cytoplasm

American  

[sahy-tuh-plaz-uhm] / ˈsaɪ təˌplæz əm /

noun

Cell Biology.

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

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cytoplasm British  

/ ˈsaɪtəʊˌplæzəm /

noun

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

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cytoplasm Scientific  

/ sī′tə-plăz′əm /

1. 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.

2. See more at cell

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cytoplasm Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

• cytoplasmic
  adjective
• cytoplasmically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of cytoplasm

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

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Compare meaning

How does cytoplasm compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cytosol vs. cytoplasm
• protoplasm vs. 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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cytoplasm

If proteins needed for regeneration remain in the cytoplasm rather than reaching the nucleus, they may be present in normal amounts but unable to perform their intended jobs.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026

Meanwhile, ParM does not form structures in the cytoplasm to move DNA.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 20, 2026

Because microtubules can influence how stiff the cytoplasm is, the researchers asked whether asters might help anchor the actin band by stiffening the cell interior.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 28, 2026

Rather than completing division in a single cycle, the cell achieves it step by step through alternating physical states of the cytoplasm.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 28, 2026

Over a barely digested lunch, the three scientists realized that this intermediate molecule had to shuttle from the cell’s nucleus, where genes were stored, to the cytoplasm, where proteins were synthesized.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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