細さい胞ぼう

also: さいほう

さ

い

ぼ

う

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

The basic structural and functional unit of living organisms. Used in biological and medical contexts.

人にん間げんの体からだは約やく37さんじゅうなな兆ちょう個この細さい胞ぼうからできている。
The human body is made up of about 37 trillion cells.
この顕けん微び鏡きょうで細さい胞ぼうの核かくがはっきり見みえる。
You can clearly see the cell nucleus with this microscope.

2

cell (organizational unit)

A small group of people working secretly within a larger organization, especially in a communist party or revolutionary movement.

彼かれは共きょう産さん党とうの細さい胞ぼうの一いち員いんとして活かつ動どうしていた。
He was active as a member of a communist party cell.
組そ織しきは小ちいさな細さい胞ぼうに分わかれて地ち下か活かつ動どうを続つづけた。
The organization split into small cells and continued underground activities.

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Usage patterns

細さい胞ぼうが分ぶん裂れつするfor a cell to divide
この細さい胞ぼうは急きゅう速そくに分ぶん裂れつする。
This cell divides rapidly.
細さい胞ぼうを作つくるto form a (secret) cell within an organization
彼かれらは党とう内ないに秘ひ密みつの細さい胞ぼうを作つくった。
They formed a secret cell within the party.
細さい胞ぼうを培ばい養ようするto culture cells
研けん究きゅう室しつで細さい胞ぼうを培ばい養ようしている。
They are culturing cells in the lab.
細さい胞ぼうが死しぬfor a cell to die
紫し外がい線せんを受うけると細さい胞ぼうが死しぬことがある。
Cells can die when exposed to ultraviolet light.

Kanji

細dainty, get thin, taper
胞placenta, sac, sheath

Related words

支し部ぶ sense 2
細胞 in the organizational sense refers to a small, often secretive cell within a movement or party, whereas 支部 is a more general, openly acknowledged branch office.
セル
細胞 is the native Japanese term for a biological cell, while セル is the loanword used mainly for batteries, spreadsheet cells, or small technical units.

Don't confuse with

細さい菌きんN2sense 1
細胞 refers to the basic living unit of an organism, while 細菌 refers to bacteria, a separate microorganism; the two are often confused because both begin with 細 and appear in biology contexts.

Counted with

個こN5
counter for small objects; counter for pieces · counter for military units · individual; one person · counter for years of age difference; counter for school years

Word family· 139

単たん細さい胞ぼう
single cell; unicellular · simple-minded; one-track-minded
Ｂ細胞びーさいぼう
B cell; B lymphocyte
Ｔ細胞てぃーさいぼう
T cell; T lymphocyte
体たい細さい胞ぼう
somatic cell
刺し細さい胞ぼう
cnidoblast; nematocyte

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Written forms

細胞Usage100%
- さいぼう
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading さいぼう is the most common.
- さいほう
  Alternate reading; less common and may be considered non-standard in modern Japanese.
さいほう

Etymology

The kanji 細 (fine, minute) and 胞 (sac, placenta) combine to express the concept of a microscopic biological unit. The reading さいぼう is the standard Sino-Japanese on'yomi; さいほう is a less common variant.