noun
- bacterial or plant cells that have had their cell walls partially or completely removed, typically through enzymatic treatment
Usage: biology; microbiology
Examples
- The researchers created spheroplasts by treating the bacteria with lysozyme.
- Spheroplasts are more fragile than normal cells due to their lack of cell walls.
- The laboratory used spheroplasts to study membrane permeability.
- Scientists can fuse spheroplasts from different bacterial strains.
- Spheroplasts must be maintained in osmotically balanced solutions to prevent bursting.
- The formation of spheroplasts is a key step in certain genetic engineering techniques.