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Nucleus

Etymology:

L. nucleus: “kernel, core”. The earliest uses refer to the head of a comet and the kernel of a seed, both recorded in Lexicon Technicum in 1704. The sense in atomic physics was coined by English scientist Michael Faraday in 1844 in a theoretical meaning.

Definition:

1) (chemistry, physics) The massive, positively charged central part of an atom, made up of protons and neutrons.


2) (cytology) A large membrane-enclosed organelle found in eukaryotic cells which contains genetic material (the nucleus could definitely be seen as the "kernel " of the cell).


3) (neuroanatomy) A ganglion, cluster of many neuronal bodies where synapsing occurs.


4) (phonetics, phonology) The central part of a syllable, most commonly a vowel.

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