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 |
|---|---|
| brady | (Gr., boadus, slow) |
| brachy- | (Gr., short), brachydactyly , abnormal shortness of the digits. |
| blast- | (Gr., bud or young), blastoderm , primitive germlayer. |
| bio- | (Gr., life), biology , science of life. |
| bi | (Gr., base), bilateral , similar on both sides. |
| basi- | (Gr., base) basidiospore , spore formed at the baseof a basidium. |
| bactér- | (Gr., baktron , a stick), bacteria , rod-shaped organisms. |
| axo, ax, axio, axon | (Gr., axine-axis)-pertaining to an axis. |
| auto- | (Gr., self), autosynthesis , self-building up. |
| aster- | (Gr., star), Asteroidea , class of echinoderms resembling stars. |
| asco- | (Gr., sac or bag), Ascomycetes , class of sac-bearing fungi. |
| arthr- | (Gr., joint), Arthropoda , phylum of invertebrateanimals with jointed appendages or feet. |
| areol- | (L., space), areolar , containing minute spaces. |
| arch- | (Gr., early or chief), archenteron , early digestive tract or enteron ; Archeozoic , earliest era of geologic history. |
| aqua- | (L., water), aquatic , living in water. |