Name
Class
Date
Sharpen Your Skills: Making inferences
Chapter 1
What's the Word?
Use the following chart of common science prefixes and suffixes to determine the
meaning of each of the words listed below. When you have finished, check a dictionary to
be sure that your definitions are correct.
Meaning
Meaning
Meaning
Prefix
against
joint, jointed
herb-
pertaining to plants
-cyst
arth-
hetero-
different
-derm
auto-
self
homeo-
same
-gem
bio-
related to life
macro-
large.
-itis
inflammation
small
-logy
study
consisting of many units
-meter
measurement
condition, disease
stage
Prefix
anti-
chloro-
green
micro-
cyto-
cell
multi-
•
Suffix
pouch
skin, layer
producing
di-
double
osteo-
bone
-osis
epi-
above
pertaining to light
forming substance
stomach
photoplasmproto-
first
-phase
-phage
-pod
foot
blood
syn-
together
-stasis
stationary condition
outer, external
"gastrohemo-
eater
1. biology.
2. gastropod —
3. hemostasis_
4. homeostasis
5. photometer.
6. exostosis —
7. exoskeleton.
8. epidermis —
9. cytology
<y
36
Life Science
©1988 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Name:
The Language of Science
The main reason students find it difficult to understand science is because of all the hard to write,
spell and read words. Actually, scientific vocabulary is a hodge podge oflittle words that are linked
together to have different meanings. If you leam the meanings of the little words, you'll find scientific
vocabulary much easier to understand. Use this list toguess the meaning ofeach of the terms.
Meaning
Woid
Word
Meaning
a or an
notornon
hemo
blood
meso
middle
hyper
above
inner, inside
hypo
below
, endo
• needing oxygen or air
aero
. intra
1
against
itis
disease, inflammation
amphi
both, doubly
lateral
side
aqua
water
logy
study of
arthro
joint
lys
iff
auto
self
\
meter
bi
two, twee, double
;
mono
bio
life, riving
j
: morph
came
flesh
!
micro
1 cephal
head
;
i
1
i
j one, single
form
|
small
large
macro
.. _.i
1multf
chromo
color
j
jpod
tide
toiler, fan, kBfing
j
| P^ge -
I
cell
!
1phobia
j dislike, fear
i
cyto
1
.....
..
..
.„i
•
1 derm
skin
!
fphiBa
;
outer, external
i ecto (exo)
i
! many
J
i
j
foot
_j
to eat
i
'
;
like
| plasm
I form
|proto
1first
two, double
di
!
1
measurement
;
!
i
j break down
| green
i chlono
j
:
i
!
•
internal
endo
'
fight
1
1
i epi
}po"y_
above
i
i gastro
genesis
stomach
'• origin, beginning
harba
plants
hetero
different
__|_
;
synthesis
1to make
i
i
sub
| lesser, below
troph
j eat, consume
| therm
t
j
i
•
i
.
many
i
i
i
......
anii
f
i
within, inside
I heat
•
: homo
alike, similar
:
vore
j swallow, devour
i hydro
water
;
zoo, zoa
1 animal
Name:
Date:
Biology
Hydrology
Cytology
Protozoa
"
Epidermis
Spermatogenesis
Cytoskeleton
Abiotic
Dermatitis
Hypodermic
Hemophilia
Endocytosis
Insecticide
Anaerobic
Bilateral
Endotherm
Subspecies
Arthropod
Micrometer
Hypothermia
Polymorph
Photosynthesis
Amphibios
HeterotrOph
Encephalitis
Monochrome
Autolysis
Herbivore
Homology
Macrophage
Carnivore