centrosome

American  

[sen-truh-sohm] / ˈsɛn trəˌsoʊm /

noun

Cell Biology.

1. a small region near the nucleus in the cell cytoplasm, containing the centrioles.

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centrosome British  

/ ˌsɛntrəˈsɒmɪk, ˈsɛntrəˌsəʊm /

noun

1. Also called: centrosphere.  a small body in a cell where microtubules are produced. In animal cells it surrounds the centriole

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centrosome Scientific  

/ sĕn′trə-sōm′ /

1. A specialized region of the cytoplasm that is located next to the nucleus of a cell and contains the centrioles. The cells of most eukaryotes except plants have centrosomes.

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Other Word Forms

• centrosomic adjective

Etymology

Origin of centrosome

First recorded in 1895–1900; centro- + -some ³

Compare meaning

How does centrosome compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• centrosome vs. centromere

Example Sentences

Animal cells each have a centrosome and lysosomes, whereas most plant cells do not.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Animal cells also have a centrosome and lysosomes.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

The centrosome is a region near the nucleus of animal cells that functions as a microtubule-organizing center.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

The centrosome has two bodies, the centrioles, with an unknown role in cell division.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

Some of the fibrillae in the latter region become attached to the chromosomes and are termed “mantle fibres”; others become continuous from one centrosome to the other and constitute the “spindle fibres.”

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 8 "Cube" to "Daguerre, Louis" by Various