histocompatibility antigen
noun Immunology.
any antigen on the surface of tissue or blood cells that provokes the immune response and subsequent rejection when transplanted to an individual of a different antigenic type, thus determining whether the tissues or organs of a donor and recipient are histocompatible.
Origin of histocompatibility antigen
First recorded in 1965–70
Words nearby histocompatibility antigen
histioid,
histo-,
histoblast,
histochemistry,
histocompatibility,
histocompatibility antigen,
histocompatibility gene,
histocyte,
histocytosis,
histodialysis,
histodifferentiation
British Dictionary definitions for histocompatibility antigen
histocompatibility antigen
noun
a molecule occurring on the surface of tissue cells that can take several different forms. The differences between histocompatibility antigens are inherited and determine organ transplant rejection
Medical definitions for histocompatibility antigen
histocompatibility antigen
n.
Any of various antigens on the surface of cell membranes that serve to identify a cell as self or nonself and are used to determine whether a tissue graft or transfusion will be accepted by a recipient.