vacuole /vac·u·ole/ (vak´u-ōl) a space or cavity in the protoplasm of a cell.
vacuole
vacuole (vak´ūōl´),
vac·u·ole (v k y - l )n. 1. A small cavity in the cytoplasm of a cell, bound by a single membrane and containing water, food, or metabolic waste. 2. A small space or cavity in a tissue. vac u·olar (-l r, -lär) adj. |
vacuole
[vak′yo̅o̅·ōl]
Etymology: L, vacuus, empty
1 a clear or fluid-filled space or cavity within a cell, such as occurs when a droplet of water is ingested by the cytoplasm.
2 a small space in the body enclosed by a membrane, usually containing fat, secretions, or cellular debris. vacuolar, vacuolated, adj.
vacuole (vak´ūōl´),
n a clear space in the substance of a cell. It may stem from a degenerative process, or it may serve the cell as a temporary cell stomach for the digestion of a foreign body inclusion.
vacuole
a space or cavity in the cytoplasm of a cell.
contractile vacuole
a small fluid-filled cavity in the cytoplasm of certain unicellular organisms; it gradually increases in size and then collapses; its function is thought to be respiratory and excretory.
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