Biology words – origins of words (etymology)

A

allelo-, allel- (Greek: one another; literally, "the other")

allo-, all- (Greek: different, other, another; divergence).

alpha (Greek: A, a; beginning, first of anything).

andro-, andr-, -andry (Greek: man, men, male; also, stamen or anther as used in botany).

anti-, ant- (Greek: against, opposed to, preventive; used as a prefix).

-ase (Greek: a suffix indicating an enzyme).

auto-, (Greek: self, same, spontaneous; directed from within).

a-, ab-, abs- (Latin: from, away, away from; used as a prefix).
ad- (Latin: to, a direction toward, addition to; used as a prefix).

ampho-, amph-, amphi- (Greek: both, on both sides of, both kinds).

B

bi- (Latin: two, twice, double, twofold; a number used as a prefix).

bio-, -biotic, -biotic (Greek: life; living, live, alive).

beta (Greek: B; second letter of the Greek alphabet).

C

circ- (Latin: circle [a ring; wheel], round).

cyto-, cyt- (Greek: cell, hollow)

com- [co-, cog-, col-, con-, cor-] (Latin: together, with; used as a prefix).

D

dactyl-, -dactyl, (Greek: finger, toe).

demo-, dem-, demio-, -demic, -deme, -demically (Greek: people).

di – two

E

endo-, end- (Greek: within, inside, into, in, on, inner; used as a prefix).

eu- (Greek: good, well, normal; happy, pleasing; used as a prefix).

G

geo-, ge- (Greek: earth, world).

gyno-, gyn-, -gynous, -gyny (Greek: woman, female).

H

hetero-, heter- (Greek: different, other, another, unlike; used as a prefix).

homo-, hom- (Greek: same, equal, like, similar, common; one and the same).

hydro-, hydra-, hydr-,hyd- (Greek: water).

hypo-, hyp- (Greek: under, below, beneath; less than; used as a prefix).

hybrid = a composite of mixed origin

L

litho-, lith-, -lith, -lithic, (Greek: stone, rock).

M

macro-, macr- (Greek: large, great; long)

mega- (Greek: large, great, big, powerful)

micro-, micr- (Greek: small, tiny)

mono-, mon- (Greek: one, alone, single; a number used as a prefix).

morpho-, morph-, -morphically, -morphy, -morphic, -morphism (Greek: shape, form, figure, appearance).

manu-, man-, mani- (Latin: hand).

N

neo- (Greek: new, recent, current, young).

P

photo- (Greek: light).

podo-, pod-, -poda, -pod, -pode, -podium, -podia, -podial, (Greek: foot, feet).

poly- (Greek: many, much; too many, too much, excessive; often used as a prefix).

pseudo-, pseud- (Greek: false, deception, lying, untrue; used as a prefix).

-pathy = suffix meaning disease, treatment of disease

R

retro-, retr- (Latin: back, backward, behind; used as a prefix).

S

soma-, somat-, -soma, -somatic (Greek: body; mass).

syn-(sy-, sym-, syl-, sys-). (Greek: together, with, along with).

semi- (Latin: half, partly, twice; used as a prefix).

T

tele-, tel-, telo-, -telic, -telical (Greek: far away, far off, at a distance).

U

uni-(Latin: one, single; a number used as a prefix).

X

xeno-, xen- (Greek: foreign, foreigner, strange, stranger; and by extension, guest).

48 words – approx 20 students (approx 2 words each, 8 people will have 3 words each)

Give students the words and definitions, explain suffix and prefix and they need to watch were the – is!

Must display on card – the word in bold, the definition not in bold.