The story
Likely from Ancient Greek πλᾰ́σμᾰ n (plắsmă, “something formed, a creation or formation”) + -otomy (“an incision”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
plasmotomy
Today it means: A form of asexual reproduction, in protozoa, in which a multinucleate cell divides into similar daughter cells without mitosis. Full definition →