null cell

null cell

n.

See killer cell.

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null cell

Etymology: L, nullus, not one, cella, storeroom

a lymphocyte that develops in the bone marrow and lacks the characteristic surface markers of the B and T cells (surface immunoglobulin or the pan-T antigen). Null cells represent a small proportion of the lymphocyte population. Stimulated by the presence of antibody, null cells can attack certain cellular targets directly. They kill tumor or viral-infected cells, although not with the specificity of cytotoxic T cells. Kinds of null cells are killer cells and natural killer cells . Compare B cell, T cell. See also cytotoxin, immune gamma globulin.

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null cell,

n a lymphocyte that develops in the bone marrow and lacks the characteristic surface markers of the B and T lymphocytes. Null cells stimulated by the presence of antibody can directly attack certain cellular targets and are known as “natural killers” or “killer cells.”

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null

an absence of information, as contrasted with zero or blank or nil, about a value.

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null cell

called also null lymphocyte; see null cell.

null hypothesis

a statistical hypothesis which states that one variable has no association with another variable, or set of variables. That is, the observed results can be explained by chance alone.

null lymphocyte

see null cell.