Meaning & use
cytoplasm
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountabletechnicalbiology
The jelly-like material inside a cell, outside the nucleus, where many cell activities take place.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun; you can say 'the cytoplasm' but not 'a cytoplasm' or 'cytoplasms'.
Patterns
- in the cytoplasm
- the cytoplasm of a cell
The cytoplasm contains enzymes that break down nutrients.
Ribosomes float freely in the cytoplasm or attach to the endoplasmic reticulum.
During cell division, the cytoplasm divides between the two new cells.
Common combinations
- in the cytoplasm
- The protein is found mainly in the cytoplasm.
- cytoplasm of the cell
- The cytoplasm of the cell is crowded with organelles.
- cytoplasm division
- Cytoplasm division follows nuclear division.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cytosol
- Cytosol is the liquid part of the cytoplasm, excluding the organelles; cytoplasm is the broader term that includes organelles.
- protoplasm
- An older term for the living substance of a cell, including the nucleus; cytoplasm specifically excludes the nucleus.
Word family
- cytoplasmic adjective
- Relating to the cytoplasm.
- cytoplasmically adverb
- In a manner relating to the cytoplasm (rare).
Commonly confused: cytoplasm or nucleus? cytoplasm or cell membrane?
cytoplasm vs nucleus
The nucleus is the control center of the cell and is not part of the cytoplasm; it is surrounded by the cytoplasm.
cytoplasm vs cell membrane
The cell membrane is the outer boundary of the cell, while the cytoplasm is the material inside it.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
The cytoplasm is the material inside the cell that contains organelles. It is not an organelle itself, it is inside the cell, and it is not the nucleus.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cytoplasm”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.