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86 terms

Microbiology: Roots, Prefixes, & Suffixes

Greek or Latin roots, prefixes, suffixes of scientific terminology & their meaning.

a-

(Greek) not, without

aero-

(Greek) air

allo-

(Greek) different, other

amphi-

(Greek) dual

an-

(Greek) not, without

anti

(Greek) against

arch-

(Greek) ancient,

arthro-

(Greek) jointed

auto-

(Greek) self

bi-

(Latin) two

bio-

(Greek) life

cephal-, cephalo-

(Greek) head

chemo

(Greek) chemical

co-

(Greek) together

com-

(Latin) with, together

con-

(Latin) with, together

cyano-

(Greek) blue

cyst

(Greek) sac, bladder

−cyte

(Greek) cell, a hollow place

cyto-

(Greek) cell, a hollow place

di-

(Greek) two, double

diplo-

(Greek) two, double

dys-

(Greek) bad, difficult

−emia

(G) in the blood

end-, endo-

(Greek) within, inner

entero-

i(Greek) ntestine, gut

epi-

(Greek) above, over, upon

etio-

(Greek) cause

eu-

(Greek) true, good, well

ex-, exo-

(Latin) out, off, from, beyond

extra

(L) more, beyond, besides

gastro-

(Greek) stomach, belly

gene-

(Greek) Origin, birth

glyco-

(Greek) sweet

halo-

(Greek) salt

haplo-

single

hemo- (G)

blood

hetero- (G)

other, different

hist- (G)

tissue

homo- (G)

alike/similar

homo- (L)

man

hydro- (G)

water

hyper- (G)

over, above, excessive

hypo- (G)

under, below, lower

inter- (L)

between

intra- (L)

inside, within

iso- (G)

equal

karyo- (G)

nucleus

lact- (G)

milk

leuko- (G)

white

liga- (L)

bound or tied

−lyse

break

−lysis (G)

split

macro- (G)

large

mal- (L)

bad or evil

meio- (G)

less

meso-

(G) middle

meta- (L)

change

micro- (G)

small

mono- (G)

one

morph-, morpho- (G)

form

muta- (L)

change

necro- (G)

death

−oid (G)

like, form

ology (G)

the study of

pan- (G)

all, everything

para- (G)

beside, near

patho- (G)

disease

peri (G)

around

−phage (G)

to eat

−phil (G)

loving

pneumo- (G)

air, lung

−pod, −podium (G)

foot

poly (G)

many

post- (G)

after

pre- (L)

before, first

pro- (G)

before, first

pseudo (G)

false

retro (L)

backward

−sacchar (G)

sugar

semi- (L)

half

sub-

(L) under, beneath

−taxis (G)

movement

therm-, thermo (G)

heat, temperature

uni- (L)

one

xeno- (G)

strange, foreign