How Do You Spell CYTOPATHIC?

1. Cytopathic is an adjective that is used to describe the property or characteristic of causing damage or alterations to cells or tissues, particularly within the context of pathogenic organisms or agents. This term is commonly used in the field of microbiology and virology to describe the effects certain viruses have on their host cells.

   When a virus infects a host cell, it can often lead to significant changes in the cell's structure, function, or both. These alterations can include distortion, enlargement, swelling, and even destruction of the infected cell. Such changes are referred to as cytopathic effects (CPEs), and they can be observed under a microscope. Examples of CPEs include the formation of noticeable inclusion bodies, changes in cell shape, and detachment of infected cells from a cell monolayer.

   The cytopathic effects caused by a virus can vary widely depending on the specific virus and host cell combination. While some viruses may cause prominent changes, such as cells rounding up or becoming detached, others may have less noticeable effects. The study of cytopathic effects can provide valuable information about viral replication and pathogenesis, and is an important aspect of diagnostic virology.

   Overall, the term cytopathic refers to the ability of a virus or other pathogenic agent to cause morphological or functional changes in host cells.

Common Misspellings for CYTOPATHIC

The word "cytopathic" is derived from two Greek roots: "cyto" and "pathic".

- "Cyto" comes from the Greek word "kutos", meaning "cell". It is a common root in many scientific and medical terms related to cells, such as cytology, cytotoxic, cytoplasm, etc. In this case, it refers to cellular structures.

- "Pathic" originated from the Greek word "pathos", which means "suffering" or "disease". It is commonly used as a suffix in medical terminology to indicate something related to a particular disease or condition. For example, "pathology" means the study of disease, and "pathogenic" refers to a microorganism causing disease.