Protoplast

Protoplast, from the ancient Greek πρῶτον (first) + verb πλάθω or πλάττω (to mould: deriv. plastic), initially referred to the first organized body of a species.

Protoplast has several biological definitions:

• A protoplast is a plant, bacterial or fungal cell that had its cell wall completely or partially removed using either mechanical or enzymatic means.
  • Protoplasts: Have their cell wall entirely removed
  • Spheroplasts: Have their cell wall only partially removed

• More generally protoplast refers to that unit of biology which is composed of a cell's nucleus and the surrounding protoplasmic materials.