Download Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes

Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes
Introduction: Believe it or not, a student in a first year biology class is expected to learn more new words than
a student in a first year foreign language class. Scary, huh? Below are some common science roots, prefixes, and
suffixes. All are defined below, with an example of each after the semicolon.
a, an : without; anemia
ab : away from; abnormal
ad, af : near, toward; adrenal, afferent
aero: air; aerobic
alb : white; albumin
algia : pain; neuralgia
allo: other; allopatric
amphi : both; amphibious
andro: male; androgen
anti : against, opposite; antitoxin
api, apic: tip; apical
aqua : water; aquatic
archae : ancient; Archaeopteryx
arthro : joint; arthritis
ase : enzyme; lipase
auto : self; autoimmune
bacill: a little stick; bacilli
bi : two or twice; biceps
bienn: every two years; biennial
bio : life; biology
blast : that which will germinate; blastula
brachi : arm; brachial
carcin: an ulcer; carcinoma
cardi : heart; carditis
carn : flesh; carnivore
caryo, karyo : nucleus of a cell; eukaryote
centi: one hundred; centipede
centro: center; centromere
cephalo, ceph : head; cephalothorax
chemo: chemical; chemotherapy
chloro : green; chloroplast
chromo : color; chromotagraphy
chrondro: cartilage; chrondoichthyes
cide : kill; bactericide
cili : hair; cilia
co : together; covalent bond
coel : cavity; coelom
coll: glue; collenchyma
com, con : with; community
contra: against; contraception
costa : rib; intercostal
crypt: hidden; cryptic
cyst : capsule; nematocyst
cyto, cyte : cell; leukocyte
decid : to cut off; deciduous
dendr : tree; dendrite
dent, dont : tooth; denture, orthodontist
liga: tied; ligase
logy : study of; biology
detrit: wear off; detritovore
di : two; diploid
dinos: whirling; dinoflagellates
dis, dys : ill or bad; disease
ecino: spiny; echinodermata
eco : habitat or household; ecology
ecto : outer; ectoderm
ectomy : removal; appendectomy
emia : blood; anemia
endo : inner; endoderm
enter : intestine; enteric
entom: insect; entomology
epi : on, at, or above; epidermis
equi: equal; equilibrium
erythro : red; erythrocyte
eu : true; eukaryote
ex, exo : out; exterior
extra: outside; extracellular
fer : bearer; Rotifera
fertile: fruitful; fertilization
firbro, fibrino: fiber; fibrous
flagell: a whip; flagella
gamete : egg or sperm; gametogeneis
gastro : stomach; gastroenteritis
gen : producing; antigen
geno: offspring; genotype
glyco : sweet; glycogen
gymno : naked; gymnosperm
haplo: single; haploid
hemo : blood; hemoglobin
herb : non-woody plant; herbarium
hepato : liver; hepatitis
hetero : other, different; heterozygous
homo, homeo : same; homozygous
hydro : water; hydrolysis
hyper : above or excessive; hyperactivity
hypo : below or not enough; hypothyroidism
ia, iasis : disease; pneumonia
ichthys : fish; ichthyology
inter : between; interspecies
intra : within; intraspecies
iodo: violet; iodine
iso : same; isotonic
itis : inflammation of; appendicitis
kin, kinet : motion; cytokinesis
lac : milk; lactose
leuco, leuko : white; leukocyte
platy: flat; platyhelminthes
pleio: more; pleiotropy
lut: yellow: lutenize
ploe: bark of a tree; ploem
lysis : dissolving; cytolysis
macro : large; macronucleus
mal : bad; malnutrition
mega : very large; megaspore
meso : middle; mesophyll
meta : beyond or after; metamorphosis
mer, meros: part; polymer
micro : small; microbe
milli: one thousand; millipede
mito : thread; mitosis
mollusc: soft; mollusca
mono : one; monoculture
morpho : shape, form; morphology
muta: change; mutagen
mutu: reciprocal; mutualism
myce: fungus; mycelium
myo : muscle; myofibril
nema : thread; nematocyst
nephr : kidney; nephritis
neuro : nerve; neurology
noto: the back side; notochord
oo: egg; oogenesis
onco, onkos: tumor; oncologist
oma : tumor or swelling; sarcoma
omni : all; omnivore
ophth : eye; ophthalmogy
orni : bird; ornithology
ortho : straight; orthoptera
osis : act, condition; acidosis
osteo : bone; osteopath
oto : ear; otitis
ovi, oo : egg; oviduct, oocyte
paleo: ancient; paleolithic
patric: country; allopatric
para : beside; parathyroid
patho : disease; pathology
ped or pod : foot; millipede
peri : around; pericardium
perenni: throughout the year; perennial
phage: eat; bacteriophage
phago : eating; phagocyte
pheno : to show; phenotype
philic: loving; hydrophilic
phob, phobos: fearing; hydrophobic
photo : light; photograph
phyll : leaf; mesophyll
phyto, phyte : plant; saprophyte
pino : to drink; pinocytosis
planktos: wandering; plankton
plasma : form; cytoplasm
plast : particle; chloroplast
poly : many; polysaccharide
por: pore; porifera
post : after, behind; posterior
pre: before; prezygotic
pro: before; prokaryotic
proto : first; protozoa
pseudo : false; pseudopod
pter : wing; diptera
pulmo : lung; pulmonary
renal : kidney; adrenal glands
reticul: network; endoplasmic reticulum
retro: backward; retrovirus
rhea or rrhea : flow or discharge; diarrhea
rhino : nose; rhinoceros
rhiza: root; rhizobium
sal : salt; saline
sarco: flesh; sarcoma
sapro : rotten; saprophyte
sclero : hard; arteriosclerosis
script: write; transcription
site: food; parasite
soma : body; chromosomes
sphere : ball or round; atmosphere
spiro: spiral; spirogyra
sporo : seed, spore; sporophyte
stalsis: constriction; peristalsis
stam: standing upright; stamen
stasis: standing, still; homeostasis
stom : mouth; stomata
sym or syn : binding together; sympathy, synthesis
telo: end; telomer
tetra : four; tetrapod
therm : heat; thermometer
tonus: tension; isotonic
trans: across; transcription
tri: three; tripod
troph : nourishment; autotrophic
ultra: beyond; ultrasound
vacu : empty; vacuole
viv : living; viviparous
vore : to devour; carnivore
xeros : dry; xerophyte
xyl: wood; xylem
zo, zoo, zoa : animal; zoology
zyg : united; zygote