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cell

vr.tr.cell · thing-cell

Let an agent handle cells by type, organism, structure and state, as the unit underlying biology, medicine and biotechnology.

Thing Registry Cross-cutting context XCT.TOP
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Type What kind of cell.

Classification

Prokaryote, eukaryote, cell type.

Cell type

The cell type.

  1. What type of cell is this, by Cell Ontology term? definition
  2. From which organism and tissue? provenance

Markers

How type is confirmed.

Markers

Markers used.

  1. Which markers confirm the type? measurement
  2. How reliable is that identification? measurement
Structure and function What it has and does.

Structure

Membrane and organelles.

Structure

Structures present.

  1. Which structures does it have? definition
  2. How large is it? measurement

Function

Role in the organism.

Function

What it does.

  1. What is its function? definition
  2. How does it divide or die? definition
Culture and research Working with cells.

Culture

Growing cells.

Culture conditions

Culture conditions.

  1. Under what conditions is it cultured? definition
  2. Has the cell line been authenticated? provenance

Biosafety

Containment.

Biosafety level

Required containment.

  1. Which biosafety level applies? boundary
  2. Could it carry pathogens? boundary
Ethics and medicine Human cells and therapy.

Consent

Donor consent.

Consent

Consent for human cells.

  1. Was donor consent obtained, and for what uses? provenance
  2. Is the donor identity protected? boundary

Therapy

Cell therapies.

Therapy status

Regulatory status.

  1. Is a cell therapy approved, or experimental? provenance
  2. Where should people get reliable information? action

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Cross-cutting context
Entry kind
noun.Tops
Plane
XCT
Domain
XCT.TOP
Facets: substance
abstract
Facets: origin
conceptual
Facets: agency
inert
Facets: mobility
not-applicable
Facets: scale
not-applicable
Facets: affordances
observable
Other names and narrower kinds
recombinant, blastomere, egg, nit, spawn, roe, silkworm seed, flagellated cell, choanocyte, collar cell, fiber, fibre

What it is Filled

In biology, the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms, bounded by a membrane and able to exist alone or as part of a multicellular body, typically containing genetic material, although some specialised cells, such as mature mammalian red blood cells, lack it.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent handle cells by type, organism, structure and state, as the unit underlying biology, medicine and biotechnology.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • A cell is a membrane-bound unit of life.
  • Prokaryotic cells lack a nucleus; eukaryotic cells typically have one, although some specialised cells, such as mature mammalian red blood cells, lack a nucleus.
  • Multicellular organisms contain specialised cell types.
  • Other senses of cell, including battery, prison and spreadsheet senses, are different entries.

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Use cell lines that have not been authenticated as if they were.
  • Advise work with infected or hazardous cultures outside biosafety rules.
  • Use human cells or tissue without the donor's consent and ethics approval.
  • Help modify cells to create a biological threat.

Only with a human decision

  • Approving research on human cells or embryos.

May

  • Explain cell biology from reputable sources.
  • Record cell line identity and authentication results in a lab it is authorized to support.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Human cells come from people who have rights over how their tissue is used.
  • Contaminated cell lines waste research and can mislead medicine.

Who is affected

  • Donors of human cells
  • Researchers
  • Patients relying on research

Owners Filled

Steward

The institution holding the cells, under the donor's consent and research ethics rules.

Master systems

  • Cell line repositories

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • oewn-00004258-n - registry parent class

related

  • organism - organisms are made of cells
  • biology - cell biology
  • battery cell and other cells - homonyms

contains

  • DNA - genetic material

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.cell
  • Open English WordNet: oewn-00006484-n
  • Cell Ontology id: CL: plus digits cell types
  • Cellosaurus accession: CVCL_ plus code cell lines

Direct properties not applicable Not applicable

  • diameter: 1-100 micrometres - bacteria about 1-2, human cells 10-30
  • cells in a human body: about 3.7 x 10^13 cells

Plane XCT: no invented physical properties.

Recognition optional Filled

  • Microscopy with stains shows membrane, nucleus and organelles
  • Shape and size suggest type; markers confirm it
  • Eggs, roe and spawn are cells or clusters of them in everyday language
  • Microscopic units, typically 1-100 micrometres, with a membrane and internal structures visible under staining; eggs and some algae are larger.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • observe it, under a microscope
  • culture it, in laboratories under biosafety rules
  • count and classify it, for diagnosis
  • engineer it, in regulated biotechnology

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Misidentified or contaminated cell lines
  • Biosafety lapses with infected cultures
  • Ethical breaches in human cell research

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • Biosafety rules for cell culture
  • Regulation of human tissues and cells, such as EU Directive 2004/23/EC
  • Stem cell research regulations

Context of use required Filled

  • Cells are the units of life; people study, culture and engineer them for medicine, research and industry.
  • prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
  • animal, plant, fungal cells
  • specialised types: neurons, blood cells, gametes
  • stem cells
  • cell lines in culture

Sources Filled

  1. Open English WordNet 2024, synset oewn-00006484-n - sense and gloss of the concept
  2. Wiktionary: cell - word senses and usage

Open questions

  • Should cell types be separate entries using the Cell Ontology?
  • How should cell lines be linked to Cellosaurus?
  • The registry entry has merged aliases such as roe and silkworm seed; should they be split off?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-cell/spec.json