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Showing results for endoplasm. Search instead for endoplasms.

endoplasm

American  
[en-duh-plaz-uhm] / ˈɛn dəˌplæz əm /

noun

Cell Biology.
  1. the inner portion of the cytoplasm of a cell.


endoplasm British  
/ ˈɛndəʊˌplæzəm /

noun

  1. cytology the inner cytoplasm in some cells, esp protozoa, which is more granular and fluid than the outer cytoplasm See ectoplasm

"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

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of endoplasm

First recorded in 1880–85; endo- + -plasm


Explanation

The dense, interior layer of a cell's cytoplasm is its endoplasm. Most cellular processes take place in the endoplasm. Endoplasm comes from Greek roots endon, "within or inside," and plasm, "shape." It's the innermost part of a cell, aside from the nucleus. Endoplasm is often granular, in contrast to the watery ectoplasm which lies between it and the cell wall. If your biology teacher mentions endoplasm, she’s probably talking about those tiny, single-celled organisms called amoebas.

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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.

See Examples For:

There are 1 or 2 vacuoles with long canals radiating throughout the endoplasm.

From Marine Protozoa from Woods Hole Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission 21:415-468, 1901 by Gary N. (Gary Nathan) Calkins

The endoplasm is more fluid, and contains numerous inclusions of a granular nature, as well as vacuoles of varying size.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 3 "Electrostatics" to "Engis" by Various

The nucleus is always lodged in the endoplasm, and, in the septate forms, in the deutomeritic half of the body.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 5 "Greek Law" to "Ground-Squirrel" by Various

The endoplasm contains a number of large refringent granules—probably body products.

From Marine Protozoa from Woods Hole Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission 21:415-468, 1901 by Gary N. (Gary Nathan) Calkins

The body is spherical and differentiated into granular endoplasm and vacuolated ectoplasm, but the zones are not definitely separated.

From Marine Protozoa from Woods Hole Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission 21:415-468, 1901 by Gary N. (Gary Nathan) Calkins

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