basal
Forming the base
Basal means at or forming the base.
In anatomy, basal structures lie at the bottom or foundation of something: basal ganglia, basal metabolic rate.
In botany, basal leaves grow from the base of a stem.
The word appears in technical contexts where fundamental or foundational would sound too abstract: basal layer of skin.
Basal cell carcinoma is a common skin cancer arising from the deepest layer of the epidermis.
Forming the base
- underlyingExisting beneath the surface
- rootUnderground absorbing structure
- primaryChief in importance
- elementaryOf first principles
essential · substrate · groundwork · rudimentary · bedrock · foundation · core · bottom
Outermost tissue layer
- melanocyteCell that produces melanin
- carcinomaEpithelial malignant tumor
- adenomaBenign epithelial tumor
- melanomaAggressive pigment-cell cancer
epithelium · squamous · membrane · nucleus · cytoplasm · mitosis · proliferation · biopsy
Cellular nutrient conversion
- restingIn a state of stillness
- caloricRelating to heat units
- calorieUnit of thermal energy
- thermogenesisMetabolic production of warmth
energy · thyroid · glucose · insulin · homeostasis · oxidation · catabolism · anabolism
Existing from the start
- primalFirst in origin
- ancestralOf one's forebears
- archaicBelonging to earlier times
- originalFirst or inventive
elemental · early · prehistoric · ancient · aboriginal · paleolithic
fundamental
Forming the base
- underlyingExisting beneath the surface
- rootUnderground absorbing structure
- primaryChief in importance
elementary · essential · substrate · groundwork · rudimentary · bedrock · foundation · core · bottom · lowest
epidermis
Outermost tissue layer
- melanocyteCell that produces melanin
- carcinomaEpithelial malignant tumor
- adenomaBenign epithelial tumor
melanoma · epithelium · squamous · membrane · nucleus · cytoplasm · mitosis · proliferation · biopsy · histology
metabolism
Cellular nutrient conversion
thermogenesis · energy · thyroid · glucose · insulin · homeostasis · oxidation · catabolism · anabolism · adipose
primordial
Existing from the start
original · elemental · early · prehistoric · ancient · aboriginal · paleolithic
- anatomy termsanterior, posterior, dorsal, ventral, medial
- plant traitsthorny, spiny, evergreen, deciduous, flowering
- epitheliumepithelium, squamous, columnar, stratified, simple
- Filipino instrumentslaud, gimbal, butting
- phylogeneticscladogram, clade, phylogeny, phylogenetics, cladistics
- placentationparietal, marginal, apical, central, laminar
basalderived
Obtained from a source
evolved · advanced · developed · specialized · differentiated
basalsecondary
Lesser in rank
incidental · ancillary · inessential · peripheral · supplementary
- home baseCentral point of operations
- first baseDiamond's rightfield corner bag
- second baseMiddle infield bag
- off baseInaccurate or mistaken
- third baseInfield position near home
- touch baseCommunicate briefly to update