unicellular
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unicellular
Explanation
In biology, the adjective unicellular describes an organism that has only one single cell, like most kinds of bacteria. You're most likely to see the word unicellular in a biology textbook, where it is used to talk about microscopic, single-celled organisms. Many types of fungi are unicellular, as well as amoebas, bacteria, and other tiny creatures and plants. The word unicellular combines the Latin prefix meaning "one," uni, and the word cellular, which has the root word cella, "small room."
Vocabulary lists containing unicellular
Cell Biology - Middle School
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"Joyas Voladoras" by Brian Doyle
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Cell Biology - High School
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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.
Yeast are unicellular fungi that ferment sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2024
Its production takes place in the unique catalytic center of the unicellular algae and is only possible if certain cofactors of the relevant proteins are present.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 2024
They are also astonishingly canny for unicellular organisms, with the ability to rapidly develop new defenses against antibiotics and then pass them along to other bacteria through genetic material.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 3, 2024
"We have illuminated the dynamics of synchronization in biological species, which can also be applied to other living creatures such as birds, animals, bacteria, and even unicellular eukaryotes," adds Ito.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2023
Weismann believes himself to have established a fundamental distinction between unicellular and multicellular organisms.
From The Biological Problem of To-day Preformation Or Epigenesis? The Basis of a Theory of Organic Development by Hertwig, Oscar
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
