organelle

[awr-guh-nel, awr-guh-nel] /ˌɔr gəˈnɛl, ˈɔr gəˌnɛl/
noun
1.
Cell Biology. a specialized part of a cell having some specific function; a cell organ.
Origin
1905-10; < Neo-Latin organella, diminutive of Latin organum organ; see -elle
Examples from the web for organelles
  • Mitochondria are the organelles within the body's cells that generate energy.
  • Unlike the eukaryotic cells that make up our bodies, bacterial cells don't have specialized structures called organelles.
  • Mitochondria are the organelles in the body's cells that generate energy.
  • These specialized cells have organelles called nematocysts that contain venom.
  • The same approach can be used for organelles in a living cell.
  • Mitochondria are organelles within animal cells that produce energy for the cell to use.
  • Even politics and morality can be seen as nascent recapitulations of the symbiosis demonstrated among organelles.
  • Mitochondria are tiny organelles that harness energy and turn it into a usable form.
British Dictionary definitions for organelles

organelle

/ˌɔːɡəˈnɛl/
noun
1.
a structural and functional unit, such as a mitochondrion, in a cell or unicellular organism
Word Origin
C20: from New Latin organella, from Latin organum: see organ
Word Origin and History for organelles

organelle

n.

1909, from Modern Latin organella, a diminutive from Latin organum "instrument," in Medieval Latin "organ of the body" (see organ).

organelles in Medicine

organelle or·gan·elle (ôr'gə-něl')
n.
A differentiated structure within a cell, such as a mitochondrion, vacuole, or microsome, that performs a specific function. Also called organoid.

organelles in Science
organelle
  (ôr'gə-něl')   
A structure or part that is enclosed within its own membrane inside a cell and has a particular function. Organelles are found only in eukaryotic cells and are absent from the cells of prokaryotes such as bacteria. The nucleus, the mitochondrion, the chloroplast, the Golgi apparatus, the lysosome, and the endoplasmic reticulum are all examples of organelles. Some organelles, such as mitochondria and chloroplasts, have their own genome (genetic material) separate from that found in the nucleus of the cell. Such organelles are thought to have their evolutionary origin in symbiotic bacteria or other organisms that have become a permanent part of the cell.
organelles in Culture
organelles [(awr-guh-nelz)]

Parts of a cell that store food, discharge waste, produce energy, or perform other functions analogous to what organs do in large living things.