'cell-rich' is a modern English compound formed from 'cell' and 'rich'. 'cell' comes from Latin 'cella' meaning 'small room' and 'rich' comes from Old English 'rice' meaning 'powerful, wealthy'.

'cell' changed from Latin 'cella' into Old French/Medieval Latin forms and entered Middle English as 'cell', later developing the biological sense 'membrane-bound unit'. 'rich' changed from Old English 'rice' to Middle English 'rich' and maintained senses of power/wealth and abundance; the compound 'cell-rich' formed in modern scientific English to describe abundance of cells.

Initially, 'cell' meant 'small room' and 'rich' meant 'powerful/wealthy'; over time 'cell' acquired the biological meaning 'basic structural unit of organisms' and 'rich' gained the sense 'abundant'. Today 'cell-rich' means 'abundant in cells'.