Roots: Science
Keith Kelly provides a comprehensive lesson plan with both a language and content focus accompanied by an alphabetical list of root words used in forming words from the area of science.
To download the accompanying lesson plan, please click on the link to the right of the screen.
The terms in the table are listed alphabetically for ease of reference but it’s a good idea to encourage learners to create their own connections and groupings related to content as well as form.
| root word | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|
| aero- | oxygen | Friction from air is reduced with an aerodynamic shape. |
| agri- | field | The faeces excreted by chickens can be used as a fertilizer in agriculture. |
| amphi- | both | Reptiles, fish and amphibians are ectothermic or cold-blooded, because their body temperature is affected by the temperature of their surroundings. |
| -aemic | blood | Pregnant women, anaemic people and people with certain illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis B and malaria are not allowed to donate blood. |
| angi- | container, vessel | If the circulatory system in humans hardens, this will restrict the flow of blood to the heart muscles and result in severe chest pains called angina. |
| ante- | before | An ultrasound examination may be made on one or more antenatal checks. |
| anti- | against | Antioxidants stop the spoiling of food by oxidation in air. Minor cuts and bruises should be cleaned with water or antiseptic, then covered with a sticking plaster. |
| arch- | chief, principal | Explain how blueprints of large architectural diagrams are made. |
| arthr- | joint | This product is used to treat allergies, arthritis and asthma and to alleviate nausea. |
| auto- | self | Shivering is an automatic response of the muscles which make rapid rhythmic movements. What is the difference between an autotroph and a heterotroph feeder? |
| bio- | life | Many washing powders contain what is called a bioactive enzyme, which helps in the cleaning and removal of stains from clothing. |
| bi- | two | The bimetallic thermometer also uses thermal expansion to measure temperature. Erythrocytes are shaped like a biconcave disc. |
| cardi- | heart | The pumping action of your heart is due to the regular and repetitive contractions and relaxations of the cardiac muscle. |
| carn- | flesh, meat | Animals that feed only on plants are herbivores and those that feed on other animals are carnivores. |
| chlor- | green | Leaf structure photosynthesis takes place in any part of the plant that is green, because that is where the chlorophyll is found. |
| chrom- | colour | To investivate the pigments in a dye using paper chromatography, your teacher will provide you with a strip of filter paper and a coloured dye solution. |
| -cide | killing | The chemical found in the spermicide is also believed to provide some form of protection against sexually transmitted diseases. |
| contra- | against | The use of contraceptives prevents unexpected pregnancies. |
| -cost | rib | The intercostal muscles participate in the act of breathing. |
| cysto- | bladder | A cystogram is an image taken of the bladder filled with a dye in order to look for defects. |
| cyto- | cell | With the additional water made during respiration, this could harm your body by making the blood and the cytoplasm in the cells too dilute. |
| dendr- | tree, branch | Dendrons are extensions that link to other neurons, or to a receptor or effector (very short dendrons are called dendrites) |
| dent- | tooth | Regular six-month checks by the dentist will help to take care of your teeth. |
| -derm- | skin | The base of the glands are near to blood capillaries which allow easy diffusion of waste products from the blood into the epidermis. |
| di- | two | Most plants are dicotyledons, such as hibiscus, peas and beans. |
| dia- | across | The diaphragm blocks the entrance to the uterus, preventing sperm from reaching an ovum. |
| ecto- | outside | Ectothermic animals that live in water are in an environment where temperature changes very little. |
| -ectomy | cutting out | A vasectomy is carried out on a man and involves tying and cutting the sperm duct, therefore preventing the sperm travelling from the testes to the urethra. |
| endo- | inside | The endocrine system works together with the nervous system to regulate growth and development and to respond to changes both inside and outside of the body. |
| epi- | above | The epiglottis prevents swallowed food (bolus) from entering the windpipe. |
| extra- | beyond | Extrapolate the graph to deduce the expected population by the year 2003. |
| gam- | mating | Body cells replicate by mitosis while sex cells (gametes): replicate by meiosis. |
| geo- | the earth | Geothermal energy can be used to generate electricity. |
| -graph | write | Explain how the bird in the photograph got near the oil spill on the water and why it died. |
| hetero- | different | Animals can be described as consumers, or heterotrophs. |
| hydro- | water | This effect will be reinforced by the hydrotropism since the soil is likely to be more moist than the air and the root will grow toward the moist region. |
| hyper- | excess | Hypertension is known as high blood pressure. |
| hypo- | below | Seeds may show hypogeal germination or epigeal germination. |
| inter- | between | This equation states that energy (E): and mass (m): can be interconverted, so energy can be changed into mass and mass can be changed into energy. |
| intra- | within | Intrauterine device (IUD): This is a plastic or metal device that is inserted into the uterus of the woman by a doctor or nurse. |
| insul- | island | The islets of Langerhans in the pancreas produce the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels. |
| iso- | the same | Hypertonic or isotonic drinks are intended for rapid fluid replacement. |
| -itis | an inflammation | If the disease is not treated, the patient could develop kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure and respiratory distress, which may lead to death. |
| -kary- | nucleus | All cells fall into one of the two major classifications of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. |
| lign- | wood | Lignin (or lignen) is a complex chemical compound most commonly derived from wood, and an integral part of the secondary cell walls of plants and some algae. |
