Science Terms

Made Easy

A Lexicon of Scientific Words and

Their Root Language Origins

Joseph S. Elias

GREENWOOD PRESSWestport, Connecticut • London

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Elias, Joseph S., 1948– Science terms made easy : a lexicon of scientific words and their root language origins / Joseph S. Elias. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0–313–33896–5 (alk. paper) 1. Science—Terminology. 2. Latin language—Technical Latin. 3. English language—Etymology. I. Title. Q179.E45 2007 501'.4—dc22 2006026197

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.

Copyright © 2007 by Joseph S. Elias

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without theexpress written consent of the publisher.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2006026197ISBN: 0–313–33896–5

First published in 2007

Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.www.greenwood.com

Printed in the United States of America

The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the NationalInformation Standards Organization (Z39.48–1984).

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For all you mean to me, this book is dedicated to my mother and father;

to my brothers, Edward and Victor; and to my daughters, Elizabeth, Kate, and Samantha.

Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xi

How to Use This Book xiii

Alphabetical Entries 1

Common Prefixes 205

Common Roots 209

Common Suffixes 217

Resources 219

Preface

The idea for writing this