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Root Words

Prefixes

Iso- (Greek: ísos) = "equal" or "same"

Bio- (Greek: bios) = "life"

Cyto- (Greek: kytos) = "cell"

  • Cytoplasm – Fluid inside a cell
  • Cytokine – Cell-signaling molecule

Gen- (Greek: genos) = "birth," "origin," or "produce"

  • Genotype – Genetic makeup of an organism
  • Oncogene – Gene that can cause cancer

Homo- (Greek: homos) = "same"

  • Homozygous – Two identical alleles

Hetero- (Greek: heteros) = "different"

  • Heterodimer – Two different molecules joined

Neo- (Greek: neos) = "new"

  • Neoplasm – New abnormal growth

Onco- (Greek: onkos) = "tumor" or "mass"

  • Oncogene – Gene that can cause cancer
  • Oncology – Study of cancer

Pseudo- (Greek: pseudes) = "false"

  • Pseudogene – Nonfunctional gene-like DNA sequence

Trans- (Latin: trans) = "across" or "beyond"

  • Transcription – Copying DNA into RNA

Inter- (Latin: inter) = "between"

  • Intergenic – Region between genes

Suffixes

-tropy / -tropic (Greek: tropē, from trepein) = "turn" or "turning" or "influence"

  • Pleiotropy – Multiple effects from a single gene (pleio = many, tropy = influence)
  • Phototropic – Turning or growing toward light
  • Geotropic – Turning or growing in response to gravity

-mer (Greek: méros) = "part" or "segment"

-ase = "enzyme"

  • ATPase – Enzyme that hydrolyzes ATP
  • Ligase – Enzyme that joins two molecules

-sis (Greek: sis) = denotes a process or state of being

  • Homeostasis – Stable internal conditions

-tic (Greek: -tikos) = "characteristic" or "pertaining to"

-astic (Greek: -astikos) = "pertaining to" or "characterized by"

  • Stochastic – Characterized by randomness or probability
  • Elastic – Characterized by the ability to return to original shape
  • Plastic – Characterized by the ability to be molded or shaped

-some / -ome (Greek: -ōma) = "body or complex" or "mass, typically refers to a whole set or collection"

  • Genome – Entire set of genes in an organism
  • Nucleosome – A discrete nuclear particle (DNA + proteins)

-omics (Greek: -ōmikos) = "study of a complete set"

  • Genomics – Study of the genome
  • Transcriptomics – Study of all RNA transcripts

-in / -ine (Latin) = "substance" or "compound"

  • Actin – Structural protein
  • Cytokine – Signaling protein

-phage (Greek: phagein) = "to eat"

  • Bacteriophage – Virus that infects bacteria

-gen (Greek: genes) = "producing" or "origin"

  • Oncogene – Gene that causes cancer
  • Mutagen – Substance that causes mutations

-logy (Greek: logia) = "study of"

  • Biology – Study of life
  • Pathology – Study of disease

Roots & Stems

Kinesis (Greek: kinesis) = "movement" or "motion"

  • Cytokinesis – The division of the cytoplasm during cell division, resulting in two separate daughter cells. (Cyto- = cell, kinesis = movement → movement of the cell's contents)

Script / Scrib (Latin: scribere) = "to write"

  • Transcript – Written RNA copy of DNA

Stoch- / Stokh- (Greek: stokhos) = "target" or "aim"

  • Stochastic – Involving randomness or probability (originally "able to guess" or "aiming at a target")
  • Stochastics – Mathematical study of random processes

Strat- / Strati- (Latin: stratum) = "layer" or "spread out"

  • Stratification – Arrangement in layers
  • Stratigraphy – Study of rock layers

Poly- (Greek: polys) = "many"

  • Polypeptide – Chain of many amino acids

Mer (Greek: meros) = "part"

  • Monomer – Single molecular unit
  • Polymer – Chain of repeating units

Therm (Greek: thermos) = "heat"

  • Thermocycler – Machine that cycles temperature for PCR

Phob / Philic (Greek: phobos / philos) = "fear" / "love"

  • Hydrophobic – Repelled by water
  • Hydrophilic – Attracted to water

Pleio- (Greek: pleíōn) = "more" or "many"

  • Pleiotropy – Phenomenon where a single gene influences multiple phenotypic traits
  • Pleiotropic – Having multiple effects from a single cause

Lys- (Greek: lysis) = "to loosen or break"

  • Lysosome – Organelle that breaks down waste

Troph (Greek: trophē) = "nourishment"

  • Autotroph – Organism that produces its own food
  • Heterotroph – Consumes other organisms for energy

Plasm (Greek: plasma) = "molded or formed"

  • Plasmid – Circular DNA molecule
  • Cytoplasm – Substance within a cell

Nucleo- (Latin: nucleus) = "kernel" or "core"

  • Nucleotide – Building block of DNA/RNA
  • Nucleosome – DNA wrapped around histone proteins

Chrom- (Greek: chroma) = "color" (later: chromosome)

  • Chromatin – Complex of DNA and protein
  • Chromosome – Carriers of genetic information - When chromosomes were first observed under a microscope, scientists noticed they stained strongly with certain dyes (colorful chemical stains). Because these structures readily took up color, they were named "chromosomes," literally meaning "colored bodies."

Kin- (Greek: kinein) = "to move" or "set in motion"

  • Kinase – Enzyme that transfers phosphate groups, causing molecular changes
  • Kinetic – Relating to or produced by motion
  • Kinesiology – Study of human movement and body mechanics
  • Telekinesis – Hypothetical ability to move objects using the mind

Pan- (Greek: pân) = "wide"

  • Pancreas – Large organ for digestion
  • Panther – Large wild cat
  • Panthera – Family of cats