Prefixes, Suffixes, and Stems
The following list gives the meaning of prefixes, suffixes, and stems that are commonly used to form scientific
terms. 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. As an example you might take the
word nephrology. The stem nephro- is derived from the Greek word nephros, meaning kidney, while the stem logis 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. Or, when you ran across such words as bacteriology and zoology,
you would probably have a good idea of what they mean. After some practice, you will be surprised how many
new words you can define without looking them up. It has often been necessary to add a vowel to combining
forms for 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
Latin because neither of these languages is in use now. Thus, they are unchanging, and they are studied
universally.
QUIZ 1:
a-, anabac-aceus, -aceous
acousacr-, acroadadenoagri-al
alb-algia
altoamebamphibiampho-, ambananaandroanemoangioanteanteroanthroantianthropoapapo-
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
from, away from
aquarchaeoarthroaster-, astr-ate
-ation
atomaudiautoQUIZ 2:
bactrbarbbarobathbenebibio-, bi-blast
brachibradybranchibrevbronchcalorcarbcardiocarn-
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
life, living
sprout, germ
having arms
slow
having fins
short
windpipe
heat
coal, carbon
heat
meat
carpcarpalcaudcell-cene
centicentrcephal-, cephalocervicchem.chlorchrom-, chrome
chym-cide
circum-, circacirru-cle
cococccoelcollcomconconicontracorpcosmoQUIZ 3:
cotylcountercrypt-cule, -culus
cucmulcuticyan-cycle, cycicystcyt-, -cyte, cytodactyldecadecideliquescdemidendrdent-
fruit
wrist
tail
storeroom, chamber
new, recent
hundredth
center
head
neck
referring to chemistry
green
color
juice
killing
around, about
hairlike curls
small
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
skin
dark blue
ring, circle
bladder, pouch
cell, receptacle, hollow
finger
ten
tenth
become fluid
half
tree
tooth
dermdidiadigit
dindisdormdorsdu-, duo
-duct
dura
dynamdysecechinecoEctelectroQUIZ 4:
-ella, -elle
en-en
encephalend-, entendon-, endoenterentomon
-eous
epi-err
erythroethnoeuexexoextra-fer
ferrofibr-fid, fis-flect, -flex
florflourfolifractgalact-, galax-
skin
two, double
through, across
finger, toe
terrible
apart, out
sleep
back
two
lead
hard
power
ill, bad
out of, outside
spiny, prickly
house
outside, without
electric, electricity
small
in, into
made of
brain
within, in
in, internal
intestines
insect
nature of, like
on, above
wander, go astray
red
race, people
well, good
out of
outer, external
beyond, outside of
bear, carry, produce
iron
fiber, thread
divided into, split
bend
flower
fluorine
leaf
break
milk, milky fluid
gam, gamo
gastrogeo-gen, -gine
-gene, genegenesis, genic
genos, gen, geny
-gest
globglottis
-gon
-gony
QUIZ 5:
-grade
-gram
-graphy, -graph
gravgross
gymnogyngyrhaem-, hemhepatherbheterohexhibernhipphistholohomohomos, homeos
horthybrid
hydrhygrhypohyperhyphohypnoQUIZ 6:
-ic
ichthyign-
marriage, sexual
stomach
land, earth
producer, former
origin
origin, birth, producing
race, kind
carry, produce
ball, round
mouth of windpipe
angle, corner
offspring, generation,
coming into being
step, division
writing, record
writing, record
heavy
thick, large
naked
female
ring, circle, spiral
blood
liver
grass
different, other
six
winter
horse
tissue
entire, whole
man
same, alike
garden
mongrel
water
wet, moist
beneath, under, less
above, beyond, over
