multicellular

American  

[muhl-tee-sel-yuh-ler, muhl-tahy-] / ˌmʌl tiˈsɛl yə lər, ˌmʌl taɪ- /

adjective

1. composed of several or many cells.

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multicellular Scientific  

/ mŭl′tē-sĕl′yə-lər /

1. Having or consisting of many cells.

2. Compare unicellular

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Etymology

Origin of multicellular

First recorded in 1855–60; multi- + cellular

Explanation

Something that's multicellular is a complex organism, made up of many cells. Humans are multicellular. While single-celled organisms can't usually be seen without a microscope, you can see most multicelluar organisms with the naked eye. Plants and animals are multicellular — although they all, including humans, start as a single cell that reproduces into many. Multi means "many," and the Latin root of cellular is cellularis, "of little cells," from cella, "small room."

Example Sentences

By the beginning of the Cambrian explosion of multicellular organisms about 540 million years ago, the ancestors of today’s ecdysozoans were already alive and varied in form and behavior, suggesting they arose even earlier.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 20, 2024

"Nature has relied on cell density in conjunction with genetic circuits to generate the remarkable diversity of multicellular structures, tissues, and organs," said Morsut.

From Science Daily • Nov. 19, 2024

"The study implies that key genes involved in stem cell formation might have originated far earlier than the stem cells themselves, perhaps helping pave the way for the multicellular life we see today."

From Science Daily • Nov. 18, 2024

Rose disagrees with this hypothesis and points to the existence of multicellular animals, which have the same basic cell biology as humans, that don’t age at all.

From Salon • Oct. 12, 2024

With this, we were off to an explosive developmental stage in which great varieties of respiring life, including the multicellular forms, became feasible.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas