Name: _______________________________
BIOLOGY ETYMOLOGY
The following Etymology [L. “words, word origins”, “study of ...”] list is designed to help you understand the
origin and use of most common biological terms. Since most biological terms have their origin in Greek or
Latin, a thorough study of these prefixes and suffixes will allow you to master the biological “language” as well
as allow you to figure out the meaning of words/terms which you have not formally learned. This will be of
help on all standardized tests: FCAT, SAT, ACT, and Biology Honors. Most biological terms have the following
singular and plural endings. Start memorizing!!
Singular
-um
-us
-a
-is
Plural
-a
-i
-ae
-es
Example
flagellum/flagella
octopus/occtopi
antenna/antennae
testis/testes
*Note: word parts indicated below with an asterisk (*) are extremely common in biology. Some prefixes may
be used as suffixes and visa versa.
Prefix/Suffix
Definition
1. a-, annot, without
2. abaway from
3. acroapex, tip, point
acrobat
4. adtoward, near
5. aeraerobic
6. alloother
7. ambi-, amphitwo, both, on both sides
8. amylstarch
9. anaupward, back, again
from,
as seen in malignant tumors
10. androman, male
11. angioenclosed, covering
12. anthropohuman, mankind
13. antebefore
14. antiagainst
15. anthroflower
16. arch-, archiprimitive, ancient
Archaeopteryx
17. arthrojoint
18. ascosac, bag
produced in a sac)
19. autoself
20. audioear, hearing
21. bitwo
Example(s)
asexual, acellular, anesthesia
abnormal (departing from normally)
acrosome, acrophobia, acromegaly,
adrenal (toward the kidneys)
with oxygen
allele, allopatric = other place
amphibian, amphitheater, ambidextrous
amylase (starch enzyme)
anaplasia (cell reverting to an immature
android, androgen = male sex hormone
angiosperm, sporangium
anthropology, anthropomorphic
antenatal (before birth)
antigen-antibody reaction
anthrophyta (flowering plants division)
archaeology, archenteron,
arthropod, arthritis, arthroscopic
ascomycete (fungi whose spores are
autotroph, autoimmune, autologous
auditory, audio-visual
biennial (2 yr life span plant)
22. blastsprout, growth
23. *biolife, living
24. Brachiaupper arm, forelimb
25. Bradyslow
26. Bronchiwindpipe
27. Bryomosses
28. carn-, carnimeat, flesh
29. cent-, centihundred, hundredth
30. *cephalohead, brain
31. *chlorogreen
32. chondrocartilage, flexible
hypochondriac *chrom-, chromacolor
chromatography
33. -cide
kill, death
34. circa-, circumabout, around
35. co-, com-, conwith, together
36. contra-, counteragainst, opposite
37. ***cyt-, cyto-, -cyte
cell
(blast!), blastula, triploblastic
biology [bios + logos], biosphere
Brachium (are-like part of an animal)
bradycardia (slow heart beat)
bronchioles (small tubes in the lungs)
bryophyte (mosses)
carnivore (vs. her- & omnivore)
centimeter, century, centipede
encephalitis, cephalization
chlorophyll, chloroplast
chrondrocyte, Chondrichthyes,
chromatin, chromosome,
38. de39. dent-, dont40. *-derm
41. echino42. *ecto43. emia44. *endo45. entero46. epi47. erythro48. *eu49. *ex-, exo-, extra
50. ***fer-, pher-, -phore
51. *gastro(embryo)
52. gamet-, gameto53. **gen54. glyc-, glyco55. gono56. **gram-, -graph
electrocardiogram
57. gymno58. *gyn59. *hemo60. heteroheterogeneous
not, away from, without
tooth, teeth
skin, covering, lining
spiny, prickly
outside of
blood
within, inside of
intestine, alimentary
upon, outer
red
true, accurate
outside
to carry, bear
stomach, belly
deactivate, denaturation
dentology, dentist, orthodontist
epidermis, hypodermic, dermatitis
echinoderm, Phylum Echinodermata
ectoderm, ectothermic
leukemia, anemia, hypercholesterolemia
endodermis, endometrium
enterology, gastroenterology
epidermis, epidemic
erythrocyte, lupus erythematosus
eukaryote= true nucleus, eucoelomate
extracellular, exogenous
conifer, pheromone, sporangiophore
gastritis, gastrovascular, gastrula
sex cell
birth, creation of
sugar, carbohydrate
reproductive
write, written
gamete, gametophyte, microgamete
genetic, gene, fibrinogen
glycogen, glycolysis, hypoglycemia
gonad, gonopore, archegonium
graph, chromatography,
naked
female, woman
blood
other, different
gymnosperms (“naked seeds”)
gynecology, gynoecium
hemoglobin, hemolysis
heterosexual, heterozygote,
insecticide, fungicide, suicide
circadian rhythm (cycle about a day)
cooperate, conjugation, commensalism
contraception, countercurrent
cytology, cytoplasm, erthrocyte
61. hepat[Gk.“Hermes”
62. herp63. hom64. homo65. histo66. hydro67. *hyper68. *hypo69. ich-, ichthy70. *inter71. *intra72. herb73. ir74. *iso75. -itis
76. lact77. leuc-, leuk78. lumin79. **lys-, lyt-, -lysis
80. macro-/micro81. mal82. mari-, mar83. *mer-. -mere
84. meso85. meta86. -meter
87. milli88. *morph89. mort90. *myo91. *myc-, myco92. muta93. neo94. nephro95. *neur-, neuro96. noct97. nom98. -oid
99. -ology, -ologist
100.
*-ole
101.
omniomniscient
102.
-oma
liver
hepatitis, hepatic hermaphrodite
i. “Aphrodite”] both sex organs in body
reptile
herpetology, herpatarium
man, humankind
hominid, Homo sapiens
one, same
homogeneous, homosexual, homozygous
tissue
histology, histocompatability
water
hydrology, hydrolysis, hydrotropism
above, high
hypertension, hypercholesterolemia
below, under, low
hypodermic, hypothalamus
fish
ichthyology, Osteichthyes
between
intercellular, interneuron
within, inside of
intracellular, intravenous, intron
plant (non-woody)
herbivore, herbaceous, herbarium
not
irreversible
same
isogamete, isotonic
inflammation, irritation
appendicitis, arthritis
milk
lactation, lactose, lactase
white
leukemia, leukocyte
light
bioluminescent
to split
hydrolysis, hemolytic, lysogeny
big/small
macronucleus, micronucleus
bad
malignant, malaria, osteomalacia
sea, ocean
marine, marina
unit, part
monomer, polymer, sarcomere
middle
mesoderm, mesothorax, mesophyll
many, several
metazoa, metamere, metamorphosis
to measure
thermometer, hydrometer, photometer
thousand, thousandth
millimeter, millipede
form, shape
morphology, metamorphosis
death
mortician, rigor mortis, mortgage
muscle
myocardial, myoglobin
fungus, mold
Basidiomycota, streptomycin, mycology
alter, change
mutant, mutagen, mutation
new, modern
neobiologist, Neolithic period
kidney
nephron, nephrology
nerve
neurology, neuron
night
nocturnal, Noctiluca
name, law, order
taxonomy, nomenclature, autonomic
like, similar to
ameboid, rhizoid, android
study of...
biology, zoology, physiologist
tiny, small part of
bronchiole, arteriole, cystole
all
omnipresent, omnivorous,
tumor, swelling
carcinoma, glaucoma, sarcoma
103.
-opia, -opic, -opt
optometrist
104.
ornitho105.
orthoOrthoptera
106.
-osis
mitosis
107.
-osteo
osteoporosis
108.
-ot, -oto, -otic
109.
-ous
humorous
110.
**ovi-, ovo111. para112.
path-, patho113.
pan114.
paleo115.
periperiscope
116.
*phag-, phagobacteriophage
117.
pheno118.
-phil, -philo
philodendron
119.
*phos-, photophototropism
120.
-phyll
121.
**-phyte, -phyta
hydrophyte
122.
-phobia
androphobia
123.
pisci124.
*-plasm
125.
platy126.
pneumo127.
poly128.
post129.
pre130.
*pro-, protoprotostome
131.
pseudo132.
psyche-, psycho“psyche”
133.
