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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