I am not a linguistic student, nor a native English speaker (yeah, you could realize it from my shabby writing skill). Thus, while I was reading this week home work journal, I bumped to an unfamiliar word: quiescence. OK, what is this word? Well, the paper did explain it, but only in stem cell-related term. I need it in a more common meaning.
I looked in some dictionary and it turns out that quiescence (noun) is a state or condition of being a quiescent (adjective), rest, quiet, inactive, or motionless. However, it doesn't actually mean being a sleep. The meaning is more closely to being dormant or latent.
Oh...how words could be really confusing!
In cell biology,
it refers to that period when a cell is not dividing. E.g., if a neuron
is not firing, or a muscle cell is not contracting, these cells are in a
quiescent state. Quiescence cells don't mean they are dead. Well, some researches consider quiescent cells can undergo cell death or
reenter cell cycle depending on the stimulating signal. They commonly associate quiescence with G0 not G1 phase. To
describe quiescence as the cells whose fate is death is not completely
accurate because even if quiescence applies also to
terminally-differentiated cells, some of those cells still can de-differentiate
to reenter the cell cycle.
In Stem Cell Biology, the meaning (again) slightly differ. Quiescence in is when the stem cells' property are conserved by the niche and not at the time to undergo repeated cell cycles, but still might be stimulated so to do later. For example: the satellite cells in the skeletal muscles of mammals that are quiescent myoblasts, which will proliferate where there is muscle injury or wounding; and will give rise to more muscle cells by fusion (YAP!!! of course it's related to the post #10!!!! You remember it!!!).
FIUH!!! I am satisfied now after finding the meaning ^^
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