*ptera134.
pulmo-
vision, sight
optical, myopia, hyperopia,
birds
straight
ornithology, ornithine
orthopedic, orthodontic,
condition, process of...
nephrosis, metamorphosis,
bone
osteology, periosteum,
ear, hearing
full of...
otology, otorhinolaryngology
heterozygous, odoriferous,
egg, egg cell
oviduct, ovulation, oviparous
near, beside, similar to
parasite, paramedic, parathyroid gland
disease [Gk. “pathos” = suffering] pathology, pathogenic
all around, everywhere
pandemic, pancreas, panoramic
old, ancient
paleontology, paleolithic
around, surrounding
pericardium, periosteum,
to eat, engulf
phagocytosis, esophagus,
show, appearance
love, loving
phenotype
hemophilia, basophil,
light, brightness
photosynthesis, phosphorus,
leaf
plant
chlorophyll, mesophyll
tracheophyte, Chlorophyta,
fear of...
hydrophobia, acrophobia,
fish
form, shape
flat {“plat...flat”}
air, lungs, gas
many, much
after, behind
before, in front of
first, giving rise to
pisces, piscatorial
cytoplasm, plasmodesmata
platypus, Platyhelminthes
pneumonia, pneumatic pressure
polysaccharide, polymer
posterior, post mortem = autopsy
prenatal, prefix, pre-lab
protoplasm, prothrombin,
false, deceptive
mind (not brain)
pseudopod, pseudocoelom
psychology, psychiatrist,
wing, winged
lungs, breath
pterodactyl, Pterophyta = ferns
pulmonary
135.
-pus, -ped, -pod
136.
renal137.
rhod-, rhodo138.
sacchar139.
-saur
Tyrranosaurus
140.
schizoscience,
141.
-scient
pseudoscience
142.
-scler
143.
-scope
144.
**som-, soma145.
*sperm, spermatospermatogenesis
146.
-spire
147.
stoma-, -stome
deuterostome
148.
subsubstrate
149.
*super-, supra150.
*sym-, syn151.
tax152.
techno153.
therm-, thermo154.
thig-, thigmo155.
thrombthrombus
156.
thorac157.
*-tom
hysterectomy
158.
trachea-, tracheo159.
transtranslocate
160.
*trop-, -tropism, -tropic
phototropism
161.
*-troph, -trophic
eutrophication
162.
uni163.
uria-, urin164.
vacci165.
**vas-, vascvasectomy
166.
vita-, viva167.
-vor
foot
kidney
red
sugar
lizard, reptile
podiatrist, platypus, centipede
renal, adrenal, renin
Phodophyta, rhododendron
monosaccharide, polysaccharide
dinosaur, Brontosaurus,
split, cut
schizophrenic, schizocoelom
knowledge of...
omniscient, science vs.
hard, stiff
sight, vision
body
seed
sclera, sclerotic, arteriosclerosis
microscope, periscope, telescope
chromosome, somite, somatic cell
sperm, spermatozoan,
breath
opening, mouth
inspire, expiration
stomate, cyclostome,
under, below
subnormal, subcutaneous,
above, over
join, combine, together
order, arrangement
application, technique
heat
touch, contact
clot, lump
superior, supraspinatus
symbiosis, synthesis, sympetally
taxonomy, taxidermy, taxes
technology, technical
thermometer, thermal
thigmotropism, thigmatic
prothrombin, thrombin,
chest
to cut, slice
thorax, thoracic
appendectomy, microtome,
pipe, tube
across, through
trachea, tracheophyte
transparent, transduction,
response to stimulus
hydrotropism, geotropic,
feeding, nutrition
autotrophic, heterotrophic,
one, single
pertaining to urine
cow [history: E. Jenner/cowpox]
vessel, tube, pipes
univalve, unicellular
urinalysis, nocturia, uremia
vaccination
vascular, vas deferens,
alive, to live
to eat, devour
viviparous, vitamin
carnivore, herbivore, omnivore
168.
copy
169.
xero-, xeri-
dry, arid
xerophyte, xeriscape, xerox
zoo-, zoa-
animal
zoology, zoospore, zoo