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organelle
noun
or·gan·elle
ˌȯr-gə-ˈnel
: a specialized cellular part (such as a mitochondrion, chloroplast, or nucleus) that has a specific function and is considered analogous to an organ
Examples of organelle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Previous evolutionary trees of plants built by scientists often used the genome of the chloroplast, the organelle that allows plants to perform photosynthesis.
—Veronique Greenwood, New York Times, 11 May 2024
The powerhouse organelles called mitochondria are dutifully churning out energy.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024
Mitochondria are organelles within cells responsible for producing energy.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2023
And the researchers offer a possible reason why: Microtubules support the structure and movement of cilia, hair-like organelles sticking out of cells that can direct the flow of surrounding fluid.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024
The theory involves the mitochondrion — an organelle that was once a free-living bacterium.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024
Or consider the nuclear genes of the cells of advanced organisms (eukaryotes): At some early point in their evolution, these cells gained the help of the genes of a parasite or symbiont that became the mitochondrion, an organelle necessary for energy production.
—Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Two possibilities stand out: chloroplasts and mitochondria, both organelles that float around inside plant cells.
—Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2024
The new organelle had never stood out because it is made almost entirely of proteins, and the stains that render things visible under an electron microscope don’t stick well to proteins.
—Betsy Hanson, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'organelle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
New Latin organella, from Latin organum
First Known Use
1915, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near organelle
Cite this Entry
“Organelle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/organelle. Accessed 14 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
organelle
noun
or·gan·elle
ˌȯr-gə-ˈnel
: a structure (as a mitochondrion) in a cell that performs a special function
Medical Definition
organelle
noun
or·gan·elle
ˌȯr-gə-ˈnel
: a specialized cellular part (as a mitochondrion or nucleus) that has a specific function and is considered analogous to an organ
More from Merriam-Webster on organelle
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about organelle
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