organelle
[awr-guh-nel, awr-guh-nel]
- Cell Biology. a specialized part of a cell having some specific function; a cell organ.
Show More
Origin of organelle
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
organelle
- a structural and functional unit, such as a mitochondrion, in a cell or unicellular organism
Show More
Word Origin
C20: from New Latin organella, from Latin organum: see organ
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
Word Origin and History for organelle
n.
1909, from Modern Latin organella, a diminutive from Latin organum "instrument," in Medieval Latin "organ of the body" (see organ).
Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
organelle
(ôr′gə-nĕl′)- A differentiated structure within a cell, such as a mitochondrion, vacuole, or microsome, that performs a specific function.organoid
Show More
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
organelle
[ôr′gə-nĕl′]
- A structure or part that is enclosed within its own membrane inside a cell and has a particular function. Organelles are found only in eukaryotic cells and are absent from the cells of prokaryotes such as bacteria. The nucleus, the mitochondrion, the chloroplast, the Golgi apparatus, the lysosome, and the endoplasmic reticulum are all examples of organelles. Some organelles, such as mitochondria and chloroplasts, have their own genome (genetic material) separate from that found in the nucleus of the cell. Such organelles are thought to have their evolutionary origin in symbiotic bacteria or other organisms that have become a permanent part of the cell.
Show More
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.