cytoplasm
3 synonyms and 1 antonym for cytoplasm, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The jelly-like material that fills a living cell between the outer membrane and the nucleus, holding the organelles in place and hosting most of the cell's chemical reactions.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
cell substance
protoplasm (in part)
cytol
Antonyms
How to use cytoplasm
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
in the cytoplasm
cytoplasm of the cell
cytoplasmic membrane
fluid cytoplasm
Scientific and educational; standard from school biology upwards.
Etymology
From Greek kytos 'hollow vessel, cell' and plasma 'something moulded or formed'.
Full origin of cytoplasm →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between cytoplasm and cytosol?
Cytosol is the liquid part only — the watery solution itself. Cytoplasm is that liquid plus everything suspended in it, including the mitochondria, ribosomes and other organelles, but not the nucleus.
What is the function of the cytoplasm?
It suspends and cushions the organelles, allows substances to move around inside the cell, and provides the medium in which many metabolic reactions, including glycolysis and protein synthesis, take place.
Does the cytoplasm include the nucleus?
No. In cells with a nucleus, the cytoplasm is everything inside the cell membrane except the nucleus, whose own contents are called nucleoplasm. Bacteria, which have no nucleus, keep their DNA in the cytoplasm.
