Prefixes, Suffixes, and Stems
Prefixes, Suffixes, and Stems
The following list gives the meanings of prefixes, suffixes, and stems that are commonly used to form scientific terms. Whenever you encounter a new term in your study of biology or any science, break it apart and try to find the parts in this list. Such a habit will greatly simplify your mastery of scientific vocabulary.
As an example, you might take the word nephrology. The stem nephro- is derived from the Greek word nephros, meaning kidney, while the stem log-is derived from the Greek word logos, meaning thought or study of. After some practice, you will be surprised how many new words you can define without looking them up.
You should also be aware that is has often been necessary to add a vowel when combining word parts for a more pleasing pronunciation. For example, bacteri- + -logy becomes bacteriology. For the same reason it has been necessary at times to drop or change a vowel in a prefix, suffix, or stem. For example, gastro becomes gastric, the adjective pertaining to the stomach.
Most scientific terms are derived from either the ancient Greek or the Latin because neither of these languages is currently in use and they are universally studied. Learning the meaning of the following word elements will help develop your biological vocabulary.
Vocabulary Development Quizzes:
• Vocab Quizzes will be approximately once per week for the first two quarters, usually on Wednesdays. The dates are subject to change so pay attention in class and check the class website.
• Know meanings of all terms VERY well! You will be asked to decipher the meanings of new scientific terms that incorporate these word elements as well as the meaning of individual word elements.
• Each quiz will focus on a particular portion of the list, but will also include word elements from previous quizzes…therefore; you will need to continuously review past material as you are responsible for it.
Scientific Root Words, Prefixes, and Suffixes
QUIZ #1
a-, an- not, without, lacking
acou-, acous- hear
acr-, acro- height
ad- to, toward
aden- gland
adip- fat
aero- air
agri- field, soil
alb- white
alg-, -algia pain
ambi- both
amni- fetal membrane
amphi-, ampho- both
amyl- starch
ana- up, back, again
ante- before, ahead of time
anter- front
antho- flower
anti- against, opposite
QUIZ #2
aqu- water
archaeo- primitive, ancient
arteri- artery
arthr- joint, articulation
-ase forms names of enzymes
anther- fatty deposit
atmo- vapor
audi- hear
aur- ear
auto- self
bacter-, bactr- bacterium
bene- well, good
bi- (Latin) two twice
bi-, bio- (Greek) life, living
QUIZ #3
-blast- sprout, germ, bud
bronch- windpipe
cac-. bad
calor- heat
capill- hair
carcin- cancer
cardi- heart
carn- meat, flesh
carp- fruit
carpal- wrist
centi- hudredth
cephal- head
cerat- horn
cerebr- brain
cervic- neck
chem- dealing with chemicals
chlor- green
chondr- cartilage
QUIZ #4
chrom-, -chrome color
chron- time
-chym- juice
circa-, circum- around, about
co- with, together
cocc- seed, berry
coel- hollow
contra- against
corp- body
cort-, cortic- outer layer
cotyl- cup
counter- against
crani- skull
cresc-, cret- begin to grow
crypt- hidden, covered
-cul-, -cule small, diminutive
cumul- heaped
QUIZ #5
cuti- skin
cyan- blue
-cycle, cycl- ring, circle
-cyst- sac, pouch, bladder
cyt-, -cyte cell, hollow container
dactyl- finger
de- away from, down
deca- ten
deci- tenth
demi- half
dent- tooth
derm- skin
di-, dipl- (Latin) two, double
di-, dia- (Greek) through, across, apart
digit- finger, toe
dorm- sleep
dors- back
du-, duo- two
-duct lead
dynam- power
dys- bad, abnormal,
QUIZ #6
ec- out of, away from
echin- spiny, prickly
ecto- outside of
-elle small
-emia blood
en-, endo-, ent- in, into, within
-en made of
encephal- brain
enter- intestine, gut
entom- insects
-eous nature of, like
epi- upon, above, over
erythro- red
ex- out of, away from
extra- beyond, outside
ferro- iron
