cytoplasm
Americannoun
noun
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The jellylike material that makes up much of a cell inside the cell membrane, and, in eukaryotic cells, surrounds the nucleus. The organelles of eukaryotic cells, such as mitochondria, the endoplasmic reticulum, and (in green plants) chloroplasts, are contained in the cytoplasm. The cytoplasm and the nucleus make up the cell's protoplasm.
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Etymology
Origin of cytoplasm
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Explanation
The human body is made up of cells, and within every cell is a nucleus — everything else contained within the cell walls is the cytoplasm. This is one of many technical terms for the little building blocks of life within us all. Cytoplasm consists of all the substances within the cell walls but outside of the nucleus: a fluid called cytosol, organelles such as the mitochondria, and tiny particles in suspension called inclusions. Cytoplasm is full of proteins, which are essential to your body. Cytoplasm is also called protoplasm. To see cytoplasm, you'll need a good microscope. To understand cytoplasm, you'll need a good biology teacher.
Vocabulary lists containing cytoplasm
Cell Biology - Middle School
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Life Science: Cell Biology
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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The nucleus houses the genome, while metabolic enzymes normally produce energy in mitochondria and the cytoplasm.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 9, 2026
If the cytoplasm becomes more fluid during M-phase, how does the actin band avoid collapsing?
From Science Daily ● Feb. 28, 2026
Rather than destroying its host, the virus may have established a stable presence in the cytoplasm.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 19, 2026
These non-coding RNAs usually carry out their functions either in the nucleus, where the cell's DNA is located, or in the cytoplasm, where most cellular processes occur.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 30, 2025
The cytoplasm buzzes like a New York City street.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
