noncellular
|non-cel-lu-lar|
🇺🇸
/nɑnˈsɛljələr/
🇬🇧
/nɒnˈsɛljʊlə/
not made of cells
Etymology
'noncellular' originates partly from the Latin prefix 'non-' meaning 'not', and partly from the English adjective 'cellular', which ultimately derives from Latin 'cellula', where 'cellula' meant 'small room'.
'noncellular' was formed in Modern English by attaching the negative prefix 'non-' to 'cellular'; 'cellular' entered English via Late Latin 'cellularis' (from Latin 'cellula') and related Romance forms before becoming the modern English word 'cellular'.
Originally Latin 'cellula' referred to a 'small room' or 'storeroom'; over time the sense shifted to biological 'cell', and 'cellular' came to mean 'made of or relating to cells'. 'Noncellular' therefore evolved to mean 'not made of cells' (and in some contexts 'not cell-mediated').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not composed of cells; lacking cellular structure.
The coating on the implant is noncellular, reducing the risk of tissue ingrowth.
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Adjective 2
(biology/immunology) Relating to humoral mechanisms that do not primarily involve immune cells (e.g., antibody-mediated responses).
Researchers distinguished between cellular and noncellular immune responses in the study.
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Last updated: 2025/11/19 20:15