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acaryote

acaryote

9.9
A cell that does not have a nucleus, for example a red blood cell
  • noun
  • /əˈkɛrɪoʊt/
  • Specialized
: acariota
  • Erythrocytes are considered acaryotes because they lack a nucleus.

Examples

  • The presence or absence of a nucleus distinguishes acaryotes from other types of cells.

  • An acaryote does not have a nucleus.

  • Certain ancient single-celled organisms are classified as acaryotes due to their cellular structure.

  • Red blood cells are a type of acaryote.

  • Erythrocytes are considered acaryotes because they lack a nucleus.

  • Certain ancient single-celled organisms are classified as acaryotes due to their cellular structure.

  • Red blood cells are a type of acaryote that do not contain a nucleus.

Synonyms

akaryote
vsacaryote
  • Specialized
9.9

A cell that does not have a nucleus, like a red blood cell

is the same meaning but differs only in spelling
akaryocyte
vsacaryote
  • Specialized
9.9

A cell that has no nucleus, like a red blood cell

is identical in meaning but uses a different word ending

Surface Forms

acaryote singular
acaryotes plural

Morphology

acaryote = karyote (semi-transparent) = a + caryote

The privative prefix 'a-' meaning 'without' is productive and creates the expected meaning, but 'caryote' is a technical combining form not a common standalone English word, so the term may not be immediately clear to general learners.

Etymology

Acaryote comes from the prefix a- meaning 'not' and the root karyote from a Greek word for 'nut' or 'kernel', a picture people used for the cell's 'nucleus'. So an acaryote is a cell 'without' a nucleus, which is why red blood cells are described this way.