Following is a chart of prefixes, suffixes, and roots commonly found in the study of biology. Each is followed by its usual meaning, an example of a word of which it is used, and a definition of that word. Examine the word-part definition and the example of its s usage given.

Prefix, root,
or suffix /

Definition

/

Example

1. a- / Not, without / Asymmetricalà not symmetrical
2. ab- / Away, apart / Abductà move away from midline
3. –able / Able / Viableà able to live
4. ad- / To, toward / Adductà move toward midline
5. amphi- / Both / Amphibianà lives on land and in water
6. angio- / Vessel / Angiospermà flowering plant
7. ante- / Before / Anteriorà front of an organism
8. antho- / flower / Anthophytaà flowering plant
9. anti- / Against / Antibioticà against life
10. aqu- / Water / Aquariumà container holding water
11. arche- / Ancient, old / Archeologistà person who studies the past
12. arthro- / Joint / Arthropodà animal with jointed feet
13. aster-; astr- / Stars / Asteriodaeà class of animals containing starfish
14. auto- / Self, same, automatic / Autotrophà Make own food
15. bi- / Two / Bivalveà animal with 2 valves
16. bio- / Life / Biologyà
17. blast- / Embryo / Blastulaà development stage of an embryo
18. carcin- / cancer / Carcinogenicà something that causes cancer
19. cardi- / heart / Cardiogramà written report of heart
20. centi- / Hundred, hundredth / Centipededà animal with lots of legs
21. cephal / Head / Cephalizedà Concentration of sensory organs in an anterior head
22. cereb- / brain / Cerebral palsyà damage to the brain causing lack of muscle control
23. chloro- / green / Chlorophyllà green pigment in plants
24. chromo- / color / Chromosomeà colored thread of genetic material
25. chondro- / cartilage / Chondrichthyesà fish made of cartilage
26. circ- / around / Circulatoryà system that transports blood around body
27. –cide / kill / Pesticideà kills pests
28. co, con- / With, together / Conjoined twins
29. –cycle / circle / Pericycleà layer of plant cells
30. cyt- / cell / Cytologyà study of cells
31. de- / remove / Dehydrationà not being hydrated
32. deca- / Ten / Decapodà having ten feet
33. deci- / Tenth / Decimalà moving one 10th
34. derm- / skin / Dermatologyà study of skin
35. di- / two / Diploidà 2 sets of chromosomes
36. dia- / through / Dialysisà sending blood through a machine
37. ecol- / Dwelling, house / Ecologyà study of ecosystems (our house)
38. ecto- / Outer, outside / Ectodermà outer layer of skin
39. –ectomy / removal / Appendectomyà removal of appendix
40. endo- / Inner, inside / Endodermà inner layer of skin
41. epi- / upon / Epiphyteà plants living upon other plants
42. ex-; exo- / Outside of / Exoskeletonà skeleton on the outside
43. gastro- / stomach / Gastropodà animal that has stomach in the foot (snails)
44. -gen / type / Genotypeà type of genes
45. geo- / Land, earth / Geologyà study of earth
46. glyco- / Sweet, sugar / Glycogenà type of sugar
47. gymno- / naked / Gymnospermà plants with naked seeds
48. hecto- / hundred / Hectogramà 100 grams
49. –helminth / worm / Platyhelminthesà classification of a type of worm
50. hemi- / half / Hemisphereà half of a sphere
51. hetero- / different / Heterosexualà different sex
52. hex- / six / Hexagonà six sides
53. hist- / tissue / Histologyà study of tissue
54. homeo- / same / Homeostasisà maintaining the same condition
55. homo- / Same, man / Homosexual, homosapienà same sex, human being
56. hydro- / water / Hydrologyà study of water
57. hyper- / Above, over / Hypertonicà solution with high salt content
58. hypo- / Below, under / Hypotonicà solution with low salt content
59. –ic / Of or pertaining to / Endothermicà temperature that pertains to the inside of an organism
60. ichthy- / fish / Chondrichthyesà fish composed of cartilage
61. infra- / Below, beneath / Infraredà wavelength below the color red
62. inter- / Between, among / Interbreedà breeding among the same individuals
63. intra- / within / Intracellularà inside a cell
64. iso- / equal / Isotonicà solution with equal amounts of water and salt
65. –ist / Someone who practices or deal with something / Biologistà someone who studies life
66. –itis / inflammation / Tonsillitisà inflammation of tonsils
67. kilo- / thousand / Kilogramà 1000 grams
68. lip- / fat / Liposuctionà removal of fat
69. –logy / The study of / Zoologyà study of animals
70. macro- / large / Macromoleculeà large molecule
71. mal- / bad / Malnourishedà lacking nutrition
72. meso- / In the middle / Mesodermà middle layer of skin
73. meta- / change / Metamorphosisà changing form
74. micro- / small / Microscopeà instrument used to see something small
75. milli- / thousandth / Millipedeà animal with lots of legs
76. mono- / One, single / Monoploidà one set of chromosomes
77. morph- / form / Metamorphosisà changing form
78. mycet- / Fungus
79. neo- / new / Neonatalà newborn
80. nephr- / kidney / Nephronà functional unit of the kidney
81. neur- / nerve / Neurologistà one who studies nerves
82. oct- / eight / Octagonà 8 sides
83. oo- / egg / Oogenesisà egg formation in female diploid organisms
84. org- / living / Organismà living thing
85. –oma / swelling / Carcinomaà cancerous tumor
86. orth- / straight / Orthodontistà one who straitens teeth
87. oste- / bone / Osteichthyesà bony fish
88. pachy- / thick / Pachydermà thick skinned animal such as an elephant
89. para- / Near, on / Parasiteà animal that live on another
90. path- / disease / Pathologistà one who studies diseases
91. peri- / around / Pericardiumà membrane around heart
92. photo- / light / Photosynthesisà making food from light
93. –phyll / leaf / Chlorophyllà pigment that turns leaves green
94. phyto- / plants / Phytoplanktonà type of animal that has plant characteristics
95. poly- / many / Polypeptideà long chain of peptides
96. –pod / foot / Arthropodà animal that has jointed feet
97. pre- / before / Predictionà a forecast of events before they happen
98. pseudo- / false / Pseudocoelomà A false intestinal cavity
99. quin- / five / Quintupletsà 5 newborns
100. rhiz- / root / Rhizoidsà type of plant root
101. –scope / Instrument to see something / Microscope
102. semi- / partially / Semipermeableà membrane that partially allows some things to pass
103. sex- / Six
104. –some / body / Chromosome
105. sub- / under / Substrateà layer of something that is under something else
106. super-; supra- / above / Superiorà structure lying above another
107. syn- / with / Synapseà junction of one neuron with another
108. tetra- / Four / Tetrapodà having four feet
109. –tomy / To cut / Appendectomyà removal of appendix
110. trans- / across / Transformationà the transfer of genetic material form one organism to another
111. tri- / Three / Tripodà having 3 feet
112. troph- / One who feeds / Autotrophà make own food
113. –ur / Referring to urine / Urologyà study or urinary tract
114. visc- / organ / Visceraà internal organs of the body cavity
115. zo- / animal / Zoologyà study of animals