Washington Technology
Magnet School
Latin and Greek in
Biology
Biology
St. Paul Public Schools
1
The Goal

To increase vocabulary which will translate into
higher ACT and MCA ll scores

How:
– 10 words given
– 10 point quiz
– 3 major tests of vocabulary words
1) bio
“life”
biology, biologist, biosphere, biotechnology, biotic,
biography, bioluminescence, biodiversity, symbiosis
3
2) -ology

“the study of”
biology, geology,
dermatology, zoology
4
3) -ologist

“person who
studies”
biologist, geologist, zoologist
5
4) scien
“to know;
knowing”
science, scientist, scientific,
omniscient, conscience
6
5.)
Hypo-

To put under,
under or to
support

Hypothesis,
hypothetical,
hypotonic
6.)

Analy-
“A breaking up or
apart”
– analysis
7.) –graph
“writing (picture)”

photograph,
biography, polygraph,
graphite
8.)

centi-
Hundredth (0.01)
– Centimeter,
centipede,
centigram
9.)

Kilo-
thousand (1000)
• Kilometer, kilogram
10.)ism
“belief/ theory”
materialism, sexism, racism,
parasitism, mutualism,
commensalism, gradualism
12
Latin and Greek Quiz #1
1 - 5 Define the Latin term 6 - 10 Give the Latin term
ism 2. graph 3. bio 4. ology 5. ologist 6. to know; knowing 7. thousand 8. hundred 9. a breaking up or apart 10. to put under; or to support
1.
11.)geo
“earth or rock”
geology, geologist,
geotropism
14
12.)-sphere

“globe or ball”
spherical, biosphere,
atmosphere
15
13.)eco
“habitat; environment”
ecology, ecosystem, ECOLAB
16
14.)aqua
“water”
aquarium, aquatic,
aquatennial
17
15.)terra
“earth; land”
terrace, terrarium, terrestrial,
terra firma
18
16.) hydro
“water”

hydroelectric (dam),
hydrant, dehydrate,
hydrophobic,
hydrophilic,
hydrolysis,
hydroponics
17.) a-, an
“without”

abiotic, asexual,
acellular,
amorphous,
anaerobic
18.) –troph
“feeder, feeding”


autotroph,
heterotroph,
trophic
level,…trophy…
19.) zo“animal”
 zoo, zoology,
zoologist, protozoa

20.) -vore
“eating; to devour”

voracious,
carnivore,
herbivore,
omnivore
21.)inter
“between”
interview, intersection, interoffice
(memo), interphase, interdependent,
intervertebral
24
22.)intra
“within”
intravenous, intrauterine
device (IUD), intracellular
25
23.) noct*Night
*nocturnal
26
24.)sym-/syn 
“together/with”
symphony, sympathy,
symbiosis, synthetic,
synapse, synchronize
27
25.)therm-, -therm

“heat”
thermometer, ectotherm,
endotherm
28
26.) -osis

“process”


symbiosis, exocytosis, endocytosis,
osmosis
27.) co
“with or together”

cooperation, coworker, co-ed,
cohesion, codominant, coevolution
28.) herpe
“reptile, snake”

herpetology,
herpetologist
29.) icthy
“fish”

ichthyology,
icthyologist,
icthyoid
30.) ornitho
“bird”

ornithology,
ornithologist
31.) avi
“bird”

aviation, avian,
aviary, aviculture
32.) herba
“grass, herb, leafy
portion”

herbal, herbivore,
herbaceous,
herbicide
33.) carni
“flesh”

carnivore, carnal,
carnival
34.) omni
“many”

omnitheatre,
omnivore,
omnipotent
35.) amphi
“both; two kinds”

amphibian,
amphibious,
amphipod,
amphibolite
36..) auto
“self or itself”

autotroph,
automatic,
autograph,
autobiography
37.) photo
“light”

photograph,
photosynthesis,
phototropic
38.) synthesis

“make or
produce”

photosynthesis,
chemosynthesis
39.) chlor
“green”

chlorophyll, chloroplast
40.) –phyll

“leaf”

chlorophyll, microphyll
41.) taxi
“arrangement”

taxidermy,
taxonomy,
taxonomist
42.)non-, in-, un

“not”
nonliving,
nonverbal,
nonviolent,
nonpolar, inactive,
inefficient,
intangible,
unhealthy, unable
45
43) pro
“for or before”

prolife, prochoice, prokaryote
44.) phyl
“tribe or class
(grouping)”

phylum,
phylogeny,
phylogenetic tree
45.) nomen-, nomin
“name”

nominate,
misnomer,
nomenclature,
binomial
nomenclature
46.) onto

“being”
ontogeny, ontology,
ontological
 “Ontogeny capitulates
phylogeny.”
47.) viru
“slime, ooze
(poison)”

virus, virology,
virulent
48.) bac
“rod or stick”

bacteria, bacillus,
bacteriocide
49.) -cocc
“round”

streptococcus,
pneumococcus
50.) spire
“coil”

spiral, spirillum
51,) proto
“first”

prototype,
protoplasm,
protozoa
52.) pseudo
“false”

pseudonym,
pseudoscience,
pseudopod
53.) -ped(e)-, -pod“foot, leg”
 pedestrian, pedal,
pedicure,
expedition,
centipede,
millipede, bipedal,
podiatrist,
pseudopod,
gastropod

54.) -morph
“form, shape”

metamorphosis,
metamorphic,
amorphous,
polymorphic
55.) –flagel
“whip”

flagellum,
flagella,
zooflagellate
56.) cilia
“little hairs”

cilium, cilia,
ciliophoran
57) fung“mushroom,
toadstool”
 fungus, fungi, fungal,
fungicide

58.) myco
“fungus”


mycology,
mycologist,
mycobacterium
59.) rhizo
“root”

rhizome, rhizoid,
Rhizopus nigrans
(bread mold),
rhizopod
60. )
uni-

“one”

unicycle, unibrow,
uniform, unite,
unicellular
63