weaving
sleep
added o nouns to form
adjectives
fish
fire
imin-ine
infrointerintraintro-ion
-ism
iso-itis
kilolachrylactlat-less
leuc-, leukos
lignlinguliqulip-, lipos
lith-, -lite
loclogos, -logy
-lysis, -lyte, -lyst, lys
QUIZ 7:
macrmalmallemammmargmastmedmegmela-, melanmesmet-, metameteor-meter, -metry
metro
micro-, mikros
not
to, toward, into
of or pertaining to
below, beneath
between
within, inside
into, within
go, come
a state or doncition
equal, same
inflammation, disease
thousand
tear
milk
side, flank
without
white, bright, light
wood
line
become fluid, liquid
fat
stone, petrifying
place
study
dissolve, decompose,
destroy
large
bad, evil
hammer
breast
border, edge
breast
middle
great, million
black, dark
middle, half,
intermediate
between, along, after,
change
lofty, high, in air
way of measuring,
instrument for
measuring
uterus
small
millimismitomolemonomontmortmov-, -mot
morphmultimycelmycetmyomyriadmollnarronasnematneonephro-nerneur-, nervnoct-, nox-node
-nomy, -nome
nonnotonucQUIZ 8:
oboculoctodont-oid
-ole
olfOmniooophthalopt-, -opsy
orborthoscuoste-, os-ous
ov-, ovi-
thousandth
wrong, incorrect
thread, filament
mass
one, single
mountain
death
move
shape, form
many
threadlike
fungus
muscle
many
soft
stupor
nose
thread
new, recent
kidney
moist, liquid
nerve, tendon
night
knot
distribute, arrange, law
not
back
center
against
eye, vision
eight
tooth
like in form or shape
small
smell
all
egg
eye, vision
eye, vision
circle, round, ring
straight, correct, right
mouth
bone
full of, abounding in
egg
oxypachypaleopalmpanpar-, parapath-, -pathy
-ped
pedipentperperipermeaQuiz 9:
phagphenophilphon-, -phone
-phore
photophyc-phyll
physi-phte, phytplanplasm-, -plast
pleurpneumo-pod, pes-, pedispolyporportpostpompreproproctoprotopseudopterpulmopulspyrQuiz 10:
quadr-
sharp, acid, oxygen
thick
old, ancient
broad, flat
all
beside, near, equal,
bring forth
disease, suffering
foot
beginning, child
five
throughout
around
pass, go
eat
show
living, fond of
sound
bearer
light
seaweed, algae
leaf
nature, natural qualities
plant
roaming, wandering
form, formed into
rib, lung
lungs, air
foot
many, several
openings
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
four, four-fold
quinradirerectrenretrhinrhizrubrsaccharosapiens, sapere
saprsaurscler-, skleros
sciscope
-scribe, script
semiseptseptic
sex-sis
solsolvsomasomnsonQuiz 11:
spec-, spicspermspher-spire
spore
statstellsternstom-, -stome
stratstereostrictstylsub-, supsupersuprasur-
five
ray, spoke of a wheel,
energy in rays
again, back
correct, right
kidney
net, made like a net
nose
root
red
sugar
knowing, wise
rotten
lizard
hard
know
look, observe
write
half, partly
partition, seven
putrefaction, infection
six
condition, state
sun
loosen, free
body
sleep
sound
look at
seed
ball
breathe
seed
standing, placed
stars
breast, chest
mouth
layer
solid, three dimensions
drawn tight
pillar
under, below
over, above, on top
above, upon
over, above, on top
sym-, syntachytarsotaxteleterrtetrQuiz 12:
thall
thermthesis
-tom
toxicotoptranstritrichtrophtrop-ula
ultra
uni, unus
urvasvectven-, ventventrvicevigvit-, vivvolvvorxanthinxeros
zo-, -zoa, -zoon
zygzym-
together
quick, swift
ankle
arrangement
far off, at a distance
earth
four
young shoot
heat, fire
put, lay down
cut, slice
poison
place
across
three
hair
one who feeds, well fed
turning, changing
diminutive
beyond
one
urine
vessel
carry
come
belly
in place of
strong
life
roll, wander
devour, eat
yellow
dry
animal
yolk
yeast