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Browse the glossary using this index

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E

Enzyme

They are macromolecular biological catalysts and accelerate, or catalyze, chemical reactions.

H

Hyaloplasm

The liquid found inside cells. It constitutes most of the intracellular fluid (ICF). It is separated into compartments by membranes.


M

Membrane

This is a structure that separates the interior of all cells from the outside environment.

O

Organelle

This a specialized subunit within a cell that has a specific function. Individual organelles are usually separately enclosed within their own lipid bilayers.

P

Phagocytosis

The process by which a cell—often a phagocyte or a protist—engulfs a solid particle to form an internal compartment known as a phagosome.


Pinocytosis

This a mode of endocytosis in which small particles are brought into the cell, forming an invagination, and then suspended within small vesicles. Pinocytosis is used primarily for the absorption of extracellular fluids.