Noun Phrase
/plæk fɔːrmɪŋ sɛl/
A plaque-forming cell refers to a type of cell, specifically a plasma cell, that produces antibodies, leading to the formation of plaques in cultures or tests used for examining immune responses. This term is primarily used in immunology and microbiology contexts.
The term is more frequently used in written scientific literature rather than in everyday oral speech.
Les cellules formant des plaques sont essentielles pour mesurer la réponse immunitaire dans les études de vaccins.
In a laboratory, researchers isolated plaque-forming cells to study their role in producing antibodies.
Dans un laboratoire, les chercheurs ont isolé des cellules formant des plaques pour étudier leur rôle dans la production d'anticorps.
The quantity of plaque-forming cells can indicate the effectiveness of a therapy.
The term "plaque-forming cell" is not commonly found in idiomatic expressions due to its specific scientific context. However, it can be part of more specialized phrases in immunology. Below are a couple of science-related expressions that include the term.
Les tests de formation de plaques sont cruciaux pour évaluer l'efficacité des vaccins.
"Scientists often count plaque-forming cells to assess the immune response."
The term is derived from the combination of "plaque," coming from the French word for a thin flat piece, and "forming cell," which refers to cells responsible for producing or creating something. "Plaque" in biology typically relates to the visible clusters that can be formed during interactions with antibodies in laboratory settings.
The term is quite specific to biology and does not have many synonyms or antonyms outside of this context.