eukaryote

[ yoo-kar-ee-oht, -ee-uht ]

noun

, Microbiology.

1. any organism of the domain Eukaryota, having as its fundamental structural unit a cell type that contains specialized organelles in the cytoplasm, a membrane-bound nucleus enclosing genetic material organized into chromosomes, and an elaborate system of division by mitosis or meiosis, characteristic of all life forms except bacteria and other primitive microorganisms.

eukaryote

/ juːˈkærɪˌɒt; ˌjuːkærɪˈɒtɪk /

noun

1. any member of the Eukarya , a domain of organisms having cells each with a distinct nucleus within which the genetic material is contained. Eukaryotes include protoctists, fungi, plants, and animals Compare prokaryote

eukaryote

/ yo̅o̅-kăr′ē-ōt /

1. An organism whose cells contain a nucleus surrounded by a membrane and whose DNA is bound together by proteins (histones) into chromosomes. The cells of eukaryotes also contain an endoplasmic reticulum and numerous specialized organelles not present in prokaryotes, especially mitochondria, Golgi bodies, and lysosomes. The organelles are enclosed in a three-part membrane (called a unit membrane) consisting of a lipid layer sandwiched between two protein layers. All organisms except for bacteria and archaea are eukaryotes.
2. Compare prokaryote

eukaryote

1. An organism whose cells contain a nucleus . All multicelled organisms are eukaryotes, as is one superkingdom of single-celled organisms. Eukaryotes also have organelles enclosed by membranes. ( Compare prokaryote .)

Notes

The word eukaryote comes from the Greek for “true nucleus.”

Eukaryotes evolved in a process in which one early prokaryote consumed another, forming a more complex structure.

Derived Forms

• eukaryotic, adjective

Other Words From

• eu·kar·y·ot·ic eu·car·y·ot·ic [yoo-kar-ee-, ot, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of eukaryote¹

First recorded in 1960–65; Eukaryota ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of eukaryote¹

from eu- + karyo- + -ote as in zygote

Example Sentences

The details of convergent evolution might of course be more complex in the eukaryotes, multicellular organisms like humans or decapods with large genomes, the total genetic material of an organism.

From Salon

Both belong to a broader group called 'eukaryotes' -- organisms whose cells store their genetic material inside a closed compartment called the 'nucleus'.

From Science Daily

So, now we have archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes, the latter including all animals and plants, that have a nucleus with genetic material in their cells.

From Science Daily

Viruses may have been the intermediaries, he and others think, readily taking on genes from bacteria and archaea and passing them on to the eukaryotes they infect.

From Science Magazine

Pohlschröder notes their findings also point to better understanding such mechanisms in bacteria and eukaryotes, organisms whose cells contain a nucleus within a membrane.

From Science Daily