Lundkvist
Biology 11
Biology Word Building Skills Sheet
As in any living language, English words are invented, as they are needed. In biology, many words
are built from Greek and Latin terms that serve as root words. Every year, as biologists make new
discoveries, they need to invent and introduce new words made from these roots. Word roots can
be added to other root words, prefixes can be added at the beginning of the word, and suffixes can
be added to the end. In this way, words are produced which other biologists can understand, and
which otherwise might take one or more whole sentences to express.
The root cyto is a good example. It is a Greek word meaning hollow vessel. In Biology, cyto always
means cell. Cells are units of which living things are made. They may be thought of as any hollow
vessels containing various mixtures of the substances found in living things.
A suffix found in many English words is logy, meaning the study of. Cytology is the study of cells. A
biologist who specializes in this subject is a cytologist. Genesis means beginning. Cytogenesis means
the formation of new cells. Many biology terms contain the root chrome, which means colour.
Cytochromes are pigments found in various kinds of cells.
To help you begin to memorize some of these Latin and Greek root words, do the following activities.
1. Think of some words you use that contain the following Greek or Latin root words.
ROOT WORD
MEANING
YOUR EXAMPLE(S)
Derm
Skin
Bio
Life
Cephalo
Head
Astro
Star, space
Echino
Spiny, prickly
Phyta, Phyto
Plant
Poda
Foot
A
Arthro
Pyrro
Tracheo
Ptera
Zoo, Zoa
Opposite, not
Joint
Fire
Tube
Wing
animal
2. Use the table of root words to match the mostly make- believe terms on the left with their
English meanings on the right.
Dicephalosis is superior to monocephalosis
Gymnopodosis
Erytrocephalis
Pastautocardosis
Rhinorrhea
after his own heart
barefootedness
red head
runny nose
two heads are better than one
Lundkvist
Biology 11
3. Translate these make-believe words into commonly used English phrases. At least one part of
each word is not described in the root list. Look up the meaning of missing parts (if you need
to) in a good dictionary.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Word
Cervicalgia
Ciopthalmia
Evolvoneophyll
Macromallupus
Meaning
4. Your task is to analyze each of the following words. Separate each word into its parts, looking
up and recording the meaning of each part. Then record the meaning of the combined term.
Term
Heterotrophic
Ectothermic
Autotrophic
Metamorphosis
Epidermis
Pathogen
Pseudopod
Pyrrophyta
Meaning
5. The names at various levels of classification are often made up of Greek or Latin roots. Follow
the same procedures as above with these terms.
Names
Tracheophyta
Orthoptera
Arthropoda
Echinodermata
Hemiptera
Osteichtyes
Chondrichtyes
Homoptera
Cephalopoda
Meaning