APUD cells
The definitions used in this glossary of terminology either have been provided by the authors of the articles, or have been extracted wholly or in part, or paraphrased from the following sources: The American Medical Association Encyclopedia of Medicine, Charles B. Clayman, MD, Medical Editor, Random House, New York, 1989; Biotechnology from A to Z, 2d Edition, William Bains, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2002; A Dictionary of Genetics, 6th Edition, Robert C. King and William D. Stansfield, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2002; Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 29th and 30th Editions, W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 2000, 2003; Genes VII, Benjamin Lewin, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2000; The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders, Volumes I and II, Stacey L. Blachford, Ed., Thomson Learning, New York, New York, 2002; The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Inc., Springfield, Massachusetts, 1997; Molecular Biology of the Cell, 3rd Edition, Bruce Alberts, et al., Garland Publishing, 1994; The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, 1966; Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1991.
DEFINITION:
- APUD cells
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Amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation cells; a diffuse group of cells, many originating in the neural crest, that share certain cytochemical and ultrastructural characteristics and are found scattered throughout the body; types include melanocytes, the cells of the chromaffin system, and cells in the hypothalamus, hypophysis, thyroid, parathyroids, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and pancreas. They concentrate the amino acid precursors of certain amines and decarboxylate them to form the amines, which function as regulators and neurotransmitters. They produce substances such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, and enkephalin, somatostatin, neurotensin, and substance P, the actions of which may affect contiguous cells, nearby groups of cells, or distant cells, thus functioning as local or systemic hormones.
Used in 3 Term definitions
Used in 3 Term definitions