Cytology
/saɪˈtɒl.ə.dʒi/noun
The branch of biology that studies cells.
Did you know?Cytology comes from Greek kytos, meaning a hollow vessel or cavity, so the “cell” in cytology began as an image of a container before it became the basic unit of life.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kytos
“a hollow vessel, cavity, or container”
19th Century
French
cytologie
“the study of cells”
19th Century
German
Zytologie
“the study of cells”
Late 19th Century
English
cytology
“the study of cells”
Modern English
English
cytology
“the branch of biology dealing with cells”
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