macronucleus
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.10 in modern English
18
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
3
Syllables
10
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The larger of the two nuclei present in ciliate protozoans; it controls the nonreproductive functions of the cell.
Example Sentences
- "These binucleated forms have one macronucleus functional and another sexual micronucleus which is not functional in the ordinary life processes of the species."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *meh₂ḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-rós Proto-Indo-European *mh₂ḱrós Proto-Hellenic *makrós Ancient Greek μᾰκρός (măkrós)der. French macro-der. English macro- Proto-Italic *knuks Latin nux Latin nucleuslbor. English nucleus English macronucleus From macro- + nucleus.