eukaryote
or eu·car·y·ote
[ yoo-kar-ee-oht, -ee-uh t ]
/ yuˈkær iˌoʊt, -i ət /
noun Biology.
any organism 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, blue-green algae, and other primitive microorganisms.
Compare
prokaryote.
Origin of eukaryote
OTHER WORDS FROM eukaryote
eu·kar·y·ot·ic [yoo-kar-ee-ot-ik] /yuˌkær iˈɒt ɪk/, adjectiveWords nearby eukaryote
euhedral,
euhemerism,
euhemerize,
euhemerus,
eukaryotae,
eukaryote,
eukinetics,
eula,
eulachon,
eulenburg's disease,
eulenspiegel
British Dictionary definitions for eukaryotic
eukaryote
eucaryote
/ (juːˈkærɪˌɒt) /
noun
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
Derived forms of eukaryote
eukaryotic or eucaryotic (ˌjuːkærɪˈɒtɪk), adjectiveWord Origin for eukaryote
from
eu- +
karyo- +
-ote as in
zygote
Medical definitions for eukaryotic
eukaryote
n.
A single-celled or multicellular organism whose cells contain a distinct membrane-bound nucleus.
Other words from eukaryote
eu•kar′y•ot′ic (-ŏt′ĭk) adj.Scientific definitions for eukaryotic
eukaryote
[ yōō-kăr′ē-ōt ]
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. Compare prokaryote.
Other words from eukaryote
eukaryotic adjectiveCultural definitions for eukaryotic
eukaryote
[ (yooh-kar-ee-oht) ]
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.)
notes for eukaryote
Eukaryotes evolved in a process in which one early
prokaryote consumed another, forming a more complex structure.
notes for eukaryote
The word
eukaryote comes from the Greek for “true nucleus.”