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 you 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 log- is 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 dermine 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
probable 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 stomach.
Most scientific terms are derived from either ancient Greek or Latin because neither of these
languages are in use now, and therefore are unchanging. In addition, both of these languages are
studied universally.
Below is a list of stems, prefixes, and suffixes that will help you in your study of biology
vocabulary.
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Quiz 1
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a-, anno, none, not; lacking; without
acto; toward
acouhearing
adto; toward
albwhite
amebchange; alternation
ampho-; ambboth
andromasculine; man
antebefore; ahead of time
anthoflower
anthropoman
aquwater
arthrojoint
atomvapor
autoself
barbbeard
benewell; good
bio-; bilife, living
brachihaving arms
brevshort
abaway from; out of
-aceus; -aceous
of or pertaining to
acr-; acroextreme; peak
adenogland
-algia
pain
amphibileading a double life
anaup
angiovessel
anterofront
antiagainst
apto; toward
archaeoprimitive, ancient
aster-; astrstar
audihear
bactrstick; club
baroweight
bitwo; twice; double
-blast
sprout; germ
branchihaving fins
bronchwindpipe
calorheat
cardicarpalcaudcentrcervicchlorchrom-; -chrome
carbcarpcarncellcephalchem-
heart
wrist
tail
center
neck
green
color
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Quiz 1
Quiz 2
coal; carbon
fruit
meat
storeroom; chamber
head
referring to chemistry
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chym-cide
cocoelcomconicorpcounter-
juice
killing
with; together
hollow
with; together
cone
body
against
circumcirrucocccollconcontracosmo-cule; -culus
cucmulcyancystdactydemidentdidigitdisdors-duct
dysechinectenencephalenter-err
euex-
heaped
dark blue
pouch
finger
half
tooth
two; double
finger; toe
apart
back
lead
ill; bad
spiny; prickly
outside; without
in; into
brain
intestines
wander; go astray
well; good
out of
cuti-cycle;
cyt-; -cyte
around; about
hairlike circles
seed
glue
with; together
against
world;order;form
added to nouns to form
diminutive (tiny;small)
skin
ring; circle
cell; receptacle
dendrdermdiadindormdu-; duodynamececoelectro-en
end-; entepierythroextra-
tree
skin
through; across
terrible
sleep
two
power
out of; outside
house
electric; electricity
made of
within; in
on; above
red
beyond; outside of
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-fer
fibr-fid; fisflorfoli-
bear; carry; produce
fiber; thread
divided into; split
flower
leaf
Quiz 2
Quiz 3
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ferro-flect; -flex
fluorfract-
iron
bend
fluorine
break
gastro-gene; geneglottis
grade
-gram
gravgross
gynhaem-; hemherb-
stomach
origin
mouth of windpipe
step; division
writing; record
heavy
thick
female
blood
grass
holohomohydrhygrhyperhypnoignininter-ion
isokilolact-less
entire; whole
same; alike
water
wet; moist
above; beyond; over
sleep
fire
not
between
go; come
equal; same
thousand
milk
without
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-gen; -gine
-gest
-gony
producer; former
carry; produce
offspring; generation;
coming into being
-graphy; -graph
writing; record
gymnogyrhepatheterohisthomohybrid
Quiz 3
Quiz 4
-
naked
ring; circle; spiral
liver
different; other
tissue
man
mongrel
hypohypho-
beneath; under; less
weaving
iminfrointra-ism
-itis
lachrylatleuc-
not
below; beneath
within; inside
a state or condition
inflammation; disease
tear
side; flank
white; bright; light
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linlingutongue
liqulipfat
lith-; -lite
locplace
-logy
-lysis; -lyte;
macr-lyst
dissolve; decompose
malmallehammer
mammmargborder; edge
mastmedmiddle
megmela-;
mesmelanblack; dark
met-; metameter, -metry
way of measuring, instrument for measuring
metrouterus
micromiswrong; incorrect
mitomolemass
monomontmountain
mortmov-; -mot
move
morphmultimany
mycelmycetfungus
myriamollsoft
nasnematthread
nephronermoist; liquid
line
become fluid, liquid
stone; petrifying
study
large
bad; evil
breast
breast
great; million
middle; half; intermediate
between; along; after
small
thread; filament
one; single
death
shape; form
threadlike
many
nose
kidney
-
neur-; nerv-node
nonnucocul-oid
omni-
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opthalopt-;opsy
orthosteovpachypalmparpedperphagphil-phore
phyoplanpleur-pod
porpostproproctopseudpulsradirectretrhizsaccharosaur-
noct-; nox-nomy; -nome
notobodonttooth
olfsmell
ooegg
nerve; tendon
knot
not
center
eye
like in form or shape
all
Quiz 4
Quiz 5
eye
eye; vision
straight; correct; right
bone
egg
thick
broad; flat
beside; near; equal; bring forth
foot
through
eat
living; fond of
bearer
seaweed; algae
roaming; wandering
rib; lung
foot
opening
after; behind
forward; favoring
rectum; anus
false; deceptive
drive; push
ray; spoke of a wheel;
energy in rays
correct; right
net; made like a net
root
sugar
lizard
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sclerhard
scope
look; observe
septpartition; seven
-sis
condition; state
somnsleep
spec-; spiclook at
Quiz 5
Quiz 6
night
distribute; arrange; law
back
against
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orboscu-
circle; round; ring
mouth
oxypaleopanpath-; pathy-
sharp; acid; oxygen
old; ancient
all
disease; suffering
permeapass; go
phenoshow
phon-; -phone
sound
photolight
physinature; natural qualities
plasm-; -plast
form; formed into
pneumolungs; air
polymany; several
portcarry
prebefore; ahead of time
protopulmopyrrerenrhinrubrsapr-
first; primary
lung
heat; fire
again; back
kidney
nose
red
rotten
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sciknow
semihalf; partly
septic
putrefaction; infection
solvloosen; free
sonsound
spermseed
spherspore
ball
seed
stom-;-stome
stereostylsupersym-; syntarsotelethermtoxicotranstrophtropultravasven-; ventvicevit-; vivvorzo-; -zoa
zym-
mouth
solid; three dimensions
pillar
over; above; on top
together
ankle
far off; at a distance
heat
poison
across
one who feeds; well fed
turning; changing
beyond
vessel
come
in place of
life
devour; eat
animal
yeast
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-spire
statsternstratstrictsubsurtachytax-
breathe
standing; placed
breast; chest
layer
drawn tight
under; below
over; above; on top
quick; swift
arrangement
-tom
toptrich-
cut; slice
place
urvectventrvigvolvxanthinzyg-
Quiz 6
hair
urine
carry
belly
strong
roll; wander
yellow
yolk
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