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Using Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots (it’s not ALL Greek to me!!) Some biology terms may be hard to understand the first time you encounter them. However, knowing some Greek and Latin terms will allow you to understand parts of the words. Then you can make an educated guess about the meaning. Looking at parts of words to help you figure out the meanings of whole words will help you comprehend scientific material. Let’s look at the word centrifugation. This word has its roots in two Latin words. They are centrum, which means center, and fugere, which means to flee. From that, you might guess that centrifugation has something to do with fleeing from the center—and you would be right. Centrifugation separates substances by whirling them in a circle at high speed. The heavier substances are separated from the lighter ones in this process. You can understand many words, scientific and otherwise, if you understand their parts. Approximately 80 percent of the words in an English dictionary are formed from Greek and Latin parts. Knowledge of these will help you break down unfamiliar words and remember their meanings. Below is a list of some common prefixes, roots, and suffixes that you may find useful. a- or anabacuadadenoaeroaesthesia albu-algia ambiamphianaanemoangioannelanteanthanthroantiaquaarachnoarche-, archiarterioarthro-ase ascoaster autobacbasidio- no, not, without from, away needle, sharp to, toward gland air sensation white pain both both, two kinds upward, backward, excessive, again wind encased, closed ring before flower human against water spider beginning, first, original having to do with arteries jointed denoting an enzyme sac-like star self rod, stick club-shaped bibioblastobryocalorcarbocatacarnicentricentrocephalcerato, kerato chemochlorchondrchord chromocochlcoel, coele coleocorpus cotyl-cyte, cytodactyl decadecident-, -dont dermdi dissect dors dysechinoectoelectroendoenteroentomoepierythroeuexofibri-fuge gastrogen -geny geogermglyco-, gluco-graph gymnohaplohemihema-, hemoheterohexaholohomohydrohymenhyper- two life germ, embryo moss heat carbon, charcoal-like down, lower, under flesh, meat one-hundredth center head horn chemical green cartilage cord, string color snail hollow sheath body cup-shaped cell fingers, digits ten one-tenth teeth skin two cut back ill, bad spiny outside referring to electricity within, inside intestine insect on, upon red true outside hairlike something that drives away or out stomach make, birth origin, making the earth sprig, seed sugar-like write or draw naked single half blood other, unlike six whole, entire same, alike water membrane above, excessive hypoichthyinterinfrainterintraiso-itis kilokinetoleucolepis ligalipo-logy -lysis macromagnimega-mer, -mere meso meta meter micromillimonomorph muta mycomyoneuronotooctooculo-oid -ology under, below, less than fish between, among beneath between within, inside of equal inflammation one thousand movement white scaly to bind fat study loosen, break down; split large, enlarged, elongated great one million part middle change, changing a measure small, minute; one-millionth one-thousandth one, single form change fungus muscle nerve back eight relating to eyes, vision like or form a science or branch of learning; the study of ooegg optirelating to vision or sight ornithobird orthostraight, regular, upright -osis condition, state os-, ostebone ovi-, ovoegg parabeside, near; beyond; abnormal or unusual pathosuffer, illness ped-, podfoot pentafive periaround phase stage -phile to love or have a strong affinity for -phobe to fear or be averted by -phore, -phoresis transmission, carrying photolight phyll leaf phyte, phyto plant -plasm material forming tissues, cells, etc. -plast granule, body platyflat, broad polymany probefore, for protopseudopsych-, psycho pter quadrenretirhinorhizosapro-saur sclero-scope semen, semin septic soma spectrasperm sporostamen stereosternstomasubsupersuprasym-, synsynthesis taxi tele-, telo thermtomy toxitrans-tropho, -troph tritympan ultraunivasovena vermivore -wort zoo- first form; earliest; primitive false mind or mental wing or feather four kidney net nose root rotten; decay lizard hard an instrument for seeing or observing seed rotten body image, apparition; spectrum seed seed-like threads solid, firm, three-dimensional chest, breast mouth below, under above, excess above, over with, together putting together to move far off heat cutting poison across, beyond nutrition, feeding three drum beyond, on the further side of; excessive, extreme one blood vessel, vessel vein worm eating plant animal Prefixes, suffixes, and roots Practice sheet Using the prefixes, suffixes, and roots above, define the following terms: calorimeter ____________________________ echinoderm ____________________________ pathology ______________________________ zoology ________________________________ photosynthesis __________________________ ichthyology _____________________________ lepidoptera _____________________________ (butterflies, moths) pterodactyl ______________________________ asexual reproduction ______________________ mycology ______________________________ arteriosclerosis __________________________ monochromatic __________________________ monomer ______________________________ erythrocytes ____________________________ amphibian ______________________________ psychology ____________________________ rhinoceros _____________________________ oviduct _______________________________ autotroph _____________________________ vasoconstrictor _________________________ chlorophyll ____________________________ liverwort ______________________________ planetoid ______________________________ vermiculture ___________________________ Name ______________________________