Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

heterocyst

American  
[het-er-uh-sist] / ˈhɛt ər əˌsɪst /

noun

Bacteriology.
  1. one of the enlarged nitrogen-fixing cells occurring along the filaments in some cyanobacteria.


Etymology

Origin of heterocyst

First recorded in 1870–75; hetero- + cyst

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.

Identify four modifications of vegetative cells, either by their addition to or omission from the heterocyst.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Based on your model of the regulation of heterocyst development, make and support a claim that accounts for this pattern.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Decreasing the concentration of free calcium ions will prevent heterocyst development.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

This enzyme functions only under anaerobic conditions that are, in part, enforced by an O2 barrier surrounding the cytoplasm of the heterocyst, as shown below.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

In environments with abundant fixed nitrogen, loss of the hetR gene should induce heterocyst development.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022