cytopathogenic
- adjective
- /ˌsaɪtəʊˌpæθəˈdʒɛnɪk/
- Specialized
:
citopatógeno
- The researchers studied the cytopathogenic effects of the virus on human cells.
Examples
-
Doctors noted cytopathogenic signs in patients infected with the disease.
-
No viruses were indicated by the cytopathogenic evidence or by the haemadsorption test.
Academic text (2013) -
Cytopathogenic changes in the cytopathogenic tissue samples were observed under the microscope.
Synonyms
Causes damage to living cells, often because of a virus
Relating to changes in cells caused by disease or to the study of those changes
How Pathogenic
Surface Forms
Morphology
cytopathogenic = pathogenic (semi-transparent) = cyto + pathogenic
Formed by prefixing the technical combining form 'cyto-' ('cell') to 'pathogenic' ('causing disease'); the biomedical logic is clear but 'cyto-' is a specialist form not known to average learners.
Etymology
The word cytopathogenic breaks into cyto- 'cell', patho- 'disease', the same root as in pathogen, and -genic 'producing'. So cytopathogenic means 'causing disease in cells', like a virus that makes cells sick.