cytoplasm

[ sahy-tuh-plaz-uhm ]

/ ˈsaɪ təˌplæz əm /

Save This Word!

noun Cell Biology.

the cell substance between the cell membrane and the nucleus, containing the cytosol, organelles, cytoskeleton, and various particles.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between "it’s" and "its" in this crafty quiz!

Question 1 of 8

On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

it's

its

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of cytoplasm

First recorded in 1870–75; cyto- + -plasm

OTHER WORDS FROM cytoplasm

cy·to·plas·mic, adjectivecy·to·plas·mi·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby cytoplasm

cytophilic, cytophilic antibody, cytophotometer, cytophotometry, cytophylaxis, cytoplasm, cytoplasmic bridge, cytoplasmic inclusion body, cytoplasmic inheritance, cytoplast, cytoreductive therapy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use cytoplasm in a sentence

So despite the general recommendation to avoid doing so, Palermo tried injecting the sperm, tail and all, directly into the cytoplasm.
Solving mysteries of reproduction helped make parenthood possible for millions|Robin Marantz Henig|June 9, 2021|Science News
It simply needs to be delivered into the more-accessible outer region of cells, the cytoplasm, which is where proteins are constructed.
mRNA Technology Gave Us the First COVID-19 Vaccines. It Could Also Upend the Drug Industry|Walter Isaacson|January 11, 2021|Time
Wright's stain gives the nucleus a deep purple color and the cytoplasm a pale robin's-egg blue in typical cells.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
A few fine neutrophilic granules are sometimes present in their cytoplasm.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

The cytoplasm of lymphocytes is generally robin's-egg blue; that of the large mononuclears may have a faint bluish tinge.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Malarial parasites stain characteristically: the cytoplasm, sky-blue; the chromatin, reddish-purple.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The cytoplasm is relatively abundant, and contains great numbers of very fine neutrophilic granules.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for cytoplasm

cytoplasm

/ (ˈsaɪtəʊˌplæzəm) /

noun

the protoplasm of a cell contained within the cell membrane but excluding the nucleus: contains organelles, vesicles, and other inclusions

Derived forms of cytoplasm

cytoplasmic, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for cytoplasm

cytoplasm

[ sī′tə-plăz′əm ]

The protoplasm outside a cell nucleus.

Other words from cytoplasm

cy′to•plas′mic (-plăz′mĭk) adj.

Scientific definitions for cytoplasm

cytoplasm

[ sī′tə-plăz′əm ]

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. See more at cell.

Cultural definitions for cytoplasm

cytoplasm

[ (seye-tuh-plaz-uhm) ]

The material within a biological cell that is not contained in the nucleus or other organelles.