nongranular
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Not having granules; lacking a granular structure or appearance: Describes a substance, material, or cell component that is smooth, uniform, and without visible grains or particles.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- The cytoplasm in this cell type is remarkably nongranular and homogeneous.
- Under the microscope, the nongranular surface of the material showed no particulate texture.
- They synthesized a nongranular powder that dissolves instantly in water.
Advanced Usage
- Scientific/Technical Context: The term is primarily used in scientific fields like biology, cytology, materials science, and geology to describe textures and structures.
- The leukocyte was classified as agranular due to its nongranular cytoplasm.
- Descriptive Contrast: Often used to distinguish from its opposite, "granular."
- The sample contained both nongranular and granular fractions, which were separated for analysis.
Variants and Related Words
- Granular (adj): Having or resembling grains or granules; the direct antonym.
- Granular materials like sand flow differently than nongranular liquids.
- Agranular (adj): A near-synonym, especially in biological contexts, meaning lacking granules.
- Agranular endoplasmic reticulum is smooth and nongranular.
Synonyms
- Smooth
- Homogeneous (in context of texture)
- Unparticulate
- Agranular (specific to biology)
Antonyms
- Granular
- Grainy
- Particulate
- Granulated
Notes on Meaning
- The word is a technical adjective formed by adding the prefix "non-" (meaning "not") to "granular." Its meaning is directly and logically derived from this construction.
- It describes a physical property of texture and composition, not a metaphorical quality. It is not commonly used in everyday conversation.
Adjective
- not having granules
- clear nongranular cytoplasm