protoplasm

noun

pro·to·plasm | \ ˈprō-tə-ˌpla-zəm

Definition of protoplasm

1 : the organized colloidal complex of organic and inorganic substances (such as proteins and water) that constitutes the living nucleus, cytoplasm, plastids, and mitochondria of the cell

2 : cytoplasm

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Did You Know?

After the word protoplasm was coined in the mid-19th century for the jellylike material that is the main substance of a cell, it began to be used widely, especially by scientists and others who imagined that the first life-forms must have arisen out of a great seething protoplasmic soup. Since protoplasm includes all the cell's living material, inside and outside the nucleus, it is a less useful scientific word today than more precise terms such as cytoplasm, which refers only to the living material outside the nucleus. But many remain fascinated by the image of that soup bubbling away as the lightning flashes and the volcanoes erupt.

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Altmann believed that cells themselves came into existence when these granules assembled into colonies and built a shelter of protoplasm around themselves. — Carl Zimmer, STAT, "Shot through with microbes: How our bodies adapt to a hidden world of bacteria," 30 May 2018 Responding to a moldy sack of protoplasm who writes for the Daily Caller, CNN editor Chris Cillizza leapt to Jacobs’s defense. — Brian Beutler, New Republic, "The Republicans Broke American Politics, and Media Elites Are Blind to It," 26 May 2017

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

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The first known use of protoplasm was in 1848

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More Definitions for protoplasm

protoplasm

noun

English Language Learners Definition of protoplasm

biology : the usually colorless substance that is the living part of animal and plant cells

See the full definition for protoplasm in the English Language Learners Dictionary

protoplasm

noun

pro·to·plasm | \ ˈprō-tə-ˌpla-zəm

Kids Definition of protoplasm

: the usually colorless and jellylike living part of cells

protoplasm

noun

pro·to·plasm | \ ˈprōt-ə-ˌplaz-əm

Medical Definition of protoplasm

1 : the organized colloidal complex of organic and inorganic substances (as proteins and water) that constitutes the living nucleus, cytoplasm, plastids, and mitochondria of the cell and is regarded as the only form of matter in which the vital phenomena (as metabolism and reproduction) are manifested

2 : cytoplasm