Mesosome
/ˈmɛs.əˌsoʊm/noun
A structure in certain bacteria once thought to be a cell membrane infolding; in biology, the term is now considered largely an artifact of specimen preparation.
Did you know?Mesosome comes from Greek roots meaning “middle” and “body,” and the term’s rise-and-fall is a reminder that even scientific words can name things that later vanish under better observation.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
mésos
“middle”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sôma
“body”
20th Century
English
mesosome
“a proposed internal membrane structure in bacteria”
Modern English
English
mesosome
“a term for a bacterial structure once thought real, now regarded largely as an artifact”
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