archeocyte
|ar-che-o-cyte|
🇺🇸
/ˈɑɹkiəsaɪt/
🇬🇧
/ˈɑːkiəsaɪt/
primitive/original cell
Etymology
'archeocyte' originates from New Latin/Greek, specifically the Greek roots 'arkhaios' and 'kytos', where 'arkhaios' meant 'ancient, original' and 'kytos' meant 'cell/container'.
'archeocyte' developed in modern scientific usage from Neo-Latin/English formations such as 'archaeocyte' (variant spelling), ultimately derived from the Greek elements 'arkhaios' + 'kytos'.
Initially the components meant 'ancient/original' + 'cell', and over time the compound came to denote the biological concept of an 'original/primitive undifferentiated cell' (now specifically the totipotent cells in sponges).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an undifferentiated, amoeboid cell in sponges (Porifera) that is totipotent or pluripotent and can differentiate into other cell types; involved in digestion, reproduction, and regeneration.
During regeneration, archeocytes migrate to the injury site and differentiate into the required cell types.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/05 19:36