1883, in biology, from French plasmolysis (1877), from plasmo- (see plasma) + Greek lysis "a loosening" (see -lysis). Related: Plasmolytic; plasmolyze.
Entries linking to plasmolysis
plasma n.
1712, "form, shape" (a sense now obsolete), a more classical form of earlier plasm; from Late Latin plasma, from Greek plasma "something molded or created," hence "image, figure; counterfeit, forgery; formed style, affectation," from plassein "to mold," originally "to spread thin," from PIE *plath-yein, from root *pele- (2) "flat; to spread."
Sense of "the liquid part of blood, etc., as distinguished from the corpuscles" is from 1845. In physics, the sense of "ionized gas" is by 1928.
-lysis
scientific/medical word-forming element meaning "loosening, dissolving, dissolution," from Greek lysis "a loosening, setting free, releasing; dissolution; means of letting loose," from lyein "to unfasten, loose, loosen, untie," from PIE root *leu- "to loosen, divide, cut apart."