bleb

A bubble, such as in paint or glass.

Noun

  1. A bubble, such as in paint or glass.
  2. A large vesicle or bulla, usually containing a serous fluid.
    • 2008, Lin Her-Shyuan Lin, Adam C, Reynolds, 180: Filtering Blebs and Associated Problems, Frederick Hampton Roy, Frederick W. Fraunfelder, Frederick T. Fraunfelder (editors), Roy and Fraunfelder's Current Ocular...
    • 2009, Anthony Wells, Tina Wong, Jonathan G. Crowston, 79: Tenon's Cyst Formation, Wound Healing, and Bleb Evaluation: Part A: Tenon's Cyst Formation and Management, Tarek M. Shaawary, Mark B. Sherwood, Roger A....
    • Use of intraoperative antimetabolites is a risk factor for the development of a bleb leak. The mechanism of a bleb leak is thought to be as follows. Ischemic blebs are stretched and surrounded by heavily scarred tissue,...
  3. An irregular bulge in the plasma membrane of a cell undergoing apoptosis.
    • Figure 4.20 reveals blebs on the surface of a bacterial cell. In many instances, these blebs are released from the cell into the surrounding media. - 2005, Larry Barton, Structural and Functional Relationships in...
    • 2013, Louis Foucard, Xavier Espinet, Eduard Benet, Franck J. Vernerey, The Role of the Cortical Membrane in Cell Mechanics: Model and Simulation, Shaofan Li, Dong Qian (editors), Multiscale Simulations and Mechanics of...
    • A different approach is to use protrusions from the membrane, which are called blebs or blisters.[…]The absence of actin and tubulin from blebs formed on oocytes of Xenopus laevus clearly indicates the bleb membrane is...
  4. A bubble-like inclusion of one mineral within another.
    • 1974, George E. Stoertz, George E. Ericksen, Geology of Salars in Northern Chile, Geological Survey Professional Paper 811, page 32, Figure 23. […] The crust is underlain by silty sand, which is loosely cemented by a...

Origin

Possibly onomatopoeic, similarly to blob and blubber.

Forms

blebs

Synonyms

blister bubble

Derived

blebbability blebbistatin blebby blebectomy blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome hyperbleb

Verb

  1. To form, or cause the formation of, blebs.
    • And there, while big drops bow the grassy stems, / And bleb the withering hay with pearly gems,/ Dimple the brook, and patter in the leaves, / The song or tale ah hour's restraint relieves. - 1821, John Clare, “The...
    • Cells were blebbed by brief exposure (5-20 s) to 2 M NaCl-NaOH (pH 10.0) and then labeled with rhodamine-conjugated Fab fragments. - 1991, F. Zhang et al., “Lateral diffusion of membrane-spanning and...

Forms

blebs blebbing blebbed