What does -cytosis mean in medical terms?
-cytosis
Meaning: increase in cells
Type: Suffix · Often used with: Blood & Immune System
A suffix goes at the very end of a word, after the root. On this page: what -cytosis means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using -cytosis
leukocytosis
leuko (white) + -cytosis (increase in cells) = increase in white blood cells
leuko (white) + -cytosis (increase in cells) = increase in white blood cells
erythrocytosis
erythro (red) + -cytosis (increase in cells) = increase in red blood cells
erythro (red) + -cytosis (increase in cells) = increase in red blood cells
Shortened forms
Charts and notes shorten long terms — see the Medical Abbreviations guide for the short forms you will meet in real records.
Please note: This section teaches the language of medicine — what word parts mean and how terms are built. It is an educational reference, not medical advice. For the meaning of a word in your own medical record, ask the clinician who wrote it.