SCIENTIFIC ROOT WORDS
a-; an- not;
without; lacking; deficient
ab- away
from; out from
-able
capable of
ac- to;
toward
-aceous of
or pertaining to
acou-;
acous- hear
ad- to;
toward
aden- gland
adip- fat
aero- air
agri- field;
soil
-al having
the character of
alb- white
alg-; -algia
pain
alto- high
ambi- both
ameb-
change; alternation
amni- fetal
membrane
amphi-;
ampho- both
amyl- starch
ana- up;
back; again
andro- man;
masculine
anemo- wind
ang- choke;
feel pain
angi- blood
vessel; duct
ante-
before; ahead of time
anter- front
antho-
flower
anti-
against; opposite
anthropo-
man; human
-ap-; -aph-
touch
apo-; ap-
away from
aqu- water
archaeo-
primitive; ancient
-ary; -arium
place for something
arteri-
artery
arthr-
joint; articulation
-ase forms
names of enzymes
aster-;
astr- star
-ate verb
form - the act of...
ather- fatty
deposit
-ation noun
form - the act of...
atmo- vapor
audi- hear
aur- ear
auto- self
bacter-;
bactr- bacterium; stick; club
barb- beard
baro- weight
bath- depth;
height
bene- well;
good
bi- (Latin)
two; twice
bi-; bio-
(Greek) life; living
-blast-
sprout; germ; bud
brachi- arm
brachy-
short
brady- slow
branchi- fin
brev- short
bronch-
windpipe
cac- bad
calor- heat
capill- hair
capit- head
carcin-
cancer
cardi- heart
carn- meat;
flesh
carp- fruit
carpal-
wrist
cata-
breakdown; downward
caud- tail
-cell-
chamber; small room
cen-; -cene
now; recent
cente-
pierce
centi-
hundredth
centr-
center
cephal- head
cerat- horn
cerebr-
brain
cervic- neck
chel- claw
chem-
dealing with chemicals
chir- hand
chlor- green
chondr-
cartilage
chrom-;
-chrome color
chron- time
-chym- juice
-cid-; -cis-
cut; kill; fall
circa-;
circum- around; about
cirru-
hairlike curls
co- with;
together
cocc- seed;
berry
coel- hollow
coll- glue
coni- cone
contra-
against
corp- body
cort-;
cortic- outer layer
cosmo-
world; order; form
cotyl- cup
counter-
against
crani- skull
cresc-;
cret- begin to grow
crypt-
hidden; covered
-cul-; -cule
small; diminutive
cumul-
heaped
cuti- skin
cyan- blue
-cycle;
cycl- ring; circle
-cyst- sac;
pouch; bladder
cyt-; -cyte
cell; hollow container
dactyl-
finger
de- away
from; down
deca- ten
deci- tenth
deliquesc-
become fluid
demi- half
dendr- tree
dent- tooth
derm- skin
di-; dipl-
(Latin) two; double
di-; dia-
(Greek) through; across; apart
dia- (Latin)
day
digit-
finger; toe
din-
terrible
dis- apart;
out
dorm- sleep
dors- back
du-; duo-
two
-duct lead
dynam- power
dys- bad;
abnormal; difficult
ec- out of;
away from
echin-
spiny; prickly
eco- house
ecto-
outside of
-elle small
-emia blood
en-; endo-;
ent- in; into; within
-en made of
encephal-
brain
enter-
intestine; gut
entom- insects
-eous nature
of; like
epi- upon;
above; over
-err-
wander; go astray
erythro- red
-escent
becoming
eso- inward;
within; inner
eu- well;
good; true; normal
eury- widen
ex- out of;
away from
extra-
beyond; outside
-fer- bear;
carry; produce
ferro- iron
fibr- fiber;
thread
-fid; fiss-
split; divided into
-flect;
-flex bend
flor- flower
flu-;
fluct-; flux flow
foli- leaf
fract- break
-gam-
marriage
gastr-
stomach
geo- land;
earth
-gen; -gine
producer; former
-gene-
origin; birth
-gest-
carry; produce; bear
-glen-
eyeball
-glob- ball;
round
gloss-
tongue
gluc-; glyc-
sweet; sugar
glut-
buttock
gnath- jaw
-gon angle;
corner
-grad- step
-gram; graph
record; writing
grav- heavy
-gross-
thick
gymno-
naked; bare
gyn- female
gyr- ring;
circle; spiral
-hal-; -hale
breathe; breath
halo- salt
hapl- simple
hecto-
hundred
-helminth-
worm
hem- blood
hemi- half
hepar-;
hepat- liver
herb- grass;
plants
hetero-
different; other
hex- six
hibern-
winter
hidr- sweat
hipp- horse
hist- tissue
holo-
entire; whole
homo- (Latin)
man; human
homo-
(Greek) same; alike
hort- garden
hydr- water
hygr- moist;
wet
hyper-
above; beyond; over
hyph-
weaving; web
hypno- sleep
hypo- below;
under; less
hyster-
womb; uterus
-iac person
afflicted with disease
-iasis
disease; abnormal condition
-ic
(adjective former)
ichthy- fish
ign- fire
in-; il-;
im-; ir- not
in-; il-;
im-; ir- to; toward; into
in- very;
thoroughly
-ine of or
pertaining to
infra-
below; beneathinter- between
intra-
within; inside
-ism a state
or condition
iso- equal; same
-ist person
who deals with...
