The peripheral, more viscous cytoplasm of a cell; it contains microfilaments but is lacking in other organelles. SYN: exoplasm. [ecto- + G. plasma, something formed]
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ec·to·plasm 'ek-tə-.plaz-əm n the outer relatively rigid granule-free layer of the cytoplasm usu. held to be a gel reversibly convertible to a sol compare ENDOPLASM
ec·to·plas·mic .ek-tə-'plaz-mik adj
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n.
the outer layer of cytoplasm in cells, which is denser than the inner cytoplasm (endoplasm) and concerned with activities such as cell movement.
• ectoplasmic adj.
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ec·to·plasm (ekґto-plaz″əm) [ecto- + plasm] the viscous, agranular part of the cytoplasm adjacent to the plasma membrane. ectoplasmic adjMedical dictionary. 2011.