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Wed 17 Mar, 2004 06:47 pm
What I've gotten is that "sphere-forming cells" mean "cells that their form is like sphere". Right?
Context:
Li started by following procedures for isolating mouse forebrain stem cells. These are usually maintained in culture as floating colonies, or spheres of densely packed cells, which can divide ad infinitum. Deciding he had nothing to lose, he ran parallel experiments using utricles isolated from the mouse inner ear. "The surprise," revealed Heller, "was that we were able to isolate sphere-forming cells much faster and easier from the utricle. It seems to have very robust sphere-forming cells that are relatively simple to isolate."
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Kerry and Cheney Trade Swipes in Speeches on Iraq Anniversary
Does "swipe" mean:
A critical remark (an informal usage)?
And,
Does "trade" mean:
To pass back and forth?
I'm not scientist enough to understand the quote you give, but if I wrote "sphere-forming cells" I would mean "cells that create spheres" (possibly by binding together in spherical clumps)... "Cells that their form is like sphere" would be "sphere-shaped cells."
You're right on both counts in the second example.
Sphere-forming cells: cells can adopt a variety of shapes, so your first instinct was correct--"sphere-forming cells" means cells that adopt the shape of a sphere.
[The reason they are called "sphere-forming" rather than just "sphere-shaped" is that they return to the form of a sphere even after being perturbed--so, even if you constrain them into some other shape (say, by flattening them), as soon as the constraints are removed they will form spheres again. Thus they are "sphere-forming".]
Interesting explanation, lab rat! And thanks.
Thanks from me too, labrat! I'm always willing to learn something!
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