Since Biology involves so many new terms, it is worth your while to figure out what they mean. The regularities in the use of the word roots (e.g., cyto- ) that are used in scientific terminology will help you to understand new terms as they come along (e.g., "cytoskeleton"). They can also help you remember their meanings as new vocabulary starts to accumulate. Below are some word derivations, along with some definitions of terms. In general I have not included the definitions. I think that you will profit more from figuring them out yourselves...
taxonomy (taxo-, "arrangement" + -nomy, "the study of")
systematics
morphology (morpho-, "shape, form", + -logy, "study of")
natural classification system
artificial classification system
phylogeny (phylo-, "tribe, race", + -geny, "origin of")
specific epithet (literally "the name of the species," a.k.a. "trivial name")
binomial nomenclature
taxon [pl. taxa] (a "back formation" from the word taxonomy): a taxonomic group
kingdom: no particular endingphylum: names end in -phyta or -mycota
class: names end in -opsida, -phyceae or -mycetes
order: names end in -ales
family: names end in -aceae
genus [pl. genera]
species [pl. species]
homologous features
homoplasic features
convergent evolution
Cyanobacteria (cyano-, "blue-green" + -bacteria)
Cyanophyta (cyano-, "blue-green" + -phyta, "alga") individuals in this phylum are called cyanophytes
autotroph (auto-, "self" + -troph, "nourishment")
heterotroph (hetero-, "other, different" + -troph, "nourishment")
peptidoglycan (peptido-, "protein" + -glycan, "sugar")
mucilaginous (adj. form of "mucilage")
chromatoplasm (chromato-, "color" + -plasm, short for "cytoplasm")
centroplasm (centro-, "in the center" + -plasm, short for "cytoplasm")
thylakoid (thylak-, "sack" + -oid, "like, resembling")
carotenoid (caroten-, from "carotene", a pigment isolated form carrots + -oid, "like, resembling")
phycobilisome (phyco-, "algae" + -bili-, "bile" + -some "body"): clumps of accessory pigments on the surface of the thylakoids; made up of phycobilins and proteins
phycobilin (phyco-, "algae" + -bil-, "bile" + -in suffix for a chemical)
phycoerythrin (phyco-, "algae" + -erythr-, "red" + -in suffix for a chemical): a kind of phycobilin
phycocyanin (phyco-, "algae" + -cyan-, "blue-green" + -in suffix for a chemical): another kind of phycobilin; gives blue-green algae their characteristic color
carboxysome
gas vesicle (vesicle: L. "small sac or vessel")
cyanophycean starch (cyano-, "blue-green" + -phyc-, "algae" +ean suffix for an adjective)
cyanophycin granule (cyano-, "blue-green" + -phyc-, "algae" + -in suffix for a chemical)
polyphosphate granule (poly- "many" + -phosphate)
heterocyst (hetero- "other, different" + -cyst, "cell")
akinete (a- "not" + -kinet-, "motion")
hormogonium [pl. hormogonia] (hormo-, "chain, necklace" + -gonium, "seed, procreative element")
stromatolite (stromato-, "layered" + -lite, "stone, rock")
symbiosis (sym-, "together" + -bi-, "life, living" + -osis, suffix for a process: i.e., "the process of living together")
mutualism
lichen
eutrophic (eu-, "well, true", + -troph-, "to feed", + -ic, suffix for an adjective)
Prochlorophyta (pro-, "before + -chloro-, "green, + -phyta, "plant [phylum name]")
monophyletic
polyphyletic
paraphyletic
prokaryote (pro-, "before" + karyo, "kernel, nut" [i.e., nucleus])
eukaryote (eu-, "good, true" + karyo, "kernel, nut" [i.e., nucleus])
Dictyosteliomycota: cellular slime molds
Dictyostelium (dictyo-, "net" + -stelium, "stalk, pillar" [the stalk of its sporangium is composed of cells, and has a netlike appearance])
mxyamoeba (myxo-, "slime, mucus" + -amoeba)
microcyst (micro- "small" + -cyst)
cAMP: cyclic AMP
pseudoplasmodium [pl. pseudoplasmodia] (pseudo- "false" + -plasmodium)
sporangium [pl. sporangia] (spor-, "seed" + -angium, "vessel")
macrocyst (macro-, "large" + -cyst)
Myxomycota (myxo-, "slime, mucus" + -mycota, "fungus")
Physarum polycephalum
swarm cell: a flagellated haploid cell of the myxomycetes
plasmodium [pl. plasmodia] (plasmo-, "formed element" + -dium, suffix for a noun)
sclerotium [pl. sclerotia] (sclerot-, "hard, dried up" + -ium, suffix for a noun)
