Okuzeka
Anatomy & Physiology vocabulary · Prefixes, Suffixes and Roots

-cyte

Meaning in anatomy & physiology, with examples

/saɪt/suffixCommon term

In anatomy & physiology, -cyte means: A word ending from Greek meaning 'cell'. It appears in erythrocyte (red blood cell), leukocyte (white blood cell), osteocyte (bone cell) and hepatocyte (liver cell).

In Turkish: -sit, hücre

How it is used

The same root appears at the start of words as cyto-: cytoplasm (the contents of a cell), cytology (the study of cells). In Turkish the ending becomes -sit: eritrosit, lökosit, hepatosit.

Example sentences

  1. Leukocytes defend the body against infection.

  2. Osteocytes sit in small spaces inside mature bone.

Common collocations

  • erythrocyte
  • leukocyte
  • lymphocyte
  • osteocyte
  • cytoplasm
  • cellThe smallest living unit of the body. Each cell has a membrane and cytoplasm, most also have a nucleus, and groups of similar cells form tissues.
  • red blood cellA disc-shaped blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues using the protein hemoglobin. Mature red blood cells have no nucleus and live for about 120 days.
  • osteo-A word part from Greek meaning 'bone'. It appears in osteocyte (bone cell), osteoblast (bone-building cell), osteology (the study of bones) and osteoporosis.
  • hepato-A word part from Greek meaning 'liver'. It appears in hepatic (of the liver), hepatocyte (liver cell) and hepatitis (inflammation of the liver).

More terms: Prefixes, Suffixes and Roots

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.