multinucleate
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having two or more nuclei: Describes a cell or structure that contains more than one nucleus within a single cytoplasmic unit.
Usage
- The term is primarily used in biological and medical contexts to describe cells, such as muscle fibers or certain protozoa, that are not mononucleate.
- It is a technical descriptor and is not commonly used in everyday language.
Examples
- Adjective:
- Skeletal muscle cells are multinucleate because they form from the fusion of many precursor cells.
- The scientist observed the multinucleate protozoan under the microscope.
- Some fungi have multinucleate hyphae, meaning their filamentous structures contain multiple nuclei.
Advanced Usage
- "Multinucleate giant cell": A specific type of large cell formed by the fusion of macrophages, often observed in inflammatory responses like those seen in tuberculosis.
- The pathologist identified multinucleate giant cells in the tissue sample, which was a key diagnostic feature.
Variants and Related Words
- Multinucleated (adj): An alternative form with the same meaning.
- The multinucleated condition is characteristic of certain cell types.
- Syncytium (n): A mass of cytoplasm containing several nuclei, formed by the fusion of cells. A multinucleate structure is often a syncytium.
- The placental barrier is formed by a syncytium, a multinucleate layer of cells.
Synonyms
- Polynucleate: Having many nuclei. (Note: This is a less common synonym.)
- Multinuclear: Having multiple nuclei. (Note: This term is sometimes used interchangeably but can have subtle distinctions in specific technical contexts.)
Antonyms
- Uninucleate (adj): Having a single nucleus.
- Mononucleate (adj): Having a single nucleus.
Adjective
- having two or more nuclei