Protista, prō-tis′ta, n.pl. a proposed term for a zoological kingdom including Protozoa and Protophyta. [Gr. prōtistos, superl. of prōtos, first.]
Protococcus, prō-tō-kok′us, n. a microscopic vegetable organism forming the green scum upon trees, tiles, &c. [Gr. prōtos, first, kokkos, a berry.]
Protocol, prō′tō-kol, n. the first copy of any document: the rough draft of an instrument or transaction: the original copy.—v.i. to issue, form protocols.—v.t. to make a protocol of—also Prō′tocolīse.—n. Prō′tocolist, a registrar or clerk. [Fr.,—Low L. protocollum—Late Gr. prōtokollon, the first leaf, containing the writer's name, date, &c.—Gr. prōtos, first, kolla, glue.]
Protogenal, prō-toj′e-nal, adj. primitive.—n. Protogen′esis, abiogenesis.—adjs. Protogenet′ic, Protogen′ic, noting crystalline or fire-formed rocks: noting intercellular spaces formed within undifferentiated plant tissues.—n. Prō′togine, a variety of granite in the Alps.
Protomartyr, prō′tō-mär-tėr, n. St Stephen, the first Christian martyr: the first who suffers in any cause.
Protophyte, prō′tō-fīt, n. the first or lowest order of plants.—n.pl. Protoph′yta.—adj. Protophyt′ic. [Gr. prōtos, first, phyton, a plant.]
Protoplasm, prō′tō-plazm, n. living matter: a homogeneous, structureless substance, forming the physical basis of life, endowed with contractility, with a chemical composition allied to that of albumen.—adj. Protoplasm′ic.—n. Prō′toplast, he who, or that which, was first formed: an original: the first parent.—adj. Protoplast′ic. [Gr. prōtos, first, plasma, form—plassein, to form.]
Prototheria, prō-tō-thē′ri-a, n.pl. the hypothetical primitive mammals, ancestors of the monotremes. [Gr. prōtos, first, thēr, wild beast.]
Prototype, prō′tō-tīp, n. the first or original type or model from which anything is copied: an exemplar: a pattern.—adjs. Prō′totypal, Prōtotyp′ical. [Fr.,—L.,—Gr., prōtos, first, typos, a type.]
Protovertebræ, prō-tō-ver′te-brē, n.pl. the rudimentary segments formed in the vertebrate embryo from the medullary plates, from which the bodies of the vertebræ, spinal nerve-roots, &c. are developed.—adjs. Protover′tebral, Protover′tebrate.