Biology Root Words Flashcards

Root Words in Biology

• Understanding root words can enhance comprehension of biological terms and concepts.
• Many biological terms are derived from Greek and Latin, which indicates their meanings.

Common Prefixes and Suffixes

• A-: Meaning without (e.g., abiotic refers to non-living factors).
• Aero-: Relating to oxygen or air (e.g., aerobic processes require oxygen).
• Amphi-: Meaning both (e.g., amphibian refers to organisms that can live both on land and in water).
• Arthro-: Pertaining to joints (e.g., arthropod is a phylum that includes insects with jointed limbs).
• An-: Meaning without or not (e.g., anaemic refers to a deficiency of red blood cells).
• Anti-: Against (e.g., antibiotic substances work against bacterial infections).
• Aqua-: Relating to water (e.g., aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms).

Important Biological Terms

• Archae-: Ancient (e.g., archaebacteria are a group of microorganisms distinct from bacteria).
• -ase: Suffix indicating enzymes (e.g., lipase breaks down fats).
• Auto-: Meaning self (e.g., autotroph organisms produce their own food).
• Bi-: Meaning two (e.g., bipedal describes animals that move on two legs).
• Bio-: Pertaining to life (e.g., biology is the study of life).

Key Biological Classifications

• Carni-: Meaning meat (e.g., carnivore organisms that eat meat).
• Carcin-: Relating to cancer (e.g., carcinogen is a substance that can lead to cancer).
• Centi-: Indicating a hundred (e.g., centimeter is one hundredth of a meter).
• Cephal-: Meaning head (e.g., cephalopod refers to head-footed animals like squids).
• Chemo-: Relating to chemicals (e.g., chemosynthesis is the process of transforming chemical energy into food).

Understanding Biological Processes

• Chloro-: Signifying green (e.g., chlorophyll is essential for photosynthesis).
• Chromo-: Related to color (e.g., chromatography is a method for separating mixtures).
• Co-: Together (e.g., coevolution refers to the influence of two species on each other’s evolution).
• -Cide: Meaning kill (e.g., herbicide is used to kill unwanted plants).

Cellular Biology Terminology

• Cyt-: Meaning cell (e.g., cytoplasm is the fluid inside the cell).
• De-: Meaning away (e.g., detrivore refers to organisms that feed on decaying organic material).

Structural and Functional Classifications

• Di-: Meaning two (e.g., diploid cell contains two sets of chromosomes).
• Derm-: Relating to skin (e.g., epidermis is the outer layer of skin).
• Ecto-: Meaning out (e.g., ectotherm refers to organisms that rely on external heat).
• Endo-: Meaning in (e.g., endotherm refers to warm-blooded organisms).

Additional Biological Terms

• Epid-: Meaning above (e.g., epidermis covers the surface of organisms).
• Erythro-: Referring to red (e.g., erythrocyte is a red blood cell).
• Eu-: Meaning true (e.g., eukaryote organisms have complex cells with a nucleus).
• Exo-: Indicating out or external (e.g., exoskeleton is an external skeleton).
• Gam-: Referring to marriage or joining (e.g., gamete is a reproductive cell).

Physiology and Ecology Terms

• Gastro-: Relating to the stomach (e.g., gastroenteritis affects the stomach and intestines).
• -genesis: Indicating origin (e.g., spermatogenesis is the formation of sperm).
• Geno-: Meaning breed or kind (e.g., genotype denotes the genetic constitution of an organism).

Earth and Environmental Terms

• Geo-: Pertaining to Earth (e.g., geology is the study of the Earth’s structure).
• Hemo-: Relating to blood (e.g., hemophilia is a genetic disorder affecting blood clotting).
• Herbi-: Reference to plants (e.g., herbivore describes organisms that eat plants).

Genetic and Hormonal Words

• Hetero-: Meaning different (e.g., heterozygous refers to having different alleles).
• Homo-: Meaning same (e.g., homozygous involves identical alleles for a gene).
• Hydro-: Relating to water (e.g., hydrophilic substances attract water).
• Hyper-: Meaning above (e.g., hypertonic solutions have a higher concentration of solutes).
• Inter-: Indicating between (e.g., interphase is the phase between cell divisions).

Concentration and Inflammation Terms

• Hypo-: Meaning below (e.g., hypotonic solutions have a lower concentration of solutes).
• Iso-: Meaning same or equal (e.g., isotonic solutions have equal concentrations).
• -itis: Indicating inflammation (e.g., dermatitis is inflammation of the skin).
• Kilo-: Meaning thousand (e.g., kilogram is a unit of measurement).
• -lateral: Referring to sides (e.g., unilateral involves one side only).

Fields of Study and Measurement

• -logy: Denotes the study of a subject (e.g., microbiology is the study of microorganisms).
• lys-: Indicating breakdown (e.g., hemolysis is the breakdown of red blood cells).
• Macro-: Meaning large (e.g., macroevolution refers to major evolutionary changes).
• Meso-: Meaning middle (e.g., mesoderm is the middle layer in embryonic development).
• Meter-: Pertaining to measurement (e.g., kilometer is a measure of distance).
• Micro-: Meaning small (e.g., microscope is an instrument to view small objects).
• Mono-: Meaning single or one (e.g., monosaccharide is the simplest form of sugar).
• Morph-: Referring to shape (e.g., morphology is the study of form and structure).
• Neuro-: Pertaining to nerves (e.g., neuron is a basic cell unit of the nervous system).
• Non-: Indicating not (e.g., nonrenewable denotes resources that cannot be replenished).
• Omni-: Meaning all (e.g., omnivore organisms consume both plants and animals).
• Oo-: Relating to eggs (e.g., oogonium is a female germ cell).
• -ose: Suffix for sugars (e.g., glucose is a simple sugar essential for energy).