Root Words: Aids in Understanding Scientific Terms
Many science terms contain root words that have their origin in Greek or Latin.
Knowing the meaning of these root words helps with analyzing new terms to understand and to remember them. Here are some root words commonly used in the sciences.
1. aero- air
2. agri- field
3. alt- high
4. ang- bend
5. angi- vessel
6. anthr- human
7. aqua- water
8. aud- hear
9. archae- ancient
10. arthr- joint
11. astr- star
12. aux- grow
13. bar- weight
14. bio- life
15. blast- a formative cell
16. brachi- arm
17. bry- grow
18. cal- hot
19. cand- glow
20. cardi- heart
21. cephal- head
22. cerebr- brain

23. cervix- neck
24. chlor- green
25. chrom- color
26. chron- time
27. cide - kill
28. cise- cut
29. cili- small hair
30. cline- lean
31. con- together
32. corp- body
33. cran- skull
34. cosmo- universe
35. crat- rule
36. cycl- circle
37. cyt- cell
38. decid- to fall off
39. dent- tooth
40. derm- skin
41. dont- tooth
42. ecol- house
43. evol- to unroll
44. fil- a thread
45. frac- break
46. fric- rub
47. gastr- stomach

48. gen- birth
49. geo- earth
50. grad- step
51. gram- written/letter
52. graph- write
53. gyn- women
54. gymn- naked
55. hab- hold
56. hem- blood
57. hepat- liver
58. hetero- different
59. hist- a. tissue
60. hom- man
61. hydr- water
62. imag- likeness
63. integ- whole
64. ject- throw
65. lab- work
66. lat- side
67. leuk- white
68. luc- light
69. lum- light
70. luna- moon
71. lust- shine
72. mar- sea

73. max- greatest
74. menin- membrane
75. miss- send
76. morph- shape
77. mut- change
78. myo- muscle
79. neur, nerv- nerve
80. ocu- eye
81. ost- bone
82. paleo- old
83. path- disease
84. ped, pod- foot
85. phloe- bark
86. photo- light
87. phys- nature
88. plankt- wandering
89. put- think
90. rad- ray
91. rect- straight
92. rhiz- root
93. san- health
94. scend- climb
95. sci- know
96. sect- cut
97. sens- feel

98. serv- save
99. som- body
100. son- sound
101. stell- star
102. sum- highest
103. ten- stretch
104. terr- land
105. tort- twist
106. trib- give
107. tropi- turn
108. vac- empty
109. ver- truth
110. void- empty
111. volv- roll
112. vor- eat
113. xanth- yellow
114. xyl- wood
115. zoo- animal