eukaryotic

American

[yoo-kar-ee-ot-ik] / juˌkær iˈɒt ɪk /

Sometimes eucaryotic

adjective

Biology.

of, relating to, or characteristic of a eukaryote, an organism whose basic structural unit is a cell containing specialized organelles and a membrane-bound nucleus.

Some scientists believe that the greatest transition of life in the history of Earth is the evolution of eukaryotic cellular life forms from more primitive prokaryotes.

Etymology

Origin of eukaryotic

First recorded in 1955–60; eukaryot(e) ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )

Vocabulary lists containing eukaryotic

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Example Sentences

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Eukaryotic autotrophs, such as plants and algae, have organelles called chloroplasts in which photosynthesis takes place, and starch accumulates.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Eukaryotic cells maintain internal membranes that partition the cell into specialized regions.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Eukaryotic cells are more complex and perform less-regulated gene expression whereas prokaryotic cells perform highly-regulated gene expression.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Eukaryotic mitochondria are thought to be derived from bacteria in this group.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Eukaryotic cells, in contrast, have intracellular organelles and are much more complex.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023