Site Map | FAQ

• Editor's Favorites
  • Answerplease: A new Q & A site
  • Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
  • Gay Pride Month
  • Everest Almanac
  • Memorial Day
  • Conversion Calculator
  • Campaign 2012
  • Country Profiles
  • Most Populous Cities of the World
  • Holidays in America
  • 50 States
  • Color Psychology
  • Top 50 U.S. Cities
  • Infoplease's Facebook page
  • Follow Infoplease on Twitter

 

Dictionary

contrac'tile vac"uole

Cell Biol.
a membrane-enveloped cellular organelle, found in many microorganisms, that periodically expands, filling with water, and then contracts, expelling its contents to the cell exterior: thought to be important in maintaining hydrostatic equilibrium. See diags. under ameba, paramecium.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.

contractile

contraction

• • Cite
  • Print
  • Email
  • Bookmark
    • Add bookmark
    • Add to del.icio.us
    • Digg It!
    • Add to Reddit

Related Content Daily Word Quiz: unctuous Analogy of the Day: Today's Analogy Spelling Bee: Today's Spelling Bee Kids' Word Quiz: mercenary Crossword: Crossword Puzzle Guide Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language

Find definitions for: