List of human cell types

This glossary provides a detailed alphabetical list of human cell types based on their function, location, and significance.

Sections showing epithelial types

Poikilocytes - Red blood cell types

Hematopoiesis (human) diagram

Staging Human Gastrulation

FANTOM5 transcriptional profiling of human cell types

C elegans cell and nucleus sizes

A

• Adipocyte – Found in adipose tissue, responsible for storing energy as fat. Includes white fat cells and brown fat cells.
• Alpha cell – Found in the pancreatic islets, secretes glucagon.
• Ameloblast – A cell involved in the formation of tooth enamel during development.
• Anterior lens epithelial cell – A cell found in the lens of the eye, maintaining transparency and structure.
• Astrocyte – A type of glial cell in the central nervous system that supports neurons and maintains the blood-brain barrier.

B

• Basophil granulocyte – A type of white blood cell involved in immune responses, particularly allergic reactions.
• Beta cell – Found in the pancreatic islets, secretes insulin and amylin.
• Bone marrow stromal cell – A supportive cell in the bone marrow that provides structural and functional support for hematopoiesis.
• Bowman's capsule parietal epithelial cell – Lines the outer layer of the Bowman's capsule in the kidney, forming a barrier.
• Brunner's gland cell – Located in the duodenum, secretes alkaline mucus and enzymes to protect the intestinal lining.

C

• Cardiac muscle cell – Also known as cardiomyocytes, responsible for heart contraction.
• Centroacinar cell – Found in the pancreas, connects acinar cells to ducts and assists in exocrine secretion.
• Cementoblast – Involved in the formation of cementum, a component of teeth.
• Chief cell – Found in the stomach, secretes pepsinogen and gastric lipase.
• Chondrocyte – The primary cell in cartilage, responsible for maintaining the extracellular matrix.

D

• Dendritic cell – An antigen-presenting immune cell that processes and presents antigens to T cells.
• Delta cell – Found in the pancreatic islets, secretes somatostatin.
• Dermal fibroblast – A type of fibroblast in the skin, responsible for producing collagen and extracellular matrix.
• Dust cell – A macrophage in the alveoli of the lungs that removes debris and pathogens.

E

• Eccrine sweat gland cell – Found in sweat glands, secretes sweat to regulate body temperature.
• Ependymal cell – A central nervous system glial cell that lines the ventricles of the brain and spinal cord.
• Epithelial cell – Found lining surfaces and cavities throughout the body, categorized into types such as squamous, cuboidal, and columnar.
• Erythrocyte – Also known as red blood cells, responsible for transporting oxygen via hemoglobin.
• Enteroendocrine cell – A hormone-secreting cell in the gastrointestinal tract; examples include G cells and I cells.

F

• Fibroblast – A connective tissue cell that synthesizes collagen and extracellular matrix components.
• Follicular cell – Found in the thyroid gland, involved in thyroxine and triiodothyronine secretion.

G

• Goblet cell – Found in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, secretes mucus to protect epithelial surfaces.
• Granulocyte – A category of white blood cells, including neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils.

H

• Hepatocyte – The primary functional cell of the liver, involved in metabolism, detoxification, and bile production.

I

• Intestinal epithelial cell – Lines the intestine, involved in nutrient absorption and barrier function.

K

• Keratinocyte – The primary cell in the epidermis of the skin, producing keratin.

L

• Langerhans cell – A specialized macrophage in the skin that functions in antigen presentation.
• Lymphocyte – Includes T cells, B cells, and natural killer cells, essential for immune response.

M

• Macrophage – A phagocytic cell that engulfs and digests cellular debris, pathogens, and other foreign substances.
• Melanocyte – Produces melanin in the skin, hair, and eyes.
• Merkel cell – A sensory receptor in the epidermis associated with light touch.

N

• Neutrophil – A type of white blood cell essential for responding to bacterial infections.

O

• Odontoblast – Produces dentin in teeth.

P

• Photoreceptor cell – Includes rod cells and cone cells, responsible for detecting light in the retina.
• Podocyte – A specialized cell in the glomerulus of the kidney, aiding in filtration.
• Plasma cell – A B cell derivative that secretes antibodies.

R

• Red blood cell – Also known as erythrocyte, carries oxygen in the blood.

S

• Schwann cell – A glial cell in the peripheral nervous system that forms myelin sheaths around neurons.
• Sertoli cell – A nurse cell in the testis that supports spermatogenesis.

T

• T cell – A lymphocyte involved in the adaptive immune response.

V

• Vascular endothelial cell – Lines blood vessels, involved in maintaining vascular integrity.

W

• White blood cell – Includes lymphocytes, granulocytes, and monocytes, critical for immune defense.

Images

• Human cell types
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  Structure of the alveolar wall.

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  Epithelium of the buccal mucosa.

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  Non-keratinized corneal epithelium.

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  Glandular epithelium in the small intestine.

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  Microscopy image of squamous epithelium.

See also

• Histology
• Epithelial tissue
• Human anatomy

External links

• Human Cell Tree Map
• Human Cell Atlas