Prefixes and suffixes in science

https://www.abc.net.au/education/learn-english/prefixes-and-suffixes-in-science/11409038?utm_medium=social&utm_content=sf248513780&utm_campaign=learn_english&utm_source=m.facebook.com&sf248513780=1 

In this lesson, find out how you can work out the meanings of complex science words by learning about prefixes and suffixes specific to science.

Hetero-

This can mean different.

Heterogeneous - where particles in a solution or mixture are not uniformly distributed

Homo-

This can mean the same.

Homozygous - have two of the same form of gene

Homogeneous - where particles in a solution or mixture are distributed evenly

Ante-

This can mean before or in front of.

Anterior - placed before

Bi-, di-

These can mean two or twice.

Bifocal - usually refers to spectacle lenses that have two portions

Binary - consisting or involving two

Dichotomy - division into two parts

Diatomic - having two atoms in a molecule

Dys-

This means bad or difficult.

Dyspepsia - bad indigestion

Dyslexia - impairment in reading ability

-ology

This means the study of.

Hematology - the study of blood

Pathology - the study of the origin, nature, and course of diseases

Physiology - the study of the human body

-tomy

This means to cut or make an incision.

Tonsillectomy - removing one or two tonsils by cutting them

Vasectomy - the cutting of the tubes through which a man's sperm move

-lysis

This can mean to destroy or dissolve.

Hydrolysis - a chemical reaction where one substance reacts with water to produce another

Dialysis - the removal of waste products from the blood

-oma

This can refer to the swelling or tumour. Many types of cancers, which can come about from having bad tumours in the body, often end with -oma.

Sarcoma - cancer in the connective tissues of the body

Melanoma - skin cancer

Lymphoma - blood cancer

-osis

This can refer to the condition or a process.

Mitosis - a method of cell division

Phagocytosis - ingestion of particle-like matter by cells