8b. Vocabulary Basics: Common Greek Suffixes

Question 1

-biosis

Answer 1

mode of living, way of life

symbiosis - the living together of two dissimilar organism

Question 2

-blast

Answer 2

formative, embryonic

mesoblast - the mesoderm

Question 3

-chrome

Answer 3

color

Mercurochrome - a brand of membromin

Question 4

-cocci

Answer 4

round, seed, kernel

streptococcus - any of several spherical or oval bacteria which are pathogenic for humans

Question 5

-cyst

Answer 5

pouch, sac

trichocyst - an organ of offense and defense embedded in certain protozoans

Question 6

-dactyl

Answer 6

finger

pentadactyl - having five digits on each hand or foot

Question 7

-derm, -dermis

Answer 7

skin, layer

epidermis - the outer layer of the skin

Question 8

-emia

Answer 8

blood disease

anemia - a quantitative deficiency of the hemoglobin

Question 9

-gamous, -gamy

Answer 9

marriage, sexual union

polygamy - the practice of having more than one spouse

Question 10

-gen, -geny

Answer 10

origin, production

progeny - a descendant or offspring

hydrogen - colorless, odorless, flammable gas

Question 11

-graph

Answer 11

drawing, writing

chromatograph - a piece of equipment used to produce a chromatogram

Question 12

-hedral, hedron

Answer 12

side

polyhedral - of, relating ot, or having the shape of a polyhedron

Question 13

-hydrate

Answer 13

compound formed by union of water with other substances

carbohydrate - any of a class of organic compounds that are polyhydroxy aldehydes

Question 14

-ism

Answer 14

act, practice, or result of

terrorism - act of violence or threats to intimidate or coerce

Question 15

-itis

Answer 15

inflammation or infection

appendicitis - inflammation of the appendix

Question 16

-logy

Answer 16

science or study of

biology - the science of life or living matter

Question 17

-lysis

Answer 17

loosening, separation

photolysis - the chemical decompositioin of materials under the influence of light

Question 18

-mer

Answer 18

a part, piece

polymer - a compound formed from two or more polymeric compounds

Question 19

-meter

Answer 19

a measurement

diameter - straight line passing through the center of a circle or sphere and meeting the circumference at each

Question 20

-morph

Answer 20

form

endomorph - a mineral enclosed within another mineral

Question 21

-nomy

Answer 21

systematized knowledge of

astronomy - the science that deals with the material universe beyond the earth’s atmosphere

Question 22

-oma

Answer 22

tumorous

carcinoma - malignant tumor, cancer

Question 23

-osis, -otic

Answer 23

abnormal condition, disease

neurosis - a relatively mild personality disorder typified by excessive anxiety

Question 24

-phase

Answer 24

a stage or condition

metaphase - a stage of mitosis or meiosis

Question 25

-phil, -phile

Answer 25

fear, fearing

hydrophobia - abnormal fear of water

Question 26

-phyll

Answer 26

leaf

chlorophyll - the green coloring matter of leaves and plants

Question 27

-phyta, phyte

Answer 27

plant

epiphyte - a plnat that grows above the ground

Question 28

-plasm

Answer 28

formative substance

cytoplasm - a plant that grows above the ground

Question 29

-pod, -poda

Answer 29

foot

arthropod - any invertebrate of the phylum Arthropoda

Question 30

-some

Answer 30

body

chromosome - any of several threadlike bodies that cary genes in a linear order

Question 31

-stasis

Answer 31

a stationary position

homeostatis - the tendency of a system to maintain internal stability

Question 32

-stat, -static

Answer 32

stationary, still

hemostat - an instrument or agent used to treat bleeding vessels in order to arrest hemorrhage

Question 33

-stomy

Answer 33

opening into

colostomy - the construction of an opening from the colon through the abnormal wall

Question 34

-therm

Answer 34

heat

homeotherm - an organism, such as a mammal or bird, having a body temperature that is constant and largely independent of the temperature of its surroundings

Question 35

-thes, -thesis

Answer 35

arrangment, in order

hypothesis - a proposition assumed as a premise or argument

Question 36

-tom, -tomy

Answer 36

dividing, surgery

lobotomy - the operation of cutting into a lobe, as of the brain or the lung

Question 37

-trope, -tropic

Answer 37

turning

phototropic - growing toward or away from the light

Question 38

-zoa, -zoan, -zoic

Answer 38

animal, life

protozoa - a major grouping or the kingdom Protista, comprising the protozoans