Cytomics, the science of analysis at the cellular level, objectively accounts for functional phenotypes in the context of the entire organism. Furthermore, the cytomics top-down approach of data analysis does not depend on prior knowledge of disease mechanisms, thus significantly simplifying the exploration of organismal biocomplexity and shortening the path for applications in drug development, clinical diagnostics, and clinical medicine.  Dr Yvon at BioSciences Expansion and Dr Turner at Quintiles provide an introduction to cytomics and its applications through a review of the literature, focusing on genetics, genomics, and other ‘omics’.