ultrastructure

English

Alternative forms

• ultra-structure

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Latin ūls

Proto-Indo-European *-teros?

Latin -ter

Old Latin -ād

Latin -ā

Latin ultrābor.

English ultra-

English structure

English ultrastructure

From ultra- + structure.

Noun

ultrastructure (countable and uncountable, plural ultrastructures)

1. (biology) The fine, detailed structure of a biological specimen that can only be observed by electron microscopy
   • 2001, Julian Sprung, Invertebrates: A Quick Reference Guide, page 223:

     The mucus film has a mesh-like ultrastructure that can trap particles as small as 0.1 μm.

Synonyms

• nanostructure

Derived terms

• ultrastructural
• ultrastructurally
• ultrastructured

Related terms

• superstructure
• hyperstructure
• substructure
• infrastructure
• ultramorphology

Translations

detailed structure observable only by electron microscopy

• Finnish: hienorakenne
• German: Ultrastruktur f
• Kazakh: ультрақұрылым (uwlʹtraqurılım)
• Korean: 초미세구조 (chomisegujo)
• Polish: ultrastruktura (pl) f
• Spanish: ultraestructura f
• Swedish: ultrastruktur