Combining Forms
PREFIX
a, an
able
aer(o)
ameb
amphi
amyl, amylo
ana
anti
archae
ase
aur
auto
baciil, bacilli
bio
cata
chrome
-cide
co, corn, con
cyt, cyto, cyte
desulfo, desulfuro
di, diplo
dia
emia
endo
enter, entero
epi
erythro
eu
exo, extra
geno, genesis
glyc, glyco
halo
hem(a,o), hemato
hepat, hepato
heter(o)
holo
hom, homo
hydro
hyp, hypo
hyper
ia(sis)
immun
inter
intra, intro
-ism
iso
itis
kary, karyo
leuco, leuko
lip, lipo
MEANING
not, without lack of
capable of
air
change
around
starch
up
against
primitive
enzyme
gold
arising from self
small staff, rod
life
down
pigment
killing
together
cell
reducing sulfur compounds
two, double
across, completely
blood
within
intestine
upon on
red
well, good
outside
origin
sweet, sugar
salt, saltwater
blood
liver
different, other
complete
like, similar
wet, water
under, deficiency, below
excessive, above normal
abnormal or disease condition
resistance
between
into, within
condition or disease
same, equal
inflammation
nucleus, nuclear
white
relating to fats (lipids)
EXAMPLE
avirulent (lacking virulence)
viable (having the ability to live)
aerobic (uses air)
amoeboid (movement involving change)
amphitrichous (tuft of flagella)
amylase (enzyme that breaks down starch)
anabolism (building up)
antisepsis (against infection)
Archaea (primitivelike bacteria)
penicillinase (enzyme that breaks down penicillin)
Staphylococcus aureus (has gold colored colonies)
autotroph (selffeeders); autolysis
bacillus (rodshaped bacteria)
biomass (living matter)
catabolism (breaking down)
cytochrome
fungicide (kills fungus)
coenzyme
leukocytes (white blood cell)
Desulfovibrio (anaerobic sulfate reducers)
dimorphic (occurring in two forms)
diagnosis (complete knowledge)
viremia (viruses in the blood)
endogenous (growing in the host)
enteric bacteria (bacteria that live in the gut)
Staphylococcus epidermis (lives on the skin)
erythromycin (antibiotic that may cause a red rash)
euphoria
extracellular (outside cell)
pathogenesis (cause or origin of a disease)
glycolysis (break down of sugar)
halophile (salt loving microbes)
hemoglobin (protein found in red blood cells)
Hepatitis B virus (a virus that infects the liver)
heterotroph (eats other organisms)
holoenzyme
homologous; homozygous (same genes)
hydrophobic (nonpolar "water fearing" compounds)
hypotension (low blood pressure)
hypertonic (comparatively more salt))
anemia; giardiasis (disease caused by Giardia)
immune (resistant to a disease)
intercellular intercostal (between ribs)
intracellular (within cells)
parasitism (disease due to a parasite)
isotonic (same solute concentrations)
dermatitis (inflammation of the skin)
karyogamy (fusion of nuclei)
leucocyte (white blood cell)
lipase (enzyme that degrades lipids)
lith, litho
lysis
macro
meso
meta
metry
micro
milli
mono
morph, morpho
multi
mycet, myco
mycin
nano
nitro
noso
olig, oligo
ose
osis
oxy, oxi
pan
path, patho
pathy
peri
phag(e), phago
phil(ic)
phobia, phobic
phore
photo
piokilo
pleo
poly
post
pre
pro, proto
pseudo
psychr(o)
pyo
retro
sacchar, saccharo
scope, scopy
semi
septic
stasis
sub
super
sym, syn
tax, taxi, taxo
therap
thi, thio
trans
trich, tricho
tropho, trophic
-tropic
stone, mineral
breaking up, dissolving
large
middle
beyond, after, change
measurement
small
one thousandth
one, single
form
many, much
fungus
substance from fungus
one billionth part of (109)
nitrous, producing nitrate
disease
few, deficiency
sugar
process or condition
oxygen
all, many
disease
denoting disease
about, around
eat
like, love, loving
fear
bearer of
light
varied
more, multiple
many, much
after, behind
before
before
false
cold
pus
backward
sugar
instrument for examining
half
putrefaction, infection
stop, inhibition of growth
under, below
above, excessive
with, together
arrangement
treat, cure
presence of sulfur
across, through
hair, filament
nourish
having an affinity for
lithotrophs (bacteria that oxidize inorganics)
hemolysis (rupturing red blood cells)
macroscopic (can see without a microscope)
mesophilic (optimum growth at mild temperatures)
metastasis (beyond original position)
symmetry
microorganism (organisms to small to be seen)
millimeter (1/1000th of a milliter)
monotrichous (one flagella)
morphology (scientific study of structures / form)
multinuclear
actinomyces (bacteria that resemble molds)
streptomycin (antibiotic from fungus like bacteria
manometer (1/1,000,000,000th of a meter)
Nitrobacter (oxidizes nitrites to nitrates)
nosocomial (disease acquired in hospitals / clinics)
oligosaccharide (chain of 3 9 monosaccharides)
lactose (a type of sugar)
leucocytosis (condition of too many leukocytes)
peroxidase (breaks down toxic form of oxygen)
pandemic (worldwide disease)
pathogen (causes a disease)
cytopathy
peritrichous (flagella around the whole cell)
bacteriophage
hydrophilic (water loving)
hydrophobia (fear of water)
conidiophore
photosynthesis (uses light energy to make food)
poikilocytosis
pleomorphic (has many shapes)
polysaccharide (contains many sugars)
postnatal postoperative (after operation)
prognosis (foreknowledge)precursor
prokaryotic (evolved before the nucleus)
pseudopod
psychrophile (optimum growth below 20C)
Streptococcus pyogenes (causes pus)
retrovirus (goes from RNA to DNA)
saccharophilic (sugar loving bacteria)
microscope (used to study microbes)
semiconscious (half conscious)
antiseptic (used to prevent infection)
bacteriostasis (prevent bacteria from growing)
submicroscopic (below resolution of microscope)
supernatant (situated above)
symbiosis (living together)
taxonomy (grouping organisms together)
chemotheraphy (use of chemicals to treat disease)
Thiobacillus (sulfuroxidizing bacteria)
transduction (pick of DNA across the membrane)
trichome
autotroph (self nourishing)
dermatotropic