Cajal body

noun

A spherical membraneless nuclear body largely consisting of proteins and RNA, found in the nucleus of proliferative cells like embryonic cells and tumor cells, or metabolically active cells like neurons.

Similar
coiled body
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Meanings

nounCajal body (plural Cajal bodies)

plural Cajal bodies

  1. biologyA spherical membraneless nuclear body largely consisting of proteins and RNA, found in the nucleus of proliferative cells like embryonic cells and tumor cells, or metabolically active cells like neurons.

    Synonyms: coiled body

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA spherical membraneless nuclear body largely consisting of proteins and RNA, found in the nucleus of proliferative cells like embryonic cells and tumor cells, or metabolically active cells like neurons.

Similar
coiled body

Origin

Discovered by Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852–1934), Spanish neuroscientist and histologist, in 1903.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Cajal body. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cajal%20body

MLA

“Cajal body.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cajal%20body. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Cajal body,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cajal%20body.

Source: Cajal body on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.