Meaning & use
vacuole
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Meaning
nouncountablebiologytechnical
A small space inside a cell, surrounded by a membrane, that stores water, food, or waste and helps support the cell.
Grammar: Often used with 'a' or in the plural: 'a vacuole', 'the vacuoles'.
Patterns
- a central vacuole
- the vacuole contains something
- vacuoles in a cell
In a plant cell, a large central vacuole stores water and keeps the cell firm.
The scientist observed small vacuoles moving inside the animal cell.
When the plant loses water, its vacuoles shrink and the leaves droop.
Word forms
| plural | vacuoles |
|---|
Common combinations
- central vacuole
- The central vacuole takes up most of the space in a mature plant cell.
- food vacuole
- Amoebas form food vacuoles to digest their meals.
- contractile vacuole
- The contractile vacuole pumps excess water out of the cell.
- vacuole membrane
- The vacuole membrane controls what enters and leaves the space.
Synonyms and how they differ
- vesicle
- A vesicle is also a small sac inside a cell, but it is usually smaller and involved in transport, while a vacuole is often larger and used for storage.
Word family
- vacuolar adjective
- Relating to a vacuole, as in 'vacuolar membrane'.
Commonly confused: vacuole or vacuity? vacuole or vaccine?
vacuole vs vacuity
Vacuity means emptiness or lack of meaning; a vacuole is a specific structure inside a cell.
vacuole vs vaccine
A vaccine is a medicine that protects against disease; a vacuole is a part of a cell.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'vacuole' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A vacuole is a cell structure that stores water and nutrients, so the plant cell example fits. The first option confuses it with 'vaccine', the third with 'void' or 'emptiness', and the fourth with 'vacuity'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “vacuole”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.