Prefixes & Suffixes
The following list is by no means complete, but it may help in understanding some difficult terminology. The following abbreviations are used ; Gr., for the Greek ; L., for the Latin.
Term | Definition |
---|---|
-phyte | (Or., plant), sporophyte , spore-bearing plant. |
-phyll | (Or., leaf), mesophyll , middle part of a leaf. |
-phil! | (Or., loving), thermophile , heat-loving organism. |
-oma | |
-oid | (Gr., like), amoeboid ( amoeboid ), like an Amoeba. |
-mere | (Gr., part), micromere , small part. |
-log | (Gr., study), zoology , study of animals. |
-lemma | (Gr., covering), neurilemma , covering of a nerve. |
-itis | (Gr., inflammation), appendicitis, inflammation of the appendix. |
-glea | (Gr., jelly), mesoglea, middle, jelly-like layer in certain animals. |
-gest | (Gr., to bear or hold), ingest, to take in. |
-gen | (Gr., to produce), pathogenic , capable of causing disease. |
-form | (L., shape), uniform , all one shape. |
-fer | (L., to bear), Porifera , phylum comprising pore- bearing sponges. |
-emia | (Gr., blood), anaemia, blood deficiency. |