cytology

cy·tol·o·gy

noun \sī-ˈtä-lə-jē\

Definition of CYTOLOGY

1

: a branch of biology dealing with the structure, function, multiplication, pathology, and life history of cells

2

: the cytological aspects of a process or structure

— cy·to·log·i·cal \ˌsī-tə-ˈlä-ji-kəl\ or cy·to·log·ic \-ˈlä-jik\ adjective

— cy·to·log·i·cal·ly \-ji-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

— cy·tol·o·gist \sī-ˈtä-lə-jist\ noun

Origin of CYTOLOGY

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use: 1889

Other Cell Biology Terms

gamete, vacuole, zygote

Rhymes with CYTOLOGY

andrology, anthology, apology, astrology, biology, bryology, cetology, Christology, chronology, conchology, cosmology, cryptology, dendrology, doxology, ecology, enology, ethnology, ethology, fetology, garbology, gemology, geology, graphology, haplology, histology, homology, horology, hydrology, hymnology, Indology, limnology, lithology, mixology, morphology, mycology, myology, mythology, necrology, nephrology, neurology, nosology, oncology, ontology, oology, pathology, pedology, penology, petrology, phlebology, phonology, phrenology, phycology, proctology, psychology, scatology, seismology, serology, sexology, sinology, symbology, tautology, technology, tetralogy, theology, topology, trichology, typology, ufology, urology, virology, zoology

cy·tol·o·gy

noun \sī-ˈtäl-ə-jē\   (Medical Dictionary)

plural ; cy·tol·o·gies

Medical Definition of CYTOLOGY

1

: a branch of biology dealing with the structure, function, multiplication, pathology, and life history of cells

2

: the cytological aspects of a process or structure

—cy·to·log·i·cal \ˌsīt-^əl-ˈäj-i-kəl\ (audio pronunciation) or cy·to·log·ic \-ˈäj-ik\ (audio pronunciation) adjective

—cy·to·log·i·cal·ly \-i-k(ə-)lē\ (audio pronunciation) adverb

—cy·tol·o·gist \sī-ˈtäl-ə-jəst\ (audio pronunciation) noun

cytology

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Study of cells. Its earliest phase began with Robert Hooke's microscopic investigations of cork in 1665, during which he introduced the term cell to describe dead cork cells. Mathias Jacob Schleiden (in 1838) and Theodor Schwann (1839) were among the first to state clearly that cells are the fundamental units of both plants and animals. This pronouncement (the cell theory) was confirmed and elaborated by a series of discoveries and interpretations. In 1892 Oscar Hertwig (1849–1922) suggested that processes at the organism's level are reflections of cellular processes, thus establishing cytology as a separate branch of biology. See also physiology.