Biology Prefixes and Roots: Key Terms and Definitions

a

not, without

ab

away apart

able

ability

ac/ad

to toward

aero

air

ambi/amphi

both

an

without

ana

back. again

angi

blood, vessel, duct

ante

before

anti against

opposite

arche

ancient

arthro

joint

ase

enzyme

ate (verb)

the act of

ation (noun)

the act of

auto

self

bi

two

bio life

living

blast

embryo

calor

heat

capill

hair

carcin

cancer

cardi

heart

carn

flesh

cata

breakdown downward

cell

chamber small room

centr

center

ceph

head

cerebr

brain

chlor

green

chondro

cartilage

chrom

color

cide

kill

circ

around

co

with together

con

with together

cycle

circle

cyt

cell nucleus

de

away from down

derm

skin

di

two

di

through across

di

apart

dia

through

diplo

double

dis

apart, out

dorm

sleep

duct

lead

eco

house

ecto

outer outside

ectomy

removal

elle

small

en

made of

endo

inner inside

epi

upon over

eu

true good

ex

away from

fer

bear carry produce

gam

marriage

gastro

stomach

gen

type antigen

gene

origin birth

geo

land earth

gram

write or record

gymno

naked bare

hapl

simple

hemi

half

hemo

blood

hetero

different

hist

tissure

homo/homeo

same alike

hydro

water

hyper

above beyond over

hypo

below under less

ic

of pertaining to

im

to toward into

in

not non

inter

within inside

intra

within

iso

equal

ist

one who deals with

itis

inflammation

kary

cell nucleus

lys

dissolve break "slice"

macr

large

mal

bad

med

middle medulla

mega

large

meso

middle

meta

change

mono

one, single

mut

change

nema

thread

neo

new

nephr

kidney

neur

nerve

nom/nomy

ordered knowledge law

non

not

nuc

center