Title: dendritic cell
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - dendritic cell
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.13087
Status: current

Definition
Ameboid cell that is major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-positive, Fc receptor-negative, and presents processed antigens to T cells in the T-cell areas of secondary lymphoid tissues.

Notes
1) Dendritic cells are potent stimulators of T-cell responses. Nonlymphoid tissues also contain dendritic cells, but these are not able to stimulate T-cell responses until they are activated.
2) There are three major subclasses of dendritic cells, conventional dendritic cells, Langerhans cells, and plasmacytoid dendritic cells.
3) This is a different cell type from the follicular dendritic cell, which is Fc receptor-positive.
4) Some authors also distinguish myeloid and lymphoid dendritic cells based on lineage.
5) Some confusion in the classification of dendritic cells may arise from systems based on function, morphology, or lineage, and possibly species differences.

Related Terms
- Fc receptor: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13138
- Langerhans cells: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13373
- T cells: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13724
- conventional dendritic cells: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13045
- follicular dendritic cell: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13156
- major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13432
- plasmacytoid dendritic cells: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13577
- secondary lymphoid: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13663

Source
- PAC, 2012, 84, 1113. 'IUPAC glossary of terms used in immunotoxicology (IUPAC Recommendations 2012)' on page 1156 (https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REC-11-06-03)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13087/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13087/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13087/xml

Citation: Citation: 'dendritic cell' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.13087
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Accessed: 2026-05-14T01:01:49+00:00