What does cytoplasmic mean?
Cytoplasmic is an adjective meaning relating to or contained within the cytoplasm — the semi-fluid, jelly-like substance that fills a biological cell between its outer membrane and its nucleus. The cytoplasm houses most of a cell's organelles, such as mitochondria and ribosomes, and is the site of many essential chemical reactions, so describing something as cytoplasmic locates it in this busy cellular interior. The word appears almost exclusively in scientific writing: biologists speak of cytoplasmic proteins, cytoplasmic membranes, and cytoplasmic inheritance (traits passed through material in the cytoplasm rather than through nuclear DNA). Derived from Greek roots meaning 'cell' and 'something molded or formed', it entered English in the nineteenth century alongside the rise of modern cell theory. Though narrow in application, it is indispensable for precise discussion of how life works at the microscopic scale.
adjectiveRelating to or located in the cytoplasm, the jelly-like substance inside a cell that surrounds the nucleus and other organelles.
- Of, relating to, or situated in the cytoplasm of a cell.
"The protein is synthesized on cytoplasmic ribosomes before being transported into the mitochondrion."
"Cytoplasmic streaming helps distribute nutrients throughout large plant cells."
"The mutation affects a cytoplasmic enzyme rather than one housed in the nucleus."
Every living cell you've ever been made of runs its daily business in a substance scientists once poetically called 'cell plasma' — the word cytoplasm literally means 'cell-formed stuff,' coined from Greek roots in the 19th century.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cytoplasmic
Cytoplasmic derives from cytoplasm, a term formed from the Greek roots kytos ('hollow vessel,' later applied to cells) and plasma ('something molded or formed'). The compound was coined in the mid-nineteenth century as cell biology matured, with German usage preceding widespread adoption in English. It belongs to a family of '-plasm' terms — including protoplasm, nucleoplasm, and ectoplasm — all built on the same Greek root to name different formative substances within or around organisms.
Related word forms
How cytoplasmic is actually used
A technical term used almost exclusively in biology, medicine, and related sciences; it rarely appears outside academic or professional writing. It is neutral in connotation and carries no informal register.
Easily confused with cytoplasmic
Nucleoplasmic refers to the gel-like material inside the cell's nucleus, whereas cytoplasmic refers to the material outside the nucleus but within the cell membrane.
Extracellular means occurring outside the cells entirely, while cytoplasmic means within the cytoplasm inside a single cell.