Scientific Prefixes, Suffixes, and Stems
The following list gives the meaning of prefixes, suffixes, and stems that are commonly used to form
scientific words. Whenever you encounter a new term in your study of biology, break it apart and try to
find the parts in this list. Such a habit will greatly simplify your mastery of biological vocabulary. After
some practice, you will be surprised how many new words you can define without looking them up!
Most scientific terms are derived from either the ancient Greek or Latin because neither of these
languages is in use now so that they are unchanging, and are also studied universally.
a-; anabac-aceus; -aceous
acouacr-; acroadadenoagri-al
alb-algia
altoamebamphibiamphi-; ampho-; ambananaandroanemoangioanteanteroanthoantianthropoap-; apoaquarchaeoarthro-ase
aster-; astr-ate
-ation
cirru-
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; around
not; without
up
masculine; man
wind
vessel
before; ahead of time
front
flower
against
man
away; off; apart
water
primitive; ancient
joint
enzyme
stars
used in forming verbs
from nouns
used in forming nouns
from verbs
hair; tuft; curl
atomaudiautobactrbarbbarobathbenebibio-; bi-blast
brachibranchibrevbronchcalorcarbcardicarncarpcarpalcaudcell-cene
centicephalcervicchemchlorchondrchrom-; -chrome
chym-cide
vapor
hear
self
stick; club
beard
weight
depth; height
well; good
two; twice; double
life; living
sprout; germ
having arms
having fins
short
windpipe
heat
coal; carbon
heart
meat
fruit
wrist
tail
storeroom; chamber
new; recent
hundred; hundredth
head
neck
referring to chemistry
green
cartilage
color
juice
killing
circum-
around; about
ect-
outside; without
cococccoelcollcomconconicontracorncorpcosmocotylcountercrypt-cule; -culus
electroen-en
enchephalend-; ententer-eous
epi-err
erythroethnoeuextraex-fer
electric; electricity
in; into
made of
brain
within; in
intestines
nature of; like
on; above
wander; go astray
red
race; people
well; good
beyond; outside of
out of
bear; carry; produce
cumulcuticyan-cycle; cyclicystcyt-; -cyte
dactyldecadecideliquescdemidendrdent-; dontdermdidiadigit
din-
with; together
seed
cavity; hollow
glue
with; together
with; together
cone
against
horn; hornlike
body
world; order; form
cup; hollow
against
hidden; covered
added to nouns to form
diminutive
heaped
skin
dark blue
ring; circle
bladder; pouch
cell; receptacle
finger; 3-jointed
ten
tenth
become fluid
half
tree
tooth
skin
two; double
through; across
finger; toe
terrible
ferrofibr-fid; fis-flect; -flex
florfluorfolifractgalact-; galaxgastrogeo-gen; -gine
-gene; gene-gest
globglottis
-gon
-gony
disdormdorsdu-; duo
-duct
dynamdysecechineco-
apart; out
sleep
back
two
lead
power
ill; bad
out of; outside
spiny; prickly
house
-grade
-gram
-graph; -graphy
gravgross
gymnogyngyrhaem-; hemhepat-
iron
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
hibernhipp-
winter
horse
liqulip-
become fluid; liquid
fat
herbheterohexhistholohomohomohorthybrid
hydrhygrhypohyperhypho-
grass
different; other
six
tissue
whole; entire
same; alike
man
garden
mongrel
water
wet; moist
beneath; under; less
above; beyond; over
weaving
lith-; -lite
loc-logy
-lysis; -lyte; -lyst
macrmalmallemammmargmastmedmegmela-; melanmes-
hypno-ic
met-; metameteor-
ichthy-
sleep
added to nouns to form
adjectives
fish
igniminin-ine
infrointerintra-ion
-ism
iso-itis
