glycocalyx
glycocalyx noun: a filamentous coating of glycoprotein and polysaccharide on the surface of bacteria and some other cells.
Noun
glycocalyx (plural glycocalyces or glycocalyxes)
- A filamentous coating of glycoprotein and polysaccharide on the surface of bacteria and some other cells.
- Blood platelets and megakaryocytes from which they arise, both have ruthenium red positive glycocalyces in the form of globular particles; ruthenium red is known to react strongly with chondroitin sulphate.1976, L. T. Threadgold, The Ultrastructure of the Animal Cell, 2nd edition, Pergamon Press, page 146
- The microvilli are in turn covered with a velvety meshwork made of countless sugar-based structures that look a little bit like antlers. These are called the glycocalyxes.2015, Giulia Enders, translated by David Shaw, Gut, Scribe, published 2016, page 36
Forms of glycocalyx
| plural | glycocalyces |
|---|---|
| plural | glycocalyxes |
Origin of glycocalyx
From glyco- + calyx.
Questions about glycocalyx
- What does glycocalyx mean?
- Glycocalyx means a filamentous coating of glycoprotein and polysaccharide on the surface of bacteria and some other cells.
- What part of speech is glycocalyx?
- Glycocalyx is a noun.
- What is the plural of glycocalyx?
- The plural of glycocalyx is glycocalyces.
Words near glycocalyx in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: glycocalyx (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “glycocalyx.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/glycocalyx. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.