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 |
|---|---|
| pseudo- | (Or., false), pseudopodia , false feet. |
| prox- | (L., nearest), proximal , nearest. |
| proto- | (Or., first of essential), protoplasm , essential material of all plant and animal cells. |
| pro- | (Or., before), prostomium , portion ofthe head situated before the mouth of certain worms and molluscs. |
| pre- | (L. before), prenatal , before birth. |
| post- | (L., after), postnatal , after birth. |
| poly- | (Or., many), Polymorphous , having many for iris. |
| plio- | (Or., more), Pliocene , more recent geologic period. |
| platy- | (Or., nat), Platyhelminthes, phylum of Flatworms. |
| physio- | ( Or., nature), physiology , study of the nature or function of living matter. |
| phyco- | (Or., alga, or seaweed), Phycomycetes , alga like fungus. |
| photo- | (Or., light), photosynthesis , formation of carbohydrates in the presence of light. |
| phor- | (Or., to bear), sporophore , part of a sporophyte that bears spores. |
| phago- | (Or., to eat), phagocyte , cell that eats or destroys. |
| phaeo- | (Or., dark or brown), Phaeophyta , phylum of brown algae. |