cellulaire

Cellulaire is a French adjective meaning "cellular" or "pertaining to cells." Derived from Latin cellula, via French, it is widely used in biology to describe the cellular level of organization, cellular structures, and cellular processes, and in telecommunications to refer to networks and devices based on the concept of cells.

In biology, cellular refers to anything related to cells, the basic units of life. Cell structure includes the plasma membrane, cytoplasm, and organelles such as the nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes. Cellular theory states that all living organisms are composed of cells, and that new cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Cellular processes include metabolism, energy production through respiration, protein synthesis, and cell division. Cellular terminology also covers terms like cellular tissue, cellular respiration, and cellular differentiation.

In telecommunications, the term cellular refers to networks that divide geographic areas into cells, each served by a base station. A mobile phone is often called a "cellulaire" in French, particularly in Canada; the concept underpins modern mobile networks such as GSM, 3G, 4G, and 5G.

Usage varies; "cellule" refers to a biological cell, while "cellulaire" is the adjective; in tech, "cellulaire" describes network or devices. The context usually clarifies the meaning.