eukaryotic

American  

[yoo-kar-ee-ot-ik] / juˌkær iˈɒt ɪk /

Sometimes eucaryotic

adjective

Biology.

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a eukaryote, an organism whose basic structural unit is a cell containing specialized organelles and a membrane-bound nucleus.

   Some scientists believe that the greatest transition of life in the history of Earth is the evolution of eukaryotic cellular life forms from more primitive prokaryotes.

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Etymology

Origin of eukaryotic

First recorded in 1955–60; eukaryot(e) ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

eukaryotic

More complex eukaryotic cells eventually evolved, giving rise to algae, fungi, plants and animals.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 6, 2025

RNA polymerase II, also called Pol II, is the enzyme responsible for transcribing protein-coding genes in eukaryotic cells.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 1, 2025

The results not only illuminate how eukaryotic cells are organized but also offer clues about the evolutionary development of their internal structures.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2025

A 2013 study constructed a family tree of all the organisms known to have vaults and concluded they date back to a hypothetical last common eukaryotic ancestor billions of years ago.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 6, 2024

Later, when the time is right, there may be fusion and symbiosis among the bits, and then we will see eukaryotic thought, metazoans of thought, huge interliving coral shoals of thought.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas