a- 

not 

ab- 

away from 

actino- 

ray 

ad- 

toward  

 amphi-

on both sides of 

an- 

 not

andro-, androus- 

man, male 

angio- 

covered, vessel 

anterior, antero- 

at, near, or toward the front end 

antho- 

flower 

anthropo- 

 man, human

anti- 

to act against 

 apical

being at or near the tip 

 arboreal

living in trees 

arch-, archeo- 

 first, main, earliest

artho- 

joint 

aster-, -aster

star 

auto- 

self 

aqua-, aqui- 

water 

batho-, bathy- 

deep, depth

bi 

two, twice, double

 bio-

pertaining to life 

-blast, blast- 

 pertaining to the embryo

branchio- 

arm 

-branch, branchio- 

gills 

cardio- 

heart 

carni- 

meat, flesh 

carpo-, carpous- 

fruit 

caudal 

at near, toward the tail 

cephalo, -cephalic 

head 

cervical 

at, near or toward the neck region.

chaeto- 

bristle, hair 

chloro- 

green 

choano- 

funnel 

chondro- 

cartilage 

chord, chorda- 

cord, string 

chrome, chromo- 

color 

cidal, -cide 

to kill 

-coel, coela-, coelo-

hollow, cavity 

coeno-

refers particularly to aggregated

or colonial groupings 

cranio- 

skull 

cryo- 

cold 

crypto- 

hidden 

cten-, cteno- 

comb 

cyano- 

dark blue 

cyclo- 

round 

-cyst, cysto- 

pouch, sac, bladder 

-cyte, cyto- 

partaining to cell 

dendro-, -dendron 

tree 

-dent, denti- 

tooth 

-dermis, -derm 

skin 

di- 

two, twice, double 

diplo- 

two fold 

diurnal 

active during daylight 

-dont 

tooth 

dorsal 

at, near or toward the back. 

echino- 

spiny, bristly 

eco- 

house, home 

ecto- 

outside. 

-ectomy 

to cut out of. 

endo- 

within. 

epi- 

to, on, over, against. 

equi- 

equal. 

erythro- 

red. 

ex, exo-, extro- 

out, from, exterior 

-fer, -fera, -ferous 

to bear 

flori- 

flower 

-folious 

leafy. 

-form, -formes 

having the form of 

frontal 

in a horizontal plane separating dorsal half from ventral half. 

gamo-, -gamy 

pertaining to gametes or fertilization. 

gastro- 

stomach. 

-gan, -genic, geno- 

born, created. 

geo- 

earth 

-gest, gest- 

to carry. 

gluco-, glyco- 

sweet, sugar. 

-gnath, -gnathous 

jaw 

gymno 

naked 

haplo- 

single 

helio- 

sun 

-helminth 

worm 

hem-, hemo-, hemato- 

blood. 

hemi- 

 half

herb 

plant 

hetero- 

other, different. 

hex-, hexa- 

six 

histo- 

tissue 

homo-, homeo- 

similar. 

hydro- 

water. 

hyper- 

above, over. 

hypo- 

under, less. 

ichthyo-, -ichthyes 

fish. 

inter- 

between, among. 

intra- 

within. 

iso- 

equal. 

-itis 

inflammation. 

leuco- 

white.