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 |
|---|---|
| -phyte | (Or., plant), sporophyte , spore-bearing plant. |
| -phyll | (Or., leaf), mesophyll , middle part of a leaf. |
| -phil! | (Or., loving), thermophile , heat-loving organism. |
| -oma | |
| -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. |
