protoplasm

views updated May 21 2018

pro·to·plasm / ˈprōtəˌplazəm/ • n. Biol. the colorless material comprising the living part of a cell, including the cytoplasm, nucleus, and other organelles.DERIVATIVES: pro·to·plas·mic / ˌprōtəˈplazmik/ adj.

protoplasm

views updated May 21 2018

protoplasm The complex, translucent, colourless, colloidal substance that occurs within each cell, including the cell membrane but excluding the large vacuoles, masses of secretions, ingested material, etc. It is differentiated into nucleoplasm (protoplasm in the nucleus) and cytoplasm (protoplasm in the rest of the cell).

protoplasm

views updated May 23 2018

protoplasm A complex, translucent, colourless, colloidal substance within each cell, including the cell membrane, but excluding the large vacuoles, masses of secretions, ingested material, etc. In animals and plants it is differentiated into nucleoplasm (protoplasm in the nucleus) and cytoplasm (protoplasm in the rest of the cell).

protoplasm

views updated May 09 2018

protoplasm The material comprising the living contents of a cell, i.e. all the substances in a cell except large vacuoles and material recently ingested or to be excreted. The term is no longer used; the material of the cell is now referred to as the cytoplasm, apart from the nucleoplasm inside the nucleus.

protoplasm

views updated May 14 2018

protoplasm Living contents of a plant or animal cell. It includes both the nucleus and the cytoplasm of cells.

protoplasm

views updated May 18 2018

protoplasm (proh-tŏ-plazm) n. the material of which living cells are made, which includes the cytoplasm and nucleus.
protoplasmic adj.