Chloroplast

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈklɔːɹəʊˌplæst/

Definitions

1. A cellular structure found in plants and some algae that conducts photosynthesis, synthesizes energy, and contains chlorophyll for light absorption
2. An organelle within plant cells responsible for converting light energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis while also housing the pigment chlorophyll
3. This component of plant cells enables the conversion of sunlight into glucose and oxygen by facilitating photosynthesis and storing essential pigments like chlorophyll

Etymology: Chloroplast is a compound built from two Greek-derived pieces: "chloro-", from Greek "khlōros" meaning pale green or greenish-yellow, and "-plast", from Greek "plastos" meaning formed or molded. Put together, the name describes a structure that is shaped and colored green, which is exactly what chloroplasts are: small bodies inside plant cells that hold the green pigment chlorophyll. The "-plast" element is older than the green part of the name. It appears in words for other cell structures, such as "plastid," the general category to which chloroplasts belong. Scientists joined these pieces to name a body that stands out by its color, so the word works as a label built from description rather than from a single borrowed term. The chloro- element also shows up in "chlorine," a gas named for its pale greenish-yellow color, so the same Greek root links a plant cell structure to a chemical element in English.

Synonyms: cell organelle, photosynthetic structure, plant cell component, green pigment structure, chlorophyll container