eukaryotic

[ yoo-kar-ee-ot-ik ]

adjective

, Biology.

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a eukaryote, an organism whose basic structural unit is a cell containing specialized organelles and a membrane-bound nucleus:

   Some scientists believe that the greatest transition of life in the history of Earth is the evolution of eukaryotic cellular life forms from more primitive prokaryotes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of eukaryotic¹

First recorded in 1955–60; eukaryot(e) ( def ) + -ic ( def )

Example Sentences

The genes for these vault components are found in diverse eukaryotic organisms—those that pack their DNA in the nucleus and share other cellular features—with notable exceptions that include insects, plants, and fungi.

From Science Magazine

Even as researchers continue to ponder why the fork fern has such a vast genome, however, they doubt they’ll find many eukaryotic organisms with genomes that are substantially larger.

From Science Magazine

They found that the DNA formed switchback loops as it was pushed into the capsid, an important finding as it is similar to how DNA is organized in eukaryotic cells.

From Science Daily

Ubiquitin -- as the name suggests -- is found ubiquitously across eukaryotic cells and one of its functions is to mark other proteins for death.

From Science Daily

Part of the excitement surrounding this discovery is that humans, plants, and all eukaryotic organisms have Golgi bodies in their cells.

From Science Daily