fibr- fiber, thread
-fid, fiss- split, divided into
QUIZ #7
-flect, -flex bend
flor- flower
foli- leaf
fract- break
gastr- stomach
geo- land, earth
-gen, -gine producer, former
- gluc-, glyc- sweet, sugar
gnath- jaw
-gon angle, corner
-grad- step
gymno- naked, bare
QUIZ #8
gyn- female
gyr- ring, circle, spiral
-hal-, -hale breathe, breath
halo- salt
hem- blood
hemi- half
hepar-, hepat- liver
herb- grass, plants
hetero- different, other
hibern- winter
hist- tissue
homo- (Latin) man, human
homo- (Greek) same, alike
QUIZ #9
hort- garden
hydr- water
hyper- above, beyond over
hyph- weaving, web
hypo- below, under, less
-iasis disease
-chthy- fish
ign- fire
-ine of or pertaining to
inter- within, inside
intra- between
-ism a state or condition
iso- equal, same
-itis inflammation, disease
-ium refers to a part of the body
QUIZ #10
-kary- cell nucleus
kilo- thousand
kine- move
lact- milk
lat- side
-less without
leuc-, leuk- white, bright, light
lin- line
lingu- tongue
lip- fat
-logy study of
lumin- light
macr- large
malac- soft
QUIZ #11
mamm- breast
med- middle
meg- million, great
mela-, melan- black, dark
mes- middle, half, intermediate
met-, meta- between, along, after
-meter, -metry measurement
micro- small, millionth
milli- thousandth
mis- wrong, incorrect
mito- thread
mono- one, single
mort- death
mot- move
morph- shape, form
multi- many
mut- change
QUIZ #12
my- muscle
myc- fungus
mycel- threadlike
myriad- many
moll- soft
nas- nose
necr- corpse, dead
nemat- thread
neo- new, recent
neprho- kidney
neur- nerve
noct-, nov- night
-node knot
non- not
not- back
nuc- center
ocul- eye
oct- eight
odont- tooth
-ond form, appearance
olf- smell
oligo- few, little
omni- all
onc- mass, tumor
QUIZ #13
oo- egg
opt- eye
orb- circle, round, ring
-orium, -ory place for something
ornith- bird
orth- straight, correct, right
-osis abnormal condition
oste- bone
oto- ear
-ous full of
ov- egg
paleo- old, ancient
palm- broad, flat
pan- all
par-, para- beside, near, equal
path-, -pathy disease, suffering
pent- five
QUIZ #14
per- through
peri- around
permea- pass through, go
phag- eat
pheno- show
-phil- loving, fond of
phon-, -phone sound
-phore, pher- bear, carry
photo- light
phyl- related group
-phyll leaf
phyt-, phyte plant
pino- drink
pinni- feather
plan- roaming, wandering
plasm-, -plast- form, formed into
platy- flat
pleur- lung, rib, side
pneumo- lungs, air
-pod foot
ply- many, several
por- opening
QUIZ #15
post- after, behind
pom fruit
pre- before, ahead of time
prim- first
pro- forward, favoring, before
pseudo- false, deceptive
psych mind
pter- having wings or fins
pulmo- lung
puls- drive, push
pyr- heat, fire
quadr- four
quin- five
QUIZ #16
radi- ray
re- again, back
rect- right, correct
ren- kidney
rhin- nose
rhiz- root
rhodo- rose
roto- wheel
sacchar- sugar
sapr- rotten
sarc- flesh
schis-, schiz- split, divide
scler- hard
-scop- device for seeing
QUIZ #17
-scribe, -script write
semi- half, partly
sept- partition, seven
-septic infection,
sess- sit
-sis condition, state
sol- sun
som-, somat-, -some body
son- sound
spec-, spic- look at
-sperm- seed
-spher- ball, round
spir-, -spire breathe
-spor- seed
stat-, -stasis standing, staying
QUIZ #18
stell- stars
sten- narrow
stern- chest, breast
stom-, -stome mouth
stereo- solid, 3-dimensional
strict- drawn tight
sub- under, below
super-, sur- over, above, on top
sym-, syn- together
tax- arrange, put in order
telo- end
terr- earth, land
tetr- four
QUIZ #19
-the-, -thes- put
-thel- cover a surface
therm- heat
toxico- poison
top- place
trache- windpipe
trans- across
tri- three
trich- hair
-trop- turn, change
-troph- nourishment, one who feels
ultra- beyond
uni- one
QUIZ #20
ur- urine
-ura tail
vas- vessel
vect- carry
ven-, vent- come
ventr- belly, underside
-verge turn, slant
vig- strong
vit-, viv- life
volv- roll,
-vor- devour, eat
xero- dry
xyl- wood
zo-, -zoa animal
zym- yeast
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