parafollicularadj.
/ˌparəfɒˈlɪkjᵿlə/, /ˌparəfəˈlɪkjᵿlə/, U.S. /ˈˌpɛrəfəˈlɪkjələr/ Anatomy.
Located beside or near follicles; spec. designating or relating to a type of cell located between the follicles of the mammalian thyroid gland, responsible for the secretion of the hormone calcitonin.
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the world > life > the body > secretory organs > gland > specific glands > [adjective] > thyroid gland > parts of or adjacent to
parathyroidal1897
parathyroid1907
parafollicular1932
1932 J. F. Nonidez in Amer. Jrnl. Anat. 49 479 In the following pages the large epithelial cells with argyrophile granules will be termed ‘parafollicular’ cells, since they lie in the interstitial spaces in close proximity to the follicles from the epithelium of which they arose.
1968 H. Rasmussen in R. H. Williams Textbk. Endocrinol. (ed. 4) xi. 877/2 Between the follicles [of the thyroid gland] are groups of epithelial cells variously described as interstitial cells, mitochondrial-rich, or parafollicular cells.
1975 C. C. Francis & A. H. Martin Introd. Human Anat. (ed. 7) viii. 267 The ultimo-branchial body, an integral part of the thyroid, in man is represented by the parafollicular or C cells.
1984 Med. Hypotheses 14 253 Differentiated thyroid carcinoma may be regarded as a continuous spectrum of tumor types all of which are derived from a common thyroid stem cell, capable of developing both follicular and parafollicular tumor cells.
1999 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 96 6571/2 The atypical cells show a parafollicular location.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1932