Affixes: -cyte

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-cyte Also -cytosis.

A cell.

[Greek kutos, vessel]

This ending usually indicates a mature cell, as opposed to an immature or embryonic cell, whose name ends in -blast. For examples, Nouns ending in -cytosis refer to an action or condition relating to a cell: phagocytosis (Greek phagein, to eat), the ingestion of bacteria or other material by phagocytes and amoeboid protozoans; endocytosis (Greek endon, within), the taking in of matter by a living cell by turning its cell membrane inside out to form a vacuole.

Examples of words in -cyte

*adipocyte*	a cell that stores fat	Latin adeps, fat
*astrocyte*	a star-shaped cell of the nervous system	Greek astron, star
*erythrocyte*	a red blood cell	Greek eruthros, red
*granulocyte*	a circulating white blood cell having prominent granules	Latin granulum, a little grain
*hepatocyte*	a liver cell	Greek hēpar, liver
*keratinocyte*	a cell in the skin that produces keratin	Greek keras, horn
*leucocyte*	a white blood cell	Greek leukos, white
*lymphocyte*	a small white blood cells found in the lymph	Latin lympha, water
*melanocyte*	a cell in the skin producing dark pigment, as in hair colour or tanning	Greek melas, black
*oocyte*	a cell in an ovary which may divide to become an ovum	Greek ōion, egg
*phagocyte*	a cell that absorbs bacteria and other small particles	Greek phagein, to eat
*spermatocyte*	a cell formed during the creation of spermatozoa	Greek sperma, seed
*thrombocyte*	a blood cell fragment involved in clotting, a platelet	Greek thrombos, blood clot

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