Biology- Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots

a-

not, without

abyss-

deep, bottomless

acro-

tip

adeno-

gland

aero-

air

agglutinat-

glued together

agon

a contest

aktin

a ray

-alexi

to ward off

allo-

different

alveol-

a cavity

ama-

together

amphi-

dual

an-

without, not

ana-

up

analog-

proportion

andro-

male

aneu-

without

-angio

vessel

annus, -ennis

year

anth-

a flower

anthrop

man

anti

against

-aphy

suck

apic

tip

apo-

off, away

-apsis

juncture

aqua

water

arachn

spider

arch

ancient, beginning

arthro

jointed

astro-

a star

atrio

a vestibule

auto-

self

aux-

grow, enlarge

bacul

a rod

bentho-

the depths of the sea

bi

two

bin-

two at a time

bio-, biot-

life

-bios

life

-blast

bud, sprout

blasto

produce

brachio

an arm

bryo

moss

cala

insert

capsa

a box

carb-

coal

cardi-

heart

-carp

fruit

cata-

down

-centesis

a puncture

centro-

center

cephal, cephalo

head

cheli

a claw

chemi-

chemical

chemo

chemical

chiasm-

marked crosswise

chloro-

green

choano

a funnel

-chol

anger

chondro-

cartilage

chord

string

chroma-

colored

chrom

colored

chylo

juice

chymo

juice

cili-

hair

circ-, circa

circle

clado-

branch

-clin

slope

cnido

a nettle

co-

together

coch

a snail

coel

hollow

coeno

common

coit

a coming together

coleo-

a sheath

coll-

glue

com-

together

con-

with, together

conjug

together

contra

against

cope

an oar

cortex

shell

-cortico

the shell

counter-

opposite

crani

the skull

crypto-

hidden

-cutane

skin

cuti

the skin

-cycle

circle

cyclo-

circle

cyst

sac, bladder

-cyte

cell

cyto-

cell

de

from, down, out

deca

ten

del

visible

demo-

people

dendro-

tree

-derm

skin

-desma

a band or bond

detrit-

wear off

deutero

second

di-

two

-dilat

expanded

dino

terrible

diplo

double

dis-

seperate

diure

urinate

dorm-

sleep

ecdys-

an escape

echino

spiny

-ecious

house

eco-

house

ecto-

outside

ectomy

cut out

electro

electricity

-ell

small

encephal

brain

enanti-

opposite

-enchyma

an infusion

end-, endo

within, inner

entero-

intestine, gut

epi-

above, over

erythro-

red

estuar-

the sea

etho

custom, habit

eu-

true, good

eury

broad, wide

ex-, exo-

out, outside

extero

outside

extra

outside

fertil

fruitful

fibrino-

a fiber

fibro-

fiber

flagell-

whip

-form

shape

fovea

a pit

fusi-

a spindle

gam-

marriage

gamet-

wife or husband

gamy

reproduction, marriage

gastro

stomache, belly

gen-, gene-

produce

genesis

origin, birth

-genic

producing

geno-

offspring

-geny

origin

geo-

the Earth

gest

carried

gibb-

humped

glia

glued together

-glob

globe, sphere

glomer

a ball

glotti

the tongue

gluco-

sweet

glyco-

sweet

gnatho

jaws

-graphy

writing

gusta

taste

gutt-

a drop

gymno-

naked

gyno

a woman

halin

salt

halo-

salt

haplo-

single

helic-

a spiral

hemo-

blood

herb

grass

hermaphrod

both male and female

hetero-

other, different

holo

whole

homeo-

same

homin

man

homo-

alike

horm-

to set in motion, excite

hydro-

water

hyl

matter

hyper-

over, above, excessive

hypo-

under, below, lower

ichthy

fish

immuno-

safe, free

in

without

inter-

between

intero

inside

intra

inside, within

intro

within

involu

wrapped up

-iodo

violet

iso-

equal

itero-

to repeat

-itis

inflammation

juxta

near to

karyo-

nucleus

kilo-

a thousand

kine, kinet-

movement

koilos

a hollow

-kytos

a vessal

labi

lip

lact

milk

lamin-

sheet, layer

lepido

a scale

leuko-

white

liga-

bound or tied

limn-

a lake

-lite

first

-lithe

stone

littor-

seashore

lobi

a lobe

lopho

