Prefix/Suffix

Definition

Examples

-a,an-                               

not, without

Asexual, acellular, anesthesia

 acro-

apex, tip, point

Acrosome, acrophobia, acromegaly, acrobat

 allo- 

 other

Allele, allopatric=other place

ambi-, amphi-

 two, both

Amphibian, amphitheatre, ambidexterous

 andro-

Man, male     

Android, androgen=male sex hormone

Angio-

Enclosed, covering

Angiosperm, sporangium

Anthropo-

Human, mankind

Anthropology, anthropomorphic

Anti-

Against

Antigen-antibody reaction

Arch-, archi-

Primitive, ancient

Archeology, archenteron, archaeopteryx

Arthro-

Joint

Arthropod, arthroscopic

Auto-

Self

Autotroph, autoimmune, autologous

Audio-

Ear, hearing

Auditory, audio-visual

Blast-

Sprout, growth

(Blast!), blastula, triploblastic

*Bio-

Life, living

Biology [“bios” + “logos”], biosphere

Carn-, carni-

Meat, flesh

Carnivore (vs. herb- & omnivore)

Cent-, centi-

Hundred, hundredth

Centimeter, century, centipede

*Cephalo-

Head, brain

Encephalitis, cephalization

*Chloro-

Green

Chlorophyll, chloroplast

Chondro

Cartilage, flexible

Chondrocyte, Chondrichthyes, hypochondriac

*Chrom-, chroma-

Color

Chromatin, chromosome, chromatography

-cide

Kill, death

Insecticide, fungicide, suicide

Circa-

About, around

Circadian rhythm (cycle about a day)

Co-, com-, con-

With, together

Cooperate, conjugation, commensalisms

Contra-, counter-

Against, opposite

Contraception, countercurrent

***cyt-, cyto-, -ctye

Cell

Cytology, cytoplasm, erythrocyte

De-

Not, away from, without

Deactivate, denaturation

Dent-. Dont-

Tooth, teeth

Dentology, dentist, orthodontist

*-derm

Skin, covering, lining

Epidermis, hypodermic, dermatitis

Echino-

Spiny, prickly

Echinoderm, Phylum Echinodermata

*ecto-,

Outside of

Ectoderm, ectothermic

Emia-,

Blood

Leukemia, amenia, hyoerchloesterolemia

*endo-,

Within, inside of

Endodermis, endomernum

Entero-

Intestine, alimentary

Enterology, gastroenterology

Epi-

Upon, outer

Epidermis, epidemic

Erythro-

Red

Erythrocyte, lupus erythematosus

*eu-

True, accurate

Eukaryote=true nuckeus, eucoelomate

*ex-, exo-, extra-

Outside

Extracellular, exogenous

***fer-, pher-, -phore

To carry, bear

Conifer, pheromone, sporangiophore

*gastro-

Stomach, belly

Gastritis, gastrovascular, gastrula (embryo)

Gamet-, gameto-

Sex cell

Gamete, gametophyte, microgamete

**gen-

Birth, creation of…[Genesis]

Genetic, gene, fibrinogen

Glyc-, glyco-

Sugar, carbohydrate

Glycogen, glycolysis, hypoglycermia

Gono-

Reproductive

Gonad, gonopore, archegonium

**gram-, -graph

Write, written

Graph, chromatography, electrocardiogram

Gymno-

Naked

Gymnosperms (“naked seeds”)

*gyn-

Female, woman

Gynecology, gynoecium

*hemo-

Blood

Hemoglobin, hemolysis

Hetero-

Other, different

Heterosexual, heterozygote, heterogeneous

Hepat-

Liver

Hepatitis, hepatic

Hermaphrodite

[Gk. “Hermes” + “Aphrodite”]

Both sex organs in body

Herp-

Reptile

Herpetology, herpatarium

Hom-

Man, humankind

Hominid, Homo sapiens {note writing format}

Homo-

One, same

Homogeneous, homosexual, homozygous

Histo-

Tissue

Histology, histocompatability

Hydro-

Water

Hydrology, hydrolysis, hydrotropism

*hyper-

Above, high

Hypertension, hypercholesterolemia

*hypo-

Below, under, low

Hypodermic, hypothalamus

Ich-, ichthy-

 Fish

Ichthyology, Osteichthyes

*inter

Between

Intercellular, interneuron

*intra-

Within, inside of

Intracellular, intravenous, intron

Herb-

Plant( non-woody)

Herbivore, herbaceous, herbarium

Ir-

Not!

