞の構造を観察した。 I observed the structure of cells under a microscope.

Usage Guide

Context: biology, medicine, education

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 細 (sai, fine/small) + 胞 (bou, cell/sac). Literally 'small sac' — the tiny compartments that form the basis of life. Coined in Japanese as a translation of the Western biological term 'cell.'

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal