eukaryote

American  

[yoo-kar-ee-oht, -ee-uht] / yuˈkær iˌoʊt, -i ət /

Sometimes eucaryote

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 British  

/ 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 Scientific  

/ yo̅o̅-kăr′ē-ōt /

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 Cultural  

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.)

---

Discover More

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

• eucaryotic adjective
• eukaryotic adjective

Etymology

Origin of eukaryote

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

Explanation

A eukaryote is an organism whose cells contain a nucleus within a membrane. The genetic material and information of a eukaryote is contained within this nucleus. Eukaryotes vary from single-celled organisms to complex multicellular animals and plants. In fact, most living things are eukaryotes, made up of cells with distinct nuclei and chromosomes that contain their DNA. The only organisms that aren't eukaryotes are bacteria and archaea, known as prokaryotes. The word eukaryote comes from the Greek eu, "well," and karyon, "nut or kernel," which is a common scientific word-forming element that's used to talk about the nuclei of cells.

Example Sentences

Every modern eukaryote that's been found descends from ancestors that possessed mitochondria.

From Science Daily • Jan. 11, 2024

The final Sc2.0 strain will not only be the world's first synthetic eukaryote, but also the first one to be built by the international community.

From Science Daily • Nov. 8, 2023

By peering deep into the isotopes of amino acids, we will be able to understand eukaryote metabolism like never before, in animals, plants and fungi.

From Salon • Sep. 5, 2023

“I think this is going to open up avenues for new research,” says Jessica Abbott, a senior lecturer in eukaryote evolutionary genetics at Lund University in Sweden, who was not involved in this research.

From Scientific American • Dec. 21, 2022

One hypothesis of the evolutionary steps leading to the first eukaryote is summarized in Figure 13.12.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013