Irreversible, {no irregardless!!}

*iso-

Same

Isogamete, isotonic

-it is

Inflammation, irritation

Appendicitis, arthritis     

Lact-

Milk

Lactation, lactose, lactase

Leuc-, leuk

White

Leukemia, leukocyte

Lumin-

Light

Bioluminescent

**lys-, lty-, -lysis

To split

Hydrolysis, hemolytic, lysogeny

Macro-/ micro-

Big/small

Macronucleus, micronucleus

Mal-

Bad

Malignant, malaria, osteomalacia

Mari-, mar-

Sea, ocean

Marina, marina

*mer-, -mere

Unit, part

Monoer, polymer, sarcomer

Meso-

Middle

Mesoderm, mesothorax, mesophyll

Meta-

Many, several

Metazoan, metamere, meramorphosis

-meter

To measure

Thermometer, hydrometer, photometer

Milli-

Thousand, thousandth

Millimeter, millipede

*morph-

Form, shape

Morphology, metamotphosis

Mort-

Death

Mortician, rigor mortis, mortgage

*myo-

Muscle

Myocardial, myoglobin

*myc-, myco-

Fungus, mold

Basidiocmycota, streptomycin, mycology

Muta-

Alter, change

Mutant, mutagen, mutation

Neo-

New modern

Neobiologist, neolithic period

Nephro-

Kidney

Nephron, nephrology

*neur-, neuro-

Nerve

Neurology, neuron

Noct-

Night

Nocturnal, noctiluca

Nom-

Name, law, order

Taxonomy, nomenclature, autonomic

-oid

Like, similar to

Ameboid, rhizoid, android

-ology, -ologist

Study of…

Biology, Zoology, Physiologist

*-ole

tiny, small of

Bronchiole, arteriole, cystole

Omni-

all

Omnipresent, omnivorous, omniscient

-oma

Tumor, swelling

Carcinoma, glaucoma, sarcoma

-opia, -opic, -opt

Vision, sight

Optical, myopia, hyperopia, optometrist

Ornitho-

Birds

Ornithology, ornithine

Ortho-

Straight

Orthopedic, orthodontic, Orthoptera

 -oisis

Condition, process of…

Nephrosis, metamorphosis, mitosis

-osteo

Bone

Osteology, periosteum, osteoporosis

-ot, -oto, -otic

Ear, hearing

Otology, otorhinolaryngology

-ous

Full of…

Heterozygous, odoriferous, humorous

**ovi-, ovo-

Egg, egg cell

Oviduct, ovulation, oviparous

Para-

Near, beside, similar to

Parasite, paramedic, parathyroid gland

Path-, patho-

 Disease

Pathology, pathogenic

Pan-

All around, everywhere

Pandemic, pancreas, panoramic

Paleo-

 Old, ancient

Paleontology, Paleolithic

Peri-

Around, surrounding

Pericardium, periosteum, periscope

*phag-, phago-

To eat, engulf

Phagocytosis, esophagus, bacteriophage

Pheno-

Show, appearance

Phenotype

-phil, -philo

Love, loving

Hemophilia, basophil, philodendron

*phos-, photo-

Light, brightness

Photosynthesis, phosphorus, phototropism

-phyll

Leaf

Chlorophyll, mesophyll

**-phyte, -phyta

Plant

Tracheotype, chlorophyta, hydrophyte

-phobia

Fear of…

Hydrophobia, acrophobia, androphobia

Pisci-

fish

Pisces, piscatorial

*-plasm

Form, shape

Cytoplasm, plasmodesmata

Platy-

Flat{“plat…flat”}

Platypus, platyhelminthes

Pneumo-

Air, lungs, gas

Pneumonia, pneumatic pressure

Poly-

Many, much

Polysaccharide, polymer

Post-

After, behind

Posterior, post mortem = autopsy

Pre-

Before, in front of

Prenatal, prefix, pre-lab

*pro-, proto-

First, giving rise to

Protoplasm, prothombin, protostome

Pseudo-

False, deceptive

Pseudopod, pseudocoelom

Psysche-, psycho-

Mind (not brain)

Psychology, psychiatrist, “phyche”

*ptero-

Wing, winged

Pterodactyl, Pterophyta = ferns

Pulmo-

Lungs, breath

Pulmonary

-pus, -ped, -pod

Foot

Podiatrist, platypus, centipede

Renal-

Kidney

Renal, adrenal, rennin

Rhod-, rhodo-

Red

Phodophyta, rhododendron

Sacchar-

Sugar

Monosaccharide, polysaccharide

-saur

Lizard, reptile

Dinosaur, brontosaurus, tyrannosaurus

Schizo-

Split, cut

Schizophrenic, schizocoelom

Science –scient              knowledge of                    omniscient. Sciece vs. pseudoscience

-scler                              hard, stiff                           sclera, sclerotic, arteriosclerosis

-scope                             sight, vision                       microscope, somite, somatic cell

**som-,soma-

Body

Chromosome, somite, somatic cell

**sperm, spermato-

{Gk}seed

Sperm, spermatozoan, spermatogenesis

-spire

breath

Inspire, expiration,

Stoma-, -stome

Opening, mouth

Stomata, cyclostome, deuterostome

Sub-

Under, below

Subnormal, subcutaneous, substrate

*super-, supra-

Above, over

Superior, supraspinatus

*sym-, syn-

Join, combine, together

Symbiosis, synthesis, sympetally

Tax-

Order, arrangement

Taxonomy, taxidermy, taxes!

Techno-

Application, technique

Technology, technical

Therm-, thermo-

Heat

Thermometer, thermal

Thig-, thigmo-

Touch, contact

Thigmotropism, thigmatic

Thromb-

Clot, lump

Prothrobin, thrombin, thrombus

Thorac-

Chest

Thorax, thoracic

*-tom

To cut, slice

Appecdectomy, microtome, thrombus

Trachea-, thracheo-

Pipe, tube

Trachea, thracheophyte

Trans-

Across, through

Transparent, transduction, thranslocate

*trop-, -tropism, -tropic

Response to stimulus

Hydrotropism, geotropic, phototropism

*-troph, -trophic

Feeding, nutrition

Autophic, heterotrophic, eutrophication

Uni-

One, single

Univalve, unicellular

Uria-, urin-

Pertaining to urine

Urinalysis, nocturia, uremia

Vacci-

Cow {history: E. Jenner/cowpox}

Vaccination

**vas-, vasc-

Vessel, tube, pipes

Vascular, vas deferens, vasectomy

Vita-, viva-

Alive, to live

Vivparous, vitamin

-vor

To eat, devour

Carnivore, herbivore, omnivore

Xero-, xeri-

Dry, arid

Xerophyte, xeriscape, Xerox copy

Zoo-, zoa-

Animal

Zoology, zoospore, zoo