karyokilolachrylactlangulat-less
leuc-; leuklignlinlingunoct-; nox-node
-nomy; -nome
non-
fire
not
not
to; toward; into
of or pertaining to
below; beneath
between
within; inside
go; come
a state or condition
same; equal
inflammation; disease
nucleus; kernal
thousand
tear
milk
tongue
side; flank
without
white; bright; light
wood
line
tongue
night
knot
name
not
metromicromillimismitomolemonomontmortmob-; mov-; mot-; -mot
morphmultimycelmycmyriamollnasnematneonephro-nerneur-; nerv-
way of measuring;
instrument for
measuring
uterus
small
thousandth
wrong; incorrect
thread; filament
mass
one; single
mountain
death
move
shape
many
threadlike
fungus
many
soft
nose
thread
neo-; recent
kidney
moist; liquid
nerve; tendon
phenophilphon-; -phone
-phore; pher-
show
loving; fond of
sound
bearer; carry
-meter; -metry
stone; petrifying
place
study
break; dissolve; loosen
large
bad; evil
hammer
breast
border; edge
breast
middle
great; million
black; dark
middle; half;
intermediate
between; along; after
lofty; high; in air
nucoboculoctodont-oid
olf-oma
omnioncooophthalmopt-; opsy
orb-orium; -ory
ornithorthoscu-ose
-osis
osteoto-ous
ovoxypachypaleopalmpanpar-; parapath-; -pathy
-ped
ped-; paedpentperperipermeaphagrhag-; -rrhage
rhe-; -rrhea
rhinrhizrhodoroto-
center
against
eye
eight
tooth
like in form or shape
smell
abnormal condition;
tumor
all
mass; tumor
egg
eye
eye; vision
circle; round; ring
place for something
bird
straight; correct; right
mouth
sugar
abnormal condition
bone
ear
full of; abounding in
photo-phren
phyophyl-phyll
physi-phyte; phytpino-
light
mind; diaphragm
seaweed; algae
related group
leaf
nature; natural qualities
plant
drink
pinniplanplasm-; -plast
platypleurpneumo-pod
polyporportpostpompreprimpro-
egg
sharp; acid; oxygen
thick
old; ancient
broad; flat
all
beside; near; equal;
bring forth
disease; suffering
foot
child
five
through
around; surrounding;
enclosing; near
pass; go
eat
burst forth
flow
nose
root
rose
wheel
proctoprotopseudpsychpterpulmopuls-
feather
roaming; wandering
form; formed into
flat
rib; lung
lungs; air
foot
many; several
opening
carry
after; behind
fruit
before; ahead of time
first
forward; favoring;
before
rectum; anus
first; primary
false; deceptive
mind
feather; wings; fins
lung
drive; push
pyrquadrquinradirerect-
heat; fire
four; four-fold
five
ray
again; back
right; correct
renretsupersursym-; syntachytarsotax-
kidney
net; made like a net
over; above; on top
over; above; on top
together
quick; swift
ankle
arrangement
rubrsaccharosaprsaursclersciscope
-scribe; script
semiseptseptic
sex-sis
solsolv-some; somasomnsonspec-; spicspermspher-spire
spore
statstom-; -stome
stratstereostrictstylsub-
red
sugar
rotten
lizard
hard
know
look; observe
write
half; partly
seven; partition
putrefaction; infection
six
condition; state
sun
loosen; free
body
sleep
sound
look at
seed
ball
breathe
seed
standing; placed
mouth
layer
solid; three dimensions
drawn tight
pillar
below; under
teletempterrtetrthall
therm-tom
toxicotoptranstritrichtrophtrop-ule
ultraurvasvectven-; ventventrvicevigvit-; vivvolvvorxanthinzo-; -zoa
zygzym-
far off; at a distance
time
earth
four
young; shoot
heat
cut; slice
poison
place
across
three
hair
one who feeds; well fed
turning; changing
diminutive
beyond
urine
vessel
carry
come
belly
in place of
strong
life
roll; wander
devour; eat
yellow
animal
yolk
yeast