Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

cell, alpha
See 
alpha cell, pancreatic.
cell, beta
See 
beta cell, pancreatic.
cell, delta
See 
delta cell, pancreatic.
cell, germ
The egg or sperm. Each mature germ
cell is haploid, meaning that it has a single set of 23
chromosomes that contains half the usual amount
of DNA and half the usual number of genes. This
makes germ cells notable exceptions to the usual
rules governing chromosomes, genes, and DNA.
cell, reproductive
See 
cell, germ.
cell cloning
The process of producing a group of
cells that are genetically identical (clones) to a sin-
gle ancestral cell.
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cell cycle
The sequence of events within the cell
between mitotic (cell) divisions. The cell cycle is
conventionally divided into five phases: G0 (the
gap); G1, (the first gap); S (the synthesis phase,
during which the DNA is synthesized and repli-
cated); G2 (the second gap); and M (mitosis). Cells
that are not destined to divide again are considered
to be in the G0 phase. The transition from G0 to G1
is thought to commit the cell to completing the cell
cycle by dividing.
cellulite
In popular language, deposits of fat that
have a cottage cheese-like texture. Medically, cel-
lulite is not considered abnormal.
cellulitis
A spreading bacterial infection under-
neath the skin surface characterized by redness,
warmth, swelling, and pain. Cellulitis commonly
appears in areas where there is a break in the skin.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
See 
CDC.
Centigrade
A thermometer scale in which the
freezing point of water at sea level is 0°C and the
boiling point of water at sea level is 100°C. The
Centigrade scale is used in most of the world to indi-
cate the temperature on a thermometer, but the
Fahrenheit scale is still popular in the US. This
anachronism requires conversion from Centigrade
(°C) to Fahrenheit (°F), and vice versa. 1°C =
(5/9) (°F–32). 1°F = (9/5)(°C) + 32°.
centimorgan
A unit of measure of genetic
recombination frequency. Abbreviated cM. One cM
is equal to a 1 percent chance that a marker at one
genetic locus will be separated from a marker at
another locus due to crossing over in a single gen-
eration. In humans, 1 cM is equivalent, on average,
to 1 million base pairs.