origin and definition of 'analyte'

[Anne Marie Hamilton]

My fiance, a biochemist, is interested in knowing the origin and precise definition of a word in common use among his cronies. He writes:

>I have used this word in the past for scientific meetings and >now that I try looking it up, not one dictionary has it.  I
>wonder where it came from?  The word is, "analyte", as I >understand it means something that is to be analyzed.  I >looked at some online dictionaries and they were not of any >help.

A quick look at the web revealed widespread use and even a so-named company. Any thoughts on its origin?

Anne Marie Hamilton
University of Georgia