crest, tuft

-luna

moon

lut-

yellow

-lyse

break

-lysis

split

lyso-

loosen

lyto-

loosen

macro-

large

magnet-

magnetic

major

larger

mal-

bad or evil

mamm-

breast or teat

marsupi

a bag or pouch

mechano

an instrument

mega-

large, great

meio-

less

melan-

black

menstru

month

mere

part

meristo-

divided

mero-

part

meso-

middle

meta-

boundary, turning, point; charge; with; between

-metron

measure

micro-

small

minor

smaller

missi

send

mito-

a thread

mono-

one

morph, morpho-

form

morul

a little mulberry

muta-

change

mutu-

reciprocal

myco

fungus

myo

muscle

-nema

thread

nemato

a thread

nephri

kidney

neuro-

nerve

neutr-, neutro-

neutral

noci

harm

nom-

name

non-

not

noto

back

nucle-, nucleo

nucleus

-oid

like, form

olfact

smell

oligo-

small, scant

ology

the study of

omma

the eye

omni

all

onco

tumor

oo

egg

opercul

a covering, lid

oscul

a little mouth

osis

a conditioning of

osmo-

pushing

osteo-

bone

ostraco

a shell

ovi

an egg

oxy-

sharp, acid

paedo-

child

paleo-

ancient

para-

beside, near

-parity

to beget

parous

bearing

parsi-

few

partheno

without fertilization, virgin

partur

giving birth

-patri

father

pedi-

a child

pelag-

the sea

pellucid

transparent

perfora-

bore through

peri

abound

perman-

remaining

-phage

to eat

phago-

to eat

pheno-

appear

-phil

loving

-philia

loving

-philos

loving

phloe-

the bark of a tree

-phobos

fearing

phora

to carry

-phore

bearer

photo

light

phragmo-

a partition

-phyll

leaf

phylo-

tribe

-phyte

plant

phyto-

plant

pino-

drink

placo

a plate

plan

flat or wandering

plasm- , plasmo

molded

-plast

formed, molded

pleio-

more

pluri-

more, several

-pod, -podium

foot

podo-

foot

-poiet

produce

poly

many

-pomo

fruit

pore

a passage

-pori

small opening

-port

gate, door

post-

after

potent

powerful

pre-

before

pro-

before

profund-

deep

proto

first

pseudo

false

pter-

a wing, a feather, a fin

ptero

a wing

pterygi

a fin

pulmo-

a lung

quadr-

four

radia

a spoke, ray

ratit

flatbottomed

re-

again

recta

straight

regula

regular

reni

a kidney

retro

backward

rhizo-

root

rhodo

red

sacc

a sack

-sacchar

sugar

salta-

leap

sarco

flesh

saur

lizard

schizo

split

sclero

hard

script

write

scutell-

a little shield

semel-

once

semi-

half

simi

an ape

socio

a companion

soma

body

-sperm

seed

sporo-

seed

stalsis

constriction

stam-

standing upright

-stasis

standing, staying

stato-

standing, placed

steno

narrow

stoma

mouth

stromato

something spread out

sulf-

sulfur

supra-

above, over

sym-

with, together

-symmetr

symmetrical

syn-

together

taxo-

arrange

telos-

an end

tens

stretched

tetan

rigid, tense

tetra-

four

thallos-

sprout

theca

a cup, case

therm-

heat

thermo-

heat, temperature

thigmo-

a touch

thio-

sulfur

thrombo-

a clot

thylaco-

sac or pouch

tono-

stretched

-tonus

tension

-topo

place

toti

all

trachei-

the windpipe

trans-

across

tri

three

trocho

wheel

-trop

turn

-troph

food, nourishment

tropho

food, nourishment

-tropic

to turn or change

tropo

turn, change

trypsi

wearing out

-tubul

a little pipe

tunic

a covering

turg-

swollen

tympan

a drum

ultra-

beyond

uni-

one

uro

tail

utric

a leather bag

vacu-

empty

vagin

a sheath

-valent

strength

vasa

vessel

vascula-

little vessel

-vect

carried

-ventriculo

ventricle, hallow organ

vestigi-

trace

villi

shaggy hair

virul

poisonious

vitre

glass

vivi

alive

vora

eat

-xantho

yellow

xero-

dry

xyl-

wood

-yl

substance or matter

zea-

a grain

zoa, zoan

animal

zona

a belt