mitosis
meiosis
gamete
fertilization
plasmogamy: (plasmo-, from "cytoplasm" + -gamy, "union, joining, marriage")
karyogamy: (karyo-, "kernel, nut" [i.e., nucleus] + -gamy, "union, joining, marriage")
syngamy: (syn-, "together" + -gamy, "union, joining, marriage")
zygote (Gk. zygotos, "yoked, joined")
spore
haplontic
diplontic
diplohaplontic
isomorphic (iso-, "same, equal" + -morpho-, "shape, form" + -ic suffix for an adjective)
heteromorphic (hetero-, "different" + -morpho-, "shape, form" + -ic suffix for an adjective)
autotroph (auto-, "self" + -troph, "nourishment")
heterotroph (hetero-, "other, different" + -troph, "nourishment")
mixotroph (mixo-, "mixed" + -troph, "nourishment")
auxotrophic (auxo-, "to grow, increase" + -troph, "to feed")
phagocytosis (phago-, "to eat" + -cyt-, "cell" + -osis, suffix for a process)
endosymbiosis (endo-, "inside" + -sym-, "together" + -bi-, "life, living" + -osis, suffix for a process: i.e., "the process of living together")
endosymbiont (endo-, "inner, inside of" + -sym-, "together" + -biont, "one who lives") [one who lives inside of another cell]
Glaucophyta (glauco-, "pale green" + -phyta, "plant [phylum name]")
nucleomorph (nucleo-, "nucleus" + -morph, "shape, form")
Dinophyta (dino-, "spinning" + -phyta, "plant [phylum name]")
Pyrrhophyta (pyrrho-, "fire" + -phyta, "plant [phylum name]")
dinoflagellate (dino-, "spinning" + -flagellate)
transverse flagellum
girdle
longitudinal flagellum
sulcus (L., "furrow")
theca [pl. thecea] (from Gk. "case")
epicone (epi-, "top" + -cone)
hypocone (hypo-, "lower" + -cone)
trichocyst (tricho-, "hair" + -cyst)
dinokaryotic (dino-, from "dinoflagellate" + karyo, "kernel, nut" [i.e., nucleus])
mesokaryote (meso-, "middle, intermediate" + karyo, "kernel, nut" [i.e., nucleus])
peridinin (peridin-, from the genus Peridinium + -in, suffix for a molecule)
Pfiesteria piscicida (Pfiesteria, after the phycologist Lois Pfiester + pisci-, "fish" + -cida, "to kill [e.g., homicide is the killing of humans]")
zooxanthella [pl., zooxanthellae] (zoo-, "animal" + -xanth-, "yellow" + -ella, diminutive suffix)
coral bleaching
red tides
Euglenophyta (eu-, "good, true" + -gleno-, "eye" + -phyta, "plant [phylum name]")
reservoir
eyespot (= stigma)
stigma [pl. stigmata] (Gk., "spot")
pellicle (diminutive of L., pellis, "skin")
paramylon (para-, "similar to" + -amylon, "starch")
open mitosis: eukaryotic nuclear division in which the nuclear envelope disperses
closed mitosis: eukaryotic nuclear division in which the nuclear envelope persists
auxotrophic (auxo-, "to grow, increase" + -troph-, "to feed" + -ic, suffix for an adjective) [a nutritional strategy, can fix their carbon, but need certain organic molecules as nutritional supplements]
Cryptophyta (crypto-, "hidden" + -phyta, "plant [phylum name]")
cryptomonad (crypto-, "hidden" + -monad, "single object [unicell]")
gullet
trichocyst
periplast (peri-, "around" + -plast, "cytoplasm")
nucleomorph (nucleo-, "nucleus" + -morph, "shape, form")
Haptophyta (hapto-, from haptonema + -phyta, "plant [phylum name]")
haptoneme (hapto-, "to touch" + -nema, "thread")
coccolith (cocco-, "berry" + -lith, "stone" [i.e., "stones (scales) on the berry (nonflagellated cell)"])
coccolithophorid (cocco-, "berry" + -litho-, "stone" + -phor-, "to bear" + -id, suffix for a thing)
dimethyl sulfide (DMS) CH3- S - CH3
Rhodophyta (rhodo-, "red, rose" + -phyta, "plant [phylum name]")
agar
carrageenan
coralline: resembling a coral
Floridean starch
polar rings: structures that organize the spindle apparatus in red algae
pit plug: (a.k.a. pit connection, although that term refers more to the opening that is blocked by the pit plug)
spermatium [pl. spermatia]
spermatangium [pl. spermatangia] (where spermatia are formed)
carpogonium [pl. carpogonia] (carpo-, "fruit"): the female gamete in red algae
trichogyne (tricho-, "hair" + -gyne, "female")
carposporophyte (makes carpospores)
carposporangium [pl. carposporangia ] (where carpospores are formed)
carpospore
tetrasporophyte (makes tetraspores)
tetrasporangium [pl. tetrasporangia] (where tetraspores are formed)
tetraspore
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