Download ROOT WORD LIST Revised 2012

Biology Root Words - Combining Forms
Combining Form
Meaning
Example
a-, anac-, ad-, af-, ag-al
-amine
amphiamylanaangio-ant
antiapapt-arch-, archearth-, arthro-aria, -aero
-ary
-ase
-ative
arterio
atheroautobibinibio-, -bic
blast-, blasto-ble
body
botanbronchbryocalorcapill
carb-, carbocard-, cardiocarn-,
caud-, caudacede
centicentrochlorochrom-, chromo
-cide
circul
-cle, -cule
co-, com-, con-, corcodecre-crine
not, without, absence
to, towards, attached to
having the form or character
compound containing an amino group
both
starch
away, upon, back, again
case, vessel
existing in a certain condition
against, opposite
before
fitting or fitted
primitive, ancient, beginning
joint, jointed
air
relating to
ferment or enzyme
of or relating to
artery
yellowish, fatty substance
self
two, twice,
by twos
life
embryonic layer or cell
capable of
physical structure of an organism
plants, herbs,
windpipe
moss
heat
hair-like
containing carbon
heart
meat, flesh
tail
to go
hundred
center
green
color, colored
to kill
to move around
tiny, small
with, together
system of laws
to sift
to separate
abiotic, asexual, anaerobic
acclimate, adrenal, afferent
vestigial
histamine
amphibian
amylase
anaphase, anatomy, analysis
angiosperm
dominant
antigen, antibody, antibiotic
appendage; appendicular
adaptation
archeology, archaebacteria
arthritis, arthropod
malaria, aerobic
pulmonary; capillary
lipase, lactase
qualitative; quantitative
arteriosclerosis
atherosclerosis
autotroph, autoimmune
bilateral, bipolar, binocular
recombination
biology, aerobic
blastomere, blastocyst
permeable
antibody
botany, botanical
bronchiole, bronchitis
bryophyte
calorie
capillary
carbohydrate
cardiogram, myocardial
carnivore
caudate, caudal
succession
centimeter, centipede
centromere
chlorophyll
chromosome, monochrome
insecticide, germicide
circulatory
particle; molecule
cooperate, conjugation
codon, anticodon
excretory
endocrine
cyto-dactyl
dedēmos
dendr-derm, -dermis
di-1
di-2
diadis-, dysdomineechinoecoectoembryo
-emia, (heme)
end-, endoeoepierythroeuex-, exoextra-fer
-fy
gamgastro-, -gastr
-gen-, -genegeogesglobulin
gluten
glyco-gnosis
-graph
gymnohaplohelixheme-, hemo-,
hemiheterohepatherbhistohom-, homo-, homeohydrohyperhypo-id
-ide
immuno-
cell
fingers, toes
without
people
tree
skin, leather
two
through
through
apart, difficult, negative
master
out of, from
spiny, prickly
house, environment
outside
a developing organism
blood
in, inside
dawn, sunrise
upon, above
red
true
out, outer, external
outside of, beyond
to carry, to bear
to make
unit of sexual fission
stomach, the belly
to be produced, origination of
the earth
carry, bear
a small group of blood proteins
glue
sugar, glucose
knowledge
represent by drawing
naked
single
spiral
blood
half
different, other
liver
plant (esp. non-woody)
tissue
same, common
water
over, excessive
under, less than
self, body
compound with two members
immunity
cytoplasm, leukocyte
polydactyl
dehydration
pandemic, demographics
dendrite
epidermis, hypodermic
dissacharide
diuretic
diaphragm, diameter
disease, dissolve
dominate
evolution
echinoderm
ecology, economics
ectoderm
embryology
leukemia, hemoglobin
endemic, endoskeleton
Eocene, Eohippus
epidermis
erythrocyte
eukaryote
expiration, exoskeleton
extracellular
transfer
maginfication
gamete
gastropod
genotype, biogenesis
geography, geology
digestive
immunoglobulin
agglitinate
glycogen
diagnosis
cardiograph
gymnosperm
haploid
helical
anemia, hemoglobin
hemizygous, hemisphere
heterozygous, heterozygous
hepatitis
herbivore, herbaceous
histology, histone
homeostasis, homogenous
hydrolysis, hydrophilic
hypertonic
hypotonic
chromatid
peptide, sodium chloride
immunoglobulin; autoimmune
in-1
in-2
in-3
-ine
inter-intra-ism
iso-ita
-ite
-itis
kardia
karyokeratkin-, -kinesis
-lact
latusleuco-, leukligā
locus-logos
lymph
-lys, -lyso-, -lysis,
macromagnimalmass
meatusmelan
mensal
-mer, -mere
metamicromimemitomittere
molemonomorphmultimūtare
mutu
-neur
noct-nom
nomen-natal
-oculāre
-oid
-ole
-ology, -logy
-oma
not,without
in, into
pertaining to
of or pertaining to
between
within
action, fact, act of doing
equal
a part of the body
division, part
inflammation, irritation
heart
nucleus
horny substance
to move, motion, movement
