protoplasm

English

Etymology

From German Protoplasma, coined by Czech physiologist Johannes Evangelista Purkinje, from Ancient Greek πρῶτος (prôtos, “first”) + πλάσμα (plásma, “something molded”). The word 'Protoplasmus' was in Late Latin, meaning "first created human" (i.e. Adam), and may have existed in Medieval Greek in a different sense.

Noun

protoplasm (countable and uncountable, plural protoplasms)

  1. (cytology) The entire contents of a cell comprising the nucleus and the cytoplasm. It is a semi-fluid, transparent substance which is the living matter of plant and animal cells.

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Further reading
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