(noun. /nuke-lee-ol-us/)
by Chelsea Smith
What does it mean?
The nucleolus is a dense, round structure within the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. Inside, the cell transcribes ribosomal RNA. This ribosomal RNA will then become a part of a mature ribosome. The plural version of the form is nucleoli, and one to several nucleoli can be found in a cell. It is also likely that the nucleolus has functions not yet fully understood, such as involvement in the cell cycle and DNA repair.
How do I use it in a sentence?
“You could see the nucleolus of the cell under the microscope.”
Cell outline with nucleus, and two nucleoli inside. Image generated by author using BioRender.
Related terms
- Nucleus
- Ribosome
- RNA
- Transcription
Fields of study in which this word is commonly used
- Biology
- Cell culture
- Microscopy