milk
to bring over, carry over
white
to tie
a place
relation, reasoning, computation
clear, watery
break, burst, split
large, long
large
bad, ugly
quantity
course, channel
black or dark
monthly
member of a particular group
after, behind
tiny, small
mimic
thread
to send
mass, body
one
form, shape
many units
to change
us
nerves
night
law, order, custom
name
birth
to graft
like
tiny, small
study of
tumor, swelling
insertion, incision, inability
inoculate
melanin
vaccine
interphase, interdependent
intraspecific
parasitism
isotonic
dendrite
somite
tendonitis, arthritis
cardiac
prokaryote, eukaryote, karyotype
keratin
kinetic, cytokinesis
lactose
translation
leukemia
ligament
translocation
homologous
lymphocyte
hemolytic, hydrolysis, lysogenic
macronucleus
magnification
malignant, malpractice
biomass
permeable
melanin
commensalism
polymer, centromere
metaphase
microscope, microorganism
mimicry
mitosis
neurotransmitter
molecule
monologue, monohybrid
morphology
multicellular
mutate
mutualism
neuron, neuralgia, polyneuritis
nocturnal
taxonomy, autonomic
nomenclature
neonatal
inoculate
ameboid
arteriole, bronchiole
biology, zoology, geology
melanoma, carcinoma
omni-onomy
oo-ose
osio-osis
-osteo, -osouře-ous
panpandereparapathpeptperiper-phage, phagophrágma
-phase
phenopher-phil-phobia; -phob
photophyllphysiophyto-plasm-plast
-plicate
-pod, -ped, polyporepose
pre-, propseudopulmoqualquantradiate
rerecess-renal
rrhage-ry
sacch-scler
-scope
scribe
sphereskeleto-sis
all
law, order, custom
pertaining to the egg
sugar
to carry
stage or condition
bone
to urinate
possessing, full of
all
to hang
beside
disease
able to digest
around
through
eater
a fence
stage, appearance
to show
to bear
loving
fear, fright, terror
light
leaf
body function
pertaining to plants
formative substance
particle
fold
foot
many
tiny opening
to put to
before
false
lung
of what sort
how much
spread out in all directions
back, again
a withdrawl, receding part
kidney
flow, discharge, burst
indicates quality or action
sweet, sugar
hardness, stiffness
field of vision, to see
to copy
globe
dried body
action or process
omnivorous
taxonomy
oocyte
sucrose, glucose, dextrose
esophagus
prognosis
ossification, osteoporosis
diuretic
homologous
pandemic
appendicular
parasitism
pathogenic
peptide
perimeter
permeable
bacteriophage, phagocytosis
diaphargm
metaphase, anaphase
phenotype
pheripheral
hemophilia, hydrophilia
hydrophobia
photosynthesis, photograph
chlorophyll
physiology
phytohormone
cytoplasm, plasmablasts
chloroplast
replicate
arthropod, centipede, pseudopod
polysaccharide, polymer
osteoporisis
decompose
prehistoric, prokaryotic
pseudopod
pulmonary
qualitative
quantitative
radiation
respiration
recessive
adrenal
hemorrhage, diarrhea
mimicry
saccharin, saccharide
arteriosclerosis, scleraderma
telescope, microscope
transpription
biosphere
skeleton
peristalsis
sît-som, -some, -soma
Species
-sperm
spīrāre
stal-stasis,-stat
stria
subsucsym-, syn-taxtegmen
telo
thetherm-thes
thigmothorac-, thorax-tic
-tom
tone
transtri-troph
-tropism
type
uni-urin
vacciverge
verses
vestige
volvere
-vor
-zoo, -zoa
zygo-
grain, food
body
kind, sort
seed
to breathe
to set, bring together
stationary condition, still
furrow, strip
under, below
before
to join, combine
order, arrangement
to cover
end, complete
to put, place
heat
setting in order, arranging
touch, contact
chest
relation, belonging to
to cut, slice
firmness
beyond, through
three
growth
response to stimulus (plants)
symbol, figure
one
pertaining to urine
pertaining to a cow
to be in transition to some state or quality
to turn, bend
a mark, trace, or sign
to roll, turn
feed or eat
animal, a living being
yoked, joined together
parasitism
chromosome, somatic
speciation
spermatozoon
respiration
peristalsis
homeostasis, thermostat
striated
subnormal, substandard
succession
symbiosis, photosynthesis
taxonomy, syntax
integumentary
telomere, telophase
photosynthesis
thermometer
hypothesis
thigmotropism
thoracic, cephalothorax
abiotic
anatomy, vasectomy
isotonic, hypotonic
transparent
tricuspid
atrophy, heterotroph
phototropism
genotype, phenotype
unicellular, unicorn
urinalysis
vaccination
convergent
inversion
vestigial
evolution
carnivore, herbivore, omnivore
zoology, protozoa, zoospore
zygote, homozygous