Protoplast

From open-encyclopedia.com - the free encyclopedia.

This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary.
If the page can be expanded into an encyclopedic article, rather than a dictionary definition, please do so and remove this message.
Otherwise, you can help by formatting it per the Wiktionary guidelines in preparation for the move.

Initially protoplast refered to the first organized body of a species this meaning is simmilar to the non-biological definition:

A first from from which all subsequent forms are derived. An Archetype.

Subsequently it has several biological definitions:

A protoplast is a plant bacterial or fungal cell that has had its cell wall completely or partially removed using either mechanical or enzymatic means. Generally this is accomplished with cell wall degrading enzymes (for example Lysozyme and a chelating agent , generally EDTA). In this case there are two types genereally recognized:
- Protoplasts - Have their cell wall entirely removed
- Sphaeroplasts - Have their cell wall only partially removed

More generally a protoplast refers to that unit of biology which is composed of a cells nucleus and the surrounding protoplasmic materials.

de:Protoplast