eukaryote

Sometimes eu·car·y·ote

[yoo-kar-ee-oht, -ee-uht]

noun

Microbiology.

1. any organism of the domain Eukaryota, having as its fundamental structural unit a cell type that contains specialized organelles in the cytoplasm, a membrane-bound nucleus enclosing genetic material organized into chromosomes, and an elaborate system of division by mitosis or meiosis, characteristic of all life forms except bacteria and other primitive microorganisms.

eukaryote

/ juːˈkærɪˌɒt, ˌjuːkærɪˈɒtɪk /

noun

1. any member of the Eukarya , a domain of organisms having cells each with a distinct nucleus within which the genetic material is contained. Eukaryotes include protoctists, fungi, plants, and animals Compare prokaryote

eukaryote

1. An organism whose cells contain a nucleus surrounded by a membrane and whose DNA is bound together by proteins (histones) into chromosomes. The cells of eukaryotes also contain an endoplasmic reticulum and numerous specialized organelles not present in prokaryotes, especially mitochondria, Golgi bodies, and lysosomes. The organelles are enclosed in a three-part membrane (called a unit membrane) consisting of a lipid layer sandwiched between two protein layers. All organisms except for bacteria and archaea are eukaryotes.

2. Compare prokaryote

eukaryote

1. An organism whose cells contain a nucleus. All multicelled organisms are eukaryotes, as is one superkingdom of single-celled organisms. Eukaryotes also have organelles enclosed by membranes. (Compare prokaryote.)

The word eukaryote comes from the Greek for “true nucleus.”

Eukaryotes evolved in a process in which one early prokaryote consumed another, forming a more complex structure.

Other Word Forms

• eukaryotic adjective
• eucaryotic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of eukaryote¹

First recorded in 1960–65; Eukaryota ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of eukaryote¹

from _eu- + _karyo- + -ote as in zygote

Example Sentences

"As a group, fungi are much older than previously imagined. It's highly likely that they were already around over a billion years ago, making them one of the oldest major groups of eukaryotes," said Ocaña.

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The findings reveal that the planet's tectonic plates were far from still, driving changes that produced oxygen-rich seas and the emergence of early eukaryotes -- organisms that would eventually give rise to plants, animals, and fungi.

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The paper, published in the journal Scientific Reports, is entitled: "Vulnerability of Arctic Ocean microbial eukaryotes to sea ice loss."

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The details of convergent evolution might of course be more complex in the eukaryotes, multicellular organisms like humans or decapods with large genomes, the total genetic material of an organism.

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Both belong to a broader group called 'eukaryotes' -- organisms whose cells store their genetic material inside a closed compartment called the 'nucleus'.

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