| -log- | study | Soil formation results from chemical and physical weathering of rocks, along with biological action. |
| -lys- | breakdown | For example, if the effector is a muscle, this will result in paralysis of the muscle. |
| mega- | large | Joules are very small units, so we generally express energy in the units kilojoules (kJ) or megajoules (mJ). |
| meta- | after | Thyroxin increases the overall metabolic rate as well as regulates growth and development of the individual. |
| micro- | small | In radiation, the energy is transferred by electromagnetic waves similar to light, microwaves, X-rays and radio waves. |
| neur- | nerve | You have several different neurotransmitters in your body. |
| -oid | resembling | The particles in a colloid do not separate out on standing, and they are too small to be seen separately. |
| omni- | all | Animals that feed on both living plant and animal material are omnivores. |
| -on | a unit | When an electrical impulse in a neuron reaches a synapse, it triggers the release of tiny amounts of a chemical substance. |
| opt- | sight | What might be the effect on a person who suffered damage to the optic nerve (the nerve that links the eye to the brain)? |
| -ose | a carbohydrate | Glucose in the urine is a clear indication that a person is suffering from diabetes. |
| -osis | a phenomenon | If the thrombosis occurs in the coronary artery (coronary thrombosis) this can stop the heart beating and the person has a heart attack. |
| osmo- | a push | The kidneys also assist with osmoregulation by adjusting how much water is reabsorbed into the body from the urine in the kidney tubules. |
| oste- | bone | Bone deformities can occur, such as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. |
| para- | beside | List three properties of a parallel circuit. |
| path- | disease | Blood leaking from cuts and grazes quickly clots to form a seal preventing the entry of pathogens. |
| peri- | around | Large nerves in the peripheral system may contain thousands of neurons, and there are millions in your brain. |
| phago- | eating | There are two types of white blood cells: phagocytes and lymphocytes. |
| phen- | appearance | The shadow is a phenomenon that proves that light travels in a straight line. |
| -phil- | liking | Hydrophilic means water-loving. |
| photo- | light | Oxygen can be considered a waste product of photosynthesis, while carbon dioxide is a waste product of respiration. |
| phyto- | race, group | Phytoplankton, though they are so tiny, are the start of most food chains in the seas and oceans. |
| -pod | foot, leg | Place the apparatus on a tripod and heat from below. |
| pro- | forward | Repeat the procedure three times for each type of thread and calculate an average. |
| proto- | first | Many other unicellular organisms reproduce by binary fission, including protozoa such as Paramecium, which is found in fresh water, and Plasmodium which causes the disease malaria in humans. |
| -som- | a body | The blood fluke is a species of flatworm called Schistosoma which causes a disease known as bilharzia or schistosomiasis. |
| -sperm | seed | The zygote and endosperm are enclosed in the outer wall of the ovule, which hardens to form a protective seed coat called the testa. |
| -spir- | breathe | The reaction in which the energy is released from food is respiration. The rate of transpiration is affected by temperature, wind, humidity and the surface area of leaves. |
| stat- | stability | If the baby is born premature, statistically the chance of survival is reduced. |
| stoma- | mouth | Plants keep their temperature optimum using the evaporation of water through the stomata of leaves during transpiration, which provides a cooling effect. |
| sub- | under | If you are measuring the temperature of a liquid, such as a cup of hot water, the bulb must be submerged below the surface of the liquid. |
| super- | above | If you try this experiment, you’ll need the supervision of your science teacher! |
| sym- | together with | In a single jaw, the teeth are arranged symmetrically. |
| tetra- | four | These include non-aqueous, organic solvents such as methylated spirits, acetone, alcohols, 1,1,1-trichloroethane and tetrachloroethane. |
| -therm- | heat | Ectothermic animals that live in water are in an environment where temperature changes very little. |
| thromb- | clot | If the thrombosis occurs in the coronary artery (coronary thrombosis): this can stop the heart beating and the person has a heart attack. |
| -tom- | cut | A vasectomy is carried out on a man and involves tying and cutting the sperm duct, therefore preventing the sperm travelling from the testes to the urethra. |
| tox- | poison | Lymphocytes are also able to convert toxins (poisons) released into the bloodstream by invading cells into less toxic substances. |
| -trans- | across | You have several different neurotransmitters in your body. |
| -troph | feeding | Heterotrophs get their food by feeding on other plant or animal material. |
| uni- | one | Unicellular organisms consist of only one cell, while multicellular organisms are made up of many cells. |
| vas- | vessel | The phloem and xylem run parallel to each other and their combined structure is called the vascular bundle. |
| ventr- | belly, front of body | The right ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs, while the left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body. |
| -vor- | feeding | Animals that feed only on plants are herbivores and those that feed on other animals are carnivores. |
| xyl- | wood | Percussion instruments, such as drums, xylophone and triangle, produce sounds by vibrating at the surface. |
| zoo- | animal | Both oysters and zooplankton eat phytoplankton, and both starfish and crabs eat limpets. |
| -zyg- | fused together | The characteristics portrayed by an individual are due to the presence of a dominant gene or a homozygous recessive gene pair. |
| -zym- | yeast | The gastric juice contains an enzyme, pepsin, which breaks protein in the food into smaller units called polypeptides. |
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Root words: Science: Lesson plan.
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