noun
- small cavities or spaces within cells that are filled with fluid and surrounded by a membrane
Usage: biology; plural of vacuole
Examples
- Plant cells contain large vacuoles that help maintain turgor pressure.
- The vacuoles in this cell are storing water and dissolved nutrients.
- Under the microscope, we could clearly see the vacuoles within the plant tissue.
- Food vacuoles in amoebas digest captured particles.
- The contractile vacuoles help single-celled organisms regulate water balance.
- These vacuoles appear to be filled with a clear, watery substance.