Definition

Relating to cells that have two or more genetically different nuclei within the same cell.

Example

The research focused on heterokaryotic cells to understand genetic diversity.

Conversation

I just learned about heterokaryotic cells in biology class.

Oh really? What does that mean exactly?

It refers to cells that have two or more genetically different nuclei.

That's interesting! I didn't know cells could be so complex.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Heterokaryotic → It is formed from "hetero-" (from Greek "heteros", meaning different) and "karyon" (from Greek "karyon", meaning nucleus). The term describes cells that have different nuclei, indicating a variation in genetic material within the same cell.

Memory Tip

Think of 'different' ('hetero-') nuclei ('karyon') in a cell — that's what heterokaryotic means.

Visually Confused Words