biology

Oxyphil cell (parathyroid)

Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) rather than just read about it. In short: Parathyroid oxyphil cells, also named oncocytes, are one out of the two types of cells found in the parathyroid secretory organ, the other being parathyroid chief cell. Oxyphil cells are only found in a select few number of species and humans are one of them.

Key takeaways

Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Parathyroid oxyphil cells, also named oncocytes, are one out of the two types of cells found in the parathyroid secretory organ, the other being parathyroid chief cell. Oxyphil cells are only found in a select few number of species and humans are one of them. These cells can be found in clusters in the center of the section and at the periphery. Oxyphil cells appear at the onset of pubescence, but have no known function. It is perceived that oxyphil cells may be derived from chief cells at puberty, as they are not present at birth like chief cells. Oxyphil cells increase in number with age. There is evidence that chief cells can transdifferentiate into oxyphil cells. Although the terms oncocyte, oxyphil cell, and Hürthle cell are used interchangeably, "Hürthle cell" is used only to indicate cells of thyroid follicular origin.

Structure Oxyphil cells may be binucleated and proteins found within their cytoplasms are basic, resulting in acidophilic cytoplasms. Cytochemically, oxyphil cells and C cells are fairly similar. Oxyphil cells are much larger in size (12–20 μm) compared with chief cells (6–8 μm) and also stain lighter than chief cells. Oxyphil cells have a cytoplasm filled with many, large mitochondria. Oxyphil cells have abundant cytoplasmic glycogen and ribosomes that are interspersed betwixt the mitochondria. The endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatuses, and secretory granules are poorly developed in oxyphil cells of normal parathyroid glands

Function With nuclear medicine scans, they selectively take up the Technetium-sestamibi complex radiotracer to leave delineation of glandular anatomy. Oxyphil cells have been shown to express parathyroid gland-relevant genes found in the chief cells and have the potential to produce additional autocrine/paracrine factors, such as parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) and calcitriol. Oxyphil cells have also been shown to have higher oxidative and hydrolytic enzyme activity than chief cells due to having more mitochondria. Oxyphil cells have significantly more calcium-sensing receptors (CaSRs) than chief cells. More work needs to be done to fully understand the functions of these cells and their secretions.

See also List of human cell types derived from the germ layers Chromophobe cell Melanotroph Chromophil Acidophil cell Basophil cell Pituitary gland Neuroendocrine cell

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Oxyphil cell (parathyroid)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Oxyphil cell (parathyroid)

In research: Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cell biology stubs, Endocrine cells, Human cells, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) in simple terms?

Why does Oxyphil cell (parathyroid) matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Oxyphil cell (parathyroid)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Oxyphil cell (parathyroid).