This document defines common scientific prefixes and suffixes and provides examples of medical and biological terms that incorporate them. Some key prefixes discussed include: - a- meaning not or without as in amoral, anaerobic - auto- meaning by itself as in automatic, autotroph - bi- meaning two or both as in bipedal, bilateral - bio- meaning life or living as in biology, biochemistry - mono- meaning one as in monomer, monohybrid - hetero- meaning different or other as in heterotroph, heterozygous - homo- meaning same or similar as in homosexual, homeostasis - poly- meaning many as in polymer, polygenic - semi

1. Prefixes & Suffixes Scientific Vocabulary

2. a- not, without amoral – not moral abiotic – not living characteristics asexual – not sexual asymmetrical – not symmetrical anaerobic – without oxygen

4. autotroph – eats what it produces by itself

6. biracial – born of 2 races

7. bisexual – sex with 2 sexes

8. binary fission – bacteria reproduction of dividing into 2 parts

9. bilateral symmetry – symmetry of dividing into 2 sides

10. binomial nomenclature – naming of species by using 2 names

12. biosphere – living things on the Earth

13. biochemistry – chemistry of living things

14. biodiversity – diversity of living things

15. biomolecules – molecules that make up living things

16. biomass – mass of living things

17. biome – life zone

18. biotic – living characteristics

19. biotechnology – technology dealing with life

22. hetero- heterotroph – eats what others produce heterosexual – sex with the other sex heterozygous – different alleles different, other

24. homosexual – sex with the same sex

25. homeostasis – same state (equilibrium)

26. homozygous – same alleles

27. homologous chromosomes – chromosomes of the same pair

29. semi- almost, half-way semiconductor – a very weak conductor semipermeable – somewhat permeable (lets some things through but others) semifinals – almost finals, but not quite finals

30. Photo- light photosynthesis – synthesis requiring light photography – picture-making requiring light photocell – battery cell requiring light