胞
placenta, sac, sheath
Readings
On'yomi
- ホウ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
胞 centers on a biological enclosing structure: a placenta, a sac, or a sheath that wraps around and protects something inside.
Most common words using 胞
20 of 247- 細胞さいぼうN1
cell
- 同胞どうほう
brethren; brothers; fellow countrymen; fellowman; compatriot
- 胞子ほうし
spore
- 単細胞たんさいぼう
single cell
- 嚢胞のうほう
cyst
- 卵胞らんぽう
(ovarian) follicle
- 芽胞がほう
spore
- 細胞内さいぼうない
inside the cell; intracellular
- 細胞分裂さいぼうぶんれつ
cell division
- B細胞ビーさいぼう
B cell; B lymphocyte
- ES細胞イーエスさいぼう
embryonic stem cell
- NKT細胞エヌケーティーさいぼう
natural killer T-cell; NKT cell
- NK細胞エヌケーさいぼう
natural killer cell; NK cell
- STAP細胞スタップさいぼう
STAP cell (proposed but disproven type of pluripotency cell); stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency cell
- T細胞ティーさいぼう
T cell; T lymphocyte
- iPS細胞アイピーエスさいぼう
induced pluripotent stem cell; iPS cell
- がん細胞がんさいぼう
cancer cell
- エナメル芽細胞エナメルがさいぼう
ameloblast; tooth enamel depositing cell
- キラーT細胞キラーティーさいぼう
killer T-cell
- キラー細胞キラーさいぼう
killer cell
Study
Etymology
胞 combines the flesh radical ⺼ with 包, which likely contributes both sound and the idea of wrapping or enclosing, reflecting the biological sac or sheath meaning.
Meaning mnemonic
The flesh radical ⺼ on the left suggests something organic, and 包 on the right looks like a wrapping enclosure. Together they form a biological sac or sheath, like a placenta protecting a fetus.
Reading mnemonic
For ホウ, imagine a protective sac that lets out a soft 'hoo' sound when gently pressed: hoo -> ホウ, and the flesh radical ⺼ reminds you it's a living sheath.