Prefixes, Suffixes, and Stems The following list gives the meanings of prefixes, suffixes, and stems that are commonly used to form scientific terms. Whenever you encounter a new term in your study of biology or any science, break it apart and try to find the parts in this list. Such a habit will greatly simplify your mastery of scientific vocabulary. As an example, you might take the word nephrology. The stem nephro- is derived from the Greek word nephros, meaning kidney, while the stem log-is derived from the Greek word logos, meaning thought or study of. You might later encounter the word nephrolith, and you would then only have to determine the meaning of the suffix –lith, since you would already know the meaning of the first part of the word. After some practice, you will be surprised how many new words you can define without looking them up. You should also be aware that is has often been necessary to add a vowel when combining word parts for a more pleasing pronunciation. For example, bacteri- + logy becomes bacteriology. For the same reason it has been necessary at times to drop or change a vowel in a prefix, suffix, or stem. For example, gastro becomes gastric, the adjective pertaining to the stomach. Most scientific terms are derived from either the ancient Greek or the Latin because neither of these languages is currently in use and they are universally studied. Learning the meaning of the following word elements will help develop your biological vocabulary. Vocabulary Development Quizzes: The schedule of quiz dates will be given with this list. Dates are subject to change if necessary…pay attention to updates in class. Know meanings of all terms VERY well! You will be asked to decipher the meanings of new scientific terms that incorporate these word elements. Each quiz will focus on a particular portion of the list, but will also include word elements from previous quizzes…therefore, you will need to continuously review past material. Prefixes, Suffixes, and Stems a-, anabac-aceus; -aceous acouacr-; acroadadenoagri-al alb-algia altoamebamphibiampho-; ambananaandroanemoangioanteanteroanthoantianthropoapaquarchaeoarthroaster-; astr-ate -ation atomaudiautobactrbarbbarobathbenebi- no, lacking, none away from, out from to, toward of or pertaining to hearing extreme, peak to, toward gland field, soil having character of white pain high change, alternation leading a double life both not, without up masculine, man wind vessel before, ahead of time front flower against man to, toward water primitive, ancient joint stars used in forming verbs from nouns used in forming nouns from verbs vapor hear self stick, club beard weight depth, height well, good two, twice, double bio-; bi-blastbrachibranchibrevbronchcalorcarbcardicarncarpcarpalcaud- life, living sprout, germ having arms having fins short windpipe heat coal, carbon heart meat fruit wrist tail cell-cene centicentrcephalcervicchem.chlorchrom-, -chrome chym-cide circumcirrucococccoelcollcomconconicontracorpcosmocotylcountercrypt-cule, -culus storeroom, chamber new, recent hundredth center head neck referring to chemistry green color juice killing around, about harilike curls with, together seed hollow glue with, together with, together cone against body world, order, form cup against hidden, covered added to nouns to form diminutive heaped cucmul- cuticyan-cycle, cyclcystcyt-; -cyte dactyldecadecideliquescedemidendrdentdermdidiadigit dindisdormdorsdu-, duo -duct dynamdysecechineco- skin dark blue ring, circle bladder, pouch cell, receptacle finger ten tenth become fluid half tree tooth skin two, double through, across finger, toe terrible apart, out sleep back two lead power ill, bad, difficult out of, outside spiny, prickly house ectelectroen-en encephalend-, ententer-eous epi-err erythroethnoeuextraex-fer ferro- outside, without electric, electricity in, into made of brain within, in intestines nature of, like on, above wander, go astray red race, people true, well, good beyond, outside of out of bear, carry, produce iron fibr-fid, fis-flect, -flex florfluorfolifractgalact-, galax gastrogeo-gen, -gine -gene, gene-gest glob glottis -gon -gony -grade -gram -graphy, -graph gravgross gymnogyngyrhaem-, hemhepatherbheterohexhibern- fiber, thread divided into, split bend flower fluorine leaf break milk, milky fluid stomach land, earth producer, former origin carry, produce ball, round mouth of windpipe angle, corner offspring, generation, coming into being step, division writing, record writing, record heavy thick naked female ring, circle, spiral blood liver grass different, other six winter hipphistholohomohomohorthybrid hydrhygrhypohyperhypho- horse tissue entire, whole, complete man same, alike garden mongrel water wet, moist beneath, under, less above, beyond, over weaving hypno-ic ichthyigniminin-ine infrointerintra-ion -ism iso-itis kilolachrylactlat-less leuclignlinlinguliquliplith-, -lite loc-logy -lysis, -lyte -lyst macrmalmallemammmargmastmedmegmela-, melanmesmet-, metameteor- sleep added to nouns to form adjectives fish fire not to, toward, into not of or pertaining to below, beneath between within, inside go, come a state or condition equal, same inflammation, disease thousand tear milk side, flank without white, bright, light wood line tongue become fluid, liquid fat stone, petrifying place study dissolve, decompose large bad, evil hammer breast border, edge breast middle great, million black, dark middle, half, intermediate between, along, after lofty, high, in air -meter, -metry metro- instrument for measuring uterus micromillimismitomolemollmonomontmortmov-, -mot morphmultimycelmycetmyo myriadnasnematneonephro-nerneur-, nervnoct-, nox-node -nomy, -nome nonnotnucoboculoctodont-oid olfomniooopthalopt-, opsy orborthoscu- small thousandth wrong, incorrect thread, filament mass soft one, single mountain death move shape, form many threadlike fungus muscle many nose thread new, recent kidney moist, liquid nerve, tendon night knot distribute, arrange not back center against eye eight tooth like in form or shape smell all egg eye eye, vision circle, round, ring straight, correct, right mouth oste-ous ovoxypachypaleopalmpanparpath-, -pathy -ped pent- perpermeaphagphenophilphon-, -phone -phore photophyc-phyll physi-phyte, phyt planplasm-, -plast pleurpneumo-pod polyporportpostpompreproproctoprotopseudpterpulmopulspyr- bone full of, abounding in egg sharp, acid, oxygen thick ancient, old broad, flat all beside, near, equal, bring forth disease, suffering foot five through pass, go eat show loving, fond of sound bearer light seaweed, algae leaf nature, natural qualities plant roaming, wandering form, formed into rib, lung lungs, air foot many, several opening carry after, behind fruit before, ahead of time forward, favoring rectum, anus first, primary false, deceptive having wings or fins lung drive, push heat, fire quadrquinradirerectrenretrhinrhizrubrsaccharosaprsaursclersciscope -scribe, script semi- four, four-fold five ray, spoke of a wheel again, back correct, right kidney net, make like a net nose root red sugar rotten lizard hard know look, observe write half, partly septseptic sex-sis solsolvsomnsonspec, spicspermsphere-spire spore statstellsternstom-, -stome stratstereo- partition, seven putrefaction, infection six condition, state sun loosen, free sleep sound look at seed ball breath seed standing, placed stars breast, chest mouth layer solid, three dimensions drawn tight pillar under, below over, above, on top over, above, on top together quick, swift strictstylsubsupersursym-, syntachy- tarsotaxteleterrtetrthall therm-tom toxicotoptranstritrichtrophtrop-ule ultraurvasvectven-, ventventrvicevigvit-, vivvolvvorxanthinzo-, zoazygzym- ankle arrangement far off, at a distance earth four young shoot heat cut, slice poison place across three hair one who feeds turning, changing diminutive beyond urine vessel carry come belly in place of strong life roll, wander devour, eat yellow animal yolk yeast
