1. Archaic term meaning the first individual of a type or race. 2. A bacterial cell from which the rigid cell wall has been completely removed; the bacterium loses its characteristic form. [proto- + G. plastos, formed]
* * *
pro·to·plast 'prōt-ə-.plast n the nucleus, cytoplasm, and plasma membrane of a cell as distinguished from inert walls and inclusions
* * *
n.
a bacterial or plant cell without its cell wall.
* * *
pro·to·plast (proґto-plast″) [proto- + -plast] a bacterial, yeast, or fungal cell from which the rigid cell wall has been removed, resulting in a membrane-bound cell that is dependent for its integrity on an isotonic or hypertonic medium. Cf. spheroplast.Medical dictionary. 2011.