noun
cytoplasm
SY-toh-plaz-uhm
Cytoplasm (noun) means 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. Example: “Ribosomes float freely in the cytoplasm.”
noun
1
technical 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.
"Ribosomes float freely in the cytoplasm."
"Glycolysis takes place in the cytoplasm rather than the mitochondria."
How to use cytoplasm
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe jelly inside a cell where all its parts sit.
When to use it
Scientific and educational; standard from school biology upwards.
Memory tip
Cytoplasm is uncountable — say 'the cytoplasm' or 'some cytoplasm', never 'a cytoplasm'. The adjective is cytoplasmic.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
cytoplasm vs cytosol
cytoplasm vs protoplasm
cytoplasm vs nucleoplasm
Common pairings
in the cytoplasm
cytoplasm of the cell
cytoplasmic membrane
fluid cytoplasm
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Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Ribosomes float freely in the _____.
Etymology
From Greek kytos 'hollow vessel, cell' and plasma 'something moulded or formed'.
Synonyms
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cell substance
protoplasm (in part)
cytol
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for cytoplasm
See all rhymes for 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.
What is the meaning of cytoplasm?
"cytoplasm" (noun) means 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.
