Mr. Hall’s Biology
Prefixes, Suffixes and Root Words
This is a list of prefixes, suffixes and root words that are commonly used in biology. If the “letters” has a hyphen before it (-ase) it is used as a
suffix, if the hyphen is after the “letters” (a-) it is a prefix. “Letters” with a hyphen at both ends (-blast-) can be a root word or used as both a
prefix and a suffix.
Often times you will need to add or omit letters to make the term correct. For example; echi means spiny and derm means skin, the sea star
phylum is named echinoderm which means spiny skin. Notice that “no” had to be added to make the term correct. Often words must be
modified to accommodate singular and plural meaning. For example, kary means cell nucleus but is not seen in that form, karyota or karyote
are the two forms, ote is singular and ota is plural.
Numerical Prefixes:
Prefix/Suffix/Root
Meaning
Prefix/Suffix/Root
Meaning
bi-
(Latin) two; twice
mono-
one; single
di-; dipl-
(Latin) two; double
quadr-
four
hex-
six
tetr-
four
kilo-
thousand
tri-
three
milli-
thousandth
uni-
one
Biology Prefixes, Suffixes and Root Words:
Prefix/Suffix/Root
Meaning
Prefix/Suffix/Root
Meaning
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a-; an-
not; without; lacking; deficient
aqu-
water
-aerobic
requires oxygen
archae-; archaeo-
primitive; ancient
amphi-; ampho-
both; of both kinds
arthr-
joint; articulation
anti-
against; opposite
-ase
enzyme
anthropo-
man; human
auto-
self
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
bi-
(Latin) two; twice
bio-
(Greek) life; living
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
carcin-
cancer
co-; con-
with; together
cardi-
heart
coni-
cone
carn-
meat; flesh
-cul-; -cule
small; diminutive
centr-
center
cuti-
skin
chlor-
green
cyan-
blue
chrom-; -chrome
color
cyt-; -cyte
cell; hollow container
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
de-
away from; remove
derm-
skin
dent-
tooth
dys-
bad; abnormal; difficult
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
echin-; echid-
spiny; prickly
epi-
upon; above; over
eco-
house; environment
eu-
well; good; true; normal
ecto-
outside of
ex-
out of; away from
en-; endo-; ent-
in; into; within
extra-
beyond; outside
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
fiss-
split; divided into
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
gastr-
stomach
gluc-; glyc-
sweet; sugar
geo-
land; earth
-grad-
step
-gene-
origin; birth
gymno-
naked; bare
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
halo-; hali-; halio-
salt; sea
homo-; homeo-
(Latin) human; (Greek) same
hapl-
simple; single
hydr-; hygr-
water; moist; wet
helic-; helix-
spiral; twist
hyper-
above; beyond; over
herb-
grass; plants
hypo-
below; under; less
hetero-
different; other
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
infra-
below; beneath
intra-
within; inside
inter-
between
iso-
equal; same
KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
-kary-
cell nucleus
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
lact-
milk
-logy
study of...
-lys-; -lyt-; -lyst
decompose; split; dissolve
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
macr-; macro-
large
metab-; metabo-
Change
mamm-
breast
micro-
small; millionth
med-
middle
mito-
thread
-mer
part
morph-
shape; form
mes-; meso-
middle; half; intermediate
mut-
change
met-; meta-
between; along; after
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
neur-
nerve
-nom-; -nomy
ordered knowledge; law
nuc-
center
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
odont-
tooth
-oral
mouth
omni-
all
-ose
sugar
onc-
mass; tumor
oste-
bone
oo-
egg
ov-
egg
PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP
paleo-
old; ancient
phyt-; -phyte
plant
pan-
all
plasm-; -plast-
form; formed into
-ped-
foot (Latin); child (Greek)
platy-
flat
permea-
pass; go
-ploid
number of sets of chromosomes
-phag-
eat
pneumo-
lungs; air
pheno-
show
-pod
foot; leg
-phil-
loving; fond of
poly-
many; several
-phobe; -phobia
aversion to; fear of
por-
opening
photo-
light
pro-
forward; favoring; before
phyl-
related group
proto-
first; primary; primitive
-phyll
leaf
pseudo-
false; deceptive; fake
physi-
nature; natural qualities
pulmo-
lung
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
re-
again; back
ren-
kidney
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
sacchar-
sugar
-spor-
seed
-scribe; -script
write
stat-; -stasis
standing; placed; staying
semi-
half; partly
stom-; -stome
mouth
sess-
sit
strat-
layer
som-; somat-
body
sub-
under; below
-sperm-
seed
sym-; syn-
together
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
telo-
end
trans-
across
-therm-
heat
-troph-
nourishment; one who feeds
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
-var-; -vari-
change
-vor-
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
zyg-
joined together
devour; eat