Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes in Biology

Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes in Biology

• Loc-, Locus-: Place (e.g., local)
• -logy: Study of (e.g., biology)
• -lysis: Dissolving (e.g., cytolysis)
• Macro-: Large (e.g., macronucleus)
• Mal-: Bad (e.g., malnutrition)
• Medi-: Middle (e.g., medial)
• Mega-: Very large (e.g., megaspore)
• Meso-: Middle (e.g., mesophyll)
• Meta-: Beyond or after (e.g., metamorphosis)
• Meter-: Measure (e.g., kilometer)
• Micro-: Small (e.g., microbe)
• Mis-: Bad, wrong (e.g., mislead)
• Mito-: Thread (e.g., mitosis)
• Mono-: One (e.g., monohybrid)
• Morpho-: Shape, form (e.g., morphology)
• Multi-: Many (e.g., multiple)
• Muta-: Change (e.g., mutation)
• Myo-: Muscle (e.g., myofibril)
• Necro-: Dead (e.g., necropsy)
• Nema-: Thread (e.g., nematocyst)
• Nephr-: Kidney (e.g., nephritis)
• Neuro-: Nerve (e.g., neurology)
• -oma: Tumor or swelling (e.g., sarcoma)
• Omni-: All (e.g., omnivore)
• Ophth-: Eye (e.g., ophthalmology)
• Orni-: Bird (e.g., ornithology)
• Ortho-: Straight (e.g., orthodontist)
• -osis: Act, condition (e.g., acidosis)
• Osteo-: Bone (e.g., osteoarthritis)
• Oto-: Ear (e.g., otology)
• Ovi-, Oo-: Egg (e.g., oviduct, oocyte)
• Para-: Beside (e.g., parathyroid)
• Patho-: Disease (e.g., pathology)
• -ped- or -pod-: Foot (e.g., millipede)
• Peri-: Around (e.g., pericardium)
• Phage-: Eating (e.g., phagocytosis)
• -phase: Stage, condition (e.g., anaphase)
• Pheno-: To show (e.g., phenotype)
• Phlebo-: Veins (e.g., phlebotomy)
• -phob-: Fear (e.g., arachnophobia)
• -photo-: Light (e.g., photograph)
• -phyll: Leaf (e.g., mesophyll)
• -phyto-: Plant (e.g., saprophyte)
• Pino-: To drink (e.g., pinocytosis)
• Plasma-: Form (e.g., cytoplasm)
• -plast: Particle (e.g., chloroplast)
• Poly-: Many (e.g., polysaccharide)
• Post-: After, behind (e.g., posterior)
• Pre-, Pro-: Before, primitive (e.g., pretest)
• Proto-: First (e.g., protozoa)
• Pseudo-: False (e.g., pseudopod)
• -pter-: Wing (e.g., diptera)
• Pulmo-: Lung (e.g., pulmonary)
• Re-: Back, again (e.g., repeat)
• Renal-: Kidney (e.g., adrenal glands)
• -rhea or -rrhea: Flow or discharge (e.g., diarrhea)
• Rhino-: Nose (e.g., rhinoceros)
• -saccharide: Sugar (e.g., polysaccharide)
• Sal-: Salt (e.g., saline)
• Sapro-: Rotten (e.g., saprophyte)
• -sclero-: Hard (e.g., arteriosclerosis)
• A-, An-: Not, without (e.g., anemia)
• Ab-: Away from (e.g., abnormal)
• Abscic-, abscis-: Cut off (e.g., abscission)
• Acu-: Needle, sharp (e.g., acupuncture)
• Ad-, Af-: To, toward (e.g., adrenal, afferent)
• Alb-: White (e.g., albumin)
• -algia: Pain (e.g., fibromyalgia)
• Amphi-: Both ends or all sides (e.g., amphibious)
• Ana-: Up, back, again (e.g., anagram)
• Ante-: Before, forward (e.g., antebrachium)

Note: The provided data is highly fragmented. These notes combine the root/prefix/suffix with example use.