nucleolus

noun

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nu·cle·o·lus | \ nü-ˈklē-ə-ləs

, nyü- \

plural nucleoli\ nü-ˈklē-ə-ˌlī

, nyü- \

Definition of nucleolus

: a spherical body of the nucleus of most eukaryotes that becomes enlarged during protein synthesis, is associated with a nucleolus organizer, and contains the DNA templates for ribosomal RNA — see cell illustration

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Examples of nucleolus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 2012, Brangwynne and colleagues saw similar fluid features in the nucleolus, a dense mix of proteins, RNA, and DNA that manufactures ribosomes, the cell’s protein factories. — Mitch Leslie, Science | AAAS, "Sloppy science or groundbreaking idea? Theory for how cells organize contents divides biologists," 21 Jan. 2021 More membraneless structures continued to be found, such as the nucleolus, a dense structure in the cell nucleus. — Quanta Magazine, "‘Lava-Lamp’ Proteins May Help Cells Cheat Death," 26 Nov. 2018 But there’s more to the nucleolus than just making ribosomes. — Joanna Klein, New York Times, "The Thing Inside Your Cells That Might Determine How Long You Live," 20 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nucleolus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

29 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Nucleolus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nucleolus. Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.

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More Definitions for nucleolus

nucleolus

noun

nu·cle·o·lus | \ n(y)ü-ˈklē-ə-ləs

plural nucleoli\ -ˌlī

Medical Definition of nucleolus

: a spherical body of the nucleus of most eukaryotes that becomes enlarged during protein synthesis, is associated with a nucleolus organizer, and contains the DNA templates for ribosomal RNA

— called also plasmosome