Download SOME WORD ROOTS IMPORTANT IN BIOLOGY

SOME WORD ROOTS IMPORTANT IN BIOLOGY
Scientific names and words describing various structures, processes etc. are often
composed of word roots derived from Greek or Latin. The study of words and their
origins is called etymology. Knowing some of the word roots makes it much easier to
learn the terms in which they are used.
If you pay attention to various terms you will find that many, if not most of them, are
composed of one or more of these roots. The letters -o-, -a-, -at-, -i-, and -u-, and some
others are often used to combine word roots in names of organisms and structures.
This list has been compiled from several sources, and you may find other sources which
give slightly different definitions. In some cases I have included terms that are
commonly thought of in connection with the root, even though the term is not the true
definition, e.g. I have given "cell" as a definition of "cyt- ", even though that is not
strictly true.
un(i)-, mon 1
bi -, di 2
tri 3
tetr -, quatr 4
pent - 5
hex -, sex - .....6
hept -..............7
oct -................8
non -...............9
dec - . . . . . . 10
a-, an-
not, no (generally a negative
connotation)
anti-
against, opposite
ab-
off, away
arch(ae)-
beginning (often indicating the
female part of a plant)
ad-, af-
toward, to
-ase
enzyme
aer-
air, oxygen
auto-, homo-
self, same, similar
allo(e)-,
hetero-
other, (different)
bio(s)-
life
carp-
fruit
amyl-
starch
male
cel, cell,
-cyte, cyt(o)-
container (cell)
andrangi-
vessel
-chlor-
green
annul-
ring, circle
-chro(m)-
color
ante-
before
-chron-
time
anth-
flower (often indicating the
male portion of a plant)
co-
together
cole(o)-
sheath
-he, -hea-hesion
to stick to something, cling
cole(o)-
sheath
crypt-
hidden
heme-, hemo-
blood
cut-, derm-
skin
hemi-, semi-
half
cycl-
circle, cycle
hydr-
water
de-
down, away from, off
hyper-, super-
above
-dendr-
tree
hypo-, infrasub-, suf-
below, under
-derm-
skin
inter-
between
dorm-
to sleep
intra-
within
duct-
carry
-itis
inflamation
e-, er-, ex-
out, away from
is(o)-
equal
ec-,
house
iso-
equal
kary-, cary-
nut, nucleus
-oecium
-ell, -ella, ule, -elle, -ole
These and other similar
endings all mean "small"
kine-
movement
en-, in, em-,
endo-
in, within
lam-
layer, plate
leuc-
white
ep-, epi-
upon
lip-
fat
eu-
true, good, normal
log-, logo-
speak, (study)
ex(o)-
out, outside
ly(s)-
to break, loose, or dissolve
flor-
flower
meg-, macr-
large
-fol-
leaf
mer-
unit, part
gam-
marriage, reproductive union
merist-
divisible
gen-, gon-
become, be produced,
originate
mes-
middle
glyc-
sweet, sugar
meter-
measure
grav-
gravity
micr-
small
gymn-
naked
mono-
only, sole, (one)
gyn-
female
morph-
shape, form
gyn-
female
myc(es)-
fungus
nucle-
nut, kernel
-oid
like, similar to
somat-,
-some
body
oo-, ov-
egg
-ose
sugar, sweet
sperm-
seed
para-
beside
spir-
breathe
peri-
around
-spor-
seed
-phag-
to eat
-stele
pillar (a vascular bundle)
-pher-, phor- fer-
to carry, to bear, to support
stom-
mouth
syn, sym-
with, together
phot-, phos-
light
tax-
arrangement
-phy(te)
Plant
tel-
end
-thall-
sprout
thigm-
touch
-tox-
poison
trach-
windpipe
phyc(o)-
seaweed, algae
phyl-
tribe, kind (meaning type)
-phyll-
leaf
-plas(t)(m)-
shape, mold, formed, (cell)
trans-
across
-ploid
fold (as in diploid = two-fold)
trich-
hair
pod-
foot
-trop-
turn, react
poly-
many, much
-troph-
nurture, feed
pre-, pro(t)-
before in time, (first)
tub-
pipe
-pseud-
false
vac-
empty
rhi, rhiz--
root
vas-
vessel, (duct)
sacchar-
sweet, sugar
vit-
life
sapr-
rotten, dead
volv-
to roll
-scis-
to cut
-wort
herb
-scop
look at, observe, see
xer-
dry
septa-
fence (wall, barrier)
zo-
animal
siphon-
tube, pipe
Zyg-
union, marriage, pairing
-som(at)-
body
To show you how these word roots are used, below are some examples. How many of the words
do you know and how many can you figure out from combining the word roots?