-itis
inflammation; disease
-ium refers
to a part of the body
-kary- cell
nucleus
kel- tumor;
swelling
kerat- horn
kilo-
thousand
kine- move
lachry- tear
lact- milk
lat- side
leio- smooth
-less
without
leuc-; leuk-
white; bright; light
lign- wood
lin- line
lingu-
tongue
lip- fat
lith-; -lite
stone; petrifying
loc- place
-log- word;
speech
-logist one
who studies...
-logy study
of...
lumin- light
-lys-;
-lyt-; -lyst decompose; split; dissolve
macr- large
malac- soft
malle- hammer
mamm- breast
marg-
border; edge
mast- breast
med- middle
meg-
million; great
mela-;
melan- black; dark
-mer part
mes- middle;
half; intermediate
met-; meta-
between; along; after
-meter;
-metry measurement
micro-
small; millionth
milli-
thousandth
mis- wrong;
incorrect
mito- thread
mole- mass
mono- one;
single
mort- death
-mot- move
morph-
shape; form
multi- many
mut- change
my- muscle
myc- fungus
mycel-
threadlike
myria- many
moll- soft
nas- nose
necr-
corpse; dead
nemat-
thread
neo- new;
recent
nephro-
kidney
-ner- moist;
liquid
neur- nerve
noct-; nox-
night
-node knot
-nom-; -nomy
ordered knowledge; law
non- not
not- back
nuc- center
ob- against
ocul- eye
oct- eight
odont- tooth
-oid form;
appearance
olf- smell
oligo- few;
little
-oma
abnormal condition; tumor
omni- all
onc- mass;
tumor
oo- egg
opthalm- eye
opt- eye
orb- circle;
round; ring
-orium; -ory
place for something
ornith- bird
orth-
straight; correct; right
oscu- mouth
-osis
abnormal condition
oste- bone
oto- ear
-ous full of
ov- egg
oxy- sharp;
acid; oxygen
pachy- thick
paleo- old;
ancient
palm- broad;
flat
pan- all
par-; para-
beside; near; equal
path-;
-pathy disease; suffering
-ped- foot
-ped- child
pent- five
per- through
peri- around
permea-
pass; go
phag- eat
pheno- show
-phil- loving;
fond of
phon-;
-phone sound
-phore;
pher- bear; carry
photo- light
phren- mind;
diaphragm
phyc-
seaweed; algae
phyl-
related group
-phyll leaf
physi-
nature; natural qualities
phyt-;
-phyte plant
pino- drink
pinni-
feather
plan-
roaming; wandering
plasm-;
-plast- form; formed into
platy- flat
pleur- lung;
rib; side
pneumo-
lungs; air
-pod foot
poly- many;
several
por- opening
port- carry
post- after;
behind
pom- fruit
pre- before;
ahead of time
prim- first
pro-
forward; favoring; before
proto- first;
primary
pseudo-
false; deceptive
psych- mind
pter- having
wings or fins
pulmo- lung
puls- drive;
push
pyr- heat;
fire
quadr- four
quin- five
radi- ray
re- again;
back
rect- right;
correct
ren- kidney
ret- net;
made like a net
rhag-;
-rrhage burst forth
rhe-; -rrhea
flow
rhin- nose
rhiz- root
rhodo- rose
roto- wheel
rubr- red
sacchar-
sugar
sapr- rotten
sarc- flesh
saur- lizard
schis-;
schiz- split; divide
sci- know
scler- hard
-scop- look;
device for seeing
-scribe;
-script write
semi- half;
partly
sept-
partition; seven
-septic
infection; putrefaction
sess- sit
sex- six
-sis
condition; state
sol- sun
solv-
loosen; free
som-;
somat-; - body
somn- sleep
son- sound
spec-; spic-
look at
-sperm- seed
-spher-
ball; round
spir-;
-spire breathe
-spor- seed
stat-;
-stasis standing; placed; staying
stell- stars
sten- narrow
stern-
chest; breast
stom-;
-stome mouth
strat- layer
stereo-
solid; 3-dimensional
strict-
drawn tight
styl- pillar
sub- under;
below
super-; sur-
over; above; on top
sym-; syn-
together
tachy-
quick; swift
tarso- ankle
tax-
arrange; put in order
tele- far
off; distant
telo- end
terr- earth;
land
tetr- four
thall- young
shoot
-the-;
-thes- put
-thel- cover
a surface
-therm- heat
-tom- cut;
slice
toxico-
poison
top- place
trache-
windpipe
trans-
across
tri- three
trich- hair
-trop- turn;
change
-troph-
nourishment; one who feeds
turb- whirl
-ul-; -ule
diminutive; small
ultra-
beyond
uni- one
ur- urine
-ura tail
vas- vessel
vect- carry
ven-; vent-
come
ventr-
belly; underside
-verge turn;
slant
vig- strong
vit-; viv-
life
volv- roll;
wander
-vor-
devour; eat
xanth-
yellow
xero- dry
xyl- wood
zo-; -zoa
animal
zyg- joined
together
zym- yeast
