Knowledge is Power!
The main reason students find it difficult to understand science is because of all the vocabulary words. Actually, scientific vocabulary is a mixture of little words that are linked together. If you learn the meanings of the little words that make up the bigger terms, you'll find scientific vocabulary much easier to understand. We've listed the most common prefixes (beginnings of words) and suffixes (ends of words) below to help you unlock all the vocabulary in this glossary.
a or an : not or non
meso : middle endo : inner, inside aero : needing oxygen or air anti : against amphi : both, doubly aqua : water arthro : joint auto : self bi : two, twice, double bio : life, living cephal : head chloro : green chromo : color cide : killer, kill, killing cyto : cell derm : skin di : two, double ecto (exo) : outer, external endo : internal epi : above gastro : stomach genesis : origin, beginning herba : plants hetero : different homo : alike, similar |
hydro : water
hyper : above hypo : below intra : within, inside itis : disease, inflammation lateral : side logy : study of lys : break down meter : measurement mono : one, single morph : form micro : macro macro : large multi : many pod : foot phobia : dislike, fear philia : like proto : first photo : light poly : many synthesis : to make sub : lesser, below troph : eat, consume therm : heart tri : three zoo, zoa : animal |