合胞体含有由一层细胞膜包绕的多个细胞核的一团细胞质，这通常是由于发生了细胞融合或一系列不完全细胞分裂周期所致，在后一种情况中，核发生了分裂，但细胞却没有分裂。

A syncytium or symplasm (/sɪnˈsaɪtiəm/; plural syncytia; from Greek: σύν (syn) = "together" + κύτος (kytos) = "box, i.e. cell") is a multinucleated cell that can result from multiple cell fusions of uninuclear cells (i.e., cells with a single nucleus), in contrast to a coenocyte, which can result from multiple nuclear divisions without accompanying cytokinesis. The term may also refer to cells interconnected by specialized membrane with gap junctions, as seen in the heart muscle cells and certain smooth muscle cells, which are synchronized electrically in an action potential.