Cytometers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An instrument designed to measure and analyze the physical and chemical characteristics of cells, determining their size and granularity
2. A device that allows for the quantification of cell populations within a fluid sample, often providing data for research and clinical diagnostics
3. A tool used in laboratory settings to evaluate cell viability and count, assisting in various fields such as biology and medicine

Etymology: "Cytometers" is simply the plural of "cytometer", so it names more than one of these instruments. The singular is built from "cyto-", a combining form from Greek "kytos", meaning "hollow vessel" and used in modern science to mean "cell", and "-meter", from Greek "metron", "measure". Put together, the name describes an apparatus for measuring cells. The pattern is typical of scientific coinages from the 19th and 20th centuries, which drew on classical Greek roots to name new instruments and techniques. Earlier Greek speakers would not have recognised "cytometer" as a word, because the scientific sense of "cyto-" and the instrument itself came much later.

Synonyms: cell counters