The Language of Life Science
Life science words may seem difficult to understand at times. The following lists gives the meaning of
prefixes, suffixes and roots that are commonly used to form scientific terms. Whenever you find a new term
in your study of life science, break it apart into suffixes, prefixes, and roots. Try to find these parts in the
list below. Knowing what each part of a word means may help you remember what the entire word means.
Word Part
aabalbangioanthropoarthro-ate
-ation
audiautobibiobronchcalorcarb
cardicarncellcephalchlorchromcoelcytdermdidiadorsechinectenencephalepigastro
geneglottisgymnohepathetero-
Meaning
lacking: none
away from: out from
white
vessel
humans
jointed
used in forming verbs
from nouns
used in forming nouns
from verbs
hear
self
two, twice, double
life, living
windpipe
heat
carbon
heart
meat
storeroom, chamber
head
green
color
hollow
cell
skin
two, double
through, across
back
spiny, prickly
outside
in
brain
on; above
stomach
origin; birth
mouth of windpipe
naked
liver
different
Word Part
hiberhomohydrhypohyperintra-ism
-itis
leuc-logy
macromicromonomultinonoculodontolfomniopthalovphagphoto-phyll
plasmpneumo-pod
prepseudoscope
spermthermtranstritropventrzo-
Meaning
winter
same; alike
water
beneath; under; less
above, over
inside
a state or condition
inflammation; disease
white
study
large
small
single
many
not
eye
tooth
smell
all
eye
egg
eat
light
leaf
form
lungs
foot
before, ahead of time
fake, false
look; observe
seed
heat
across
three
turning
belly
animal