Cytozoic is a term used to describe a period in the geological history of the Earth. It refers to a time when life forms on the planet were predominantly unicellular organisms. The term is a combination of the Greek words "kytos" meaning cell and "zoikos" meaning pertaining to animals. The pronunciation of cytozoic can be broken down phonetically as /sʌɪtəʊˈzəʊɪk/, with emphasis on the second syllable. The spelling of the word accurately reflects its Greek origins and its meaning as a description of a specific period in Earth's history.
Living in a cell, noting certain parasitic protozoa.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word "cytozoic" is derived from two root words: "cyto" and "zoic".
The term "cyto" is derived from the Greek word "kutos", meaning "cell". It is often used in scientific terminology to refer to anything related to cells, such as cytology (the study of cells) or cytoplasm (the gel-like substance within a cell).
The word "zoic" is derived from the Greek word "zōion", which means "animal". "Zoic" is used to describe something that is related to or characterized by animals. For example, the term "mesozoic" refers to the era of geological time known as the age of reptiles.
Therefore, "cytozoic" combines these two root words to describe something that is related to the cellular structure of animals or the presence of certain cells within animals.