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.

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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

(Gr., swelling or tumor), carcinoma , malignant growth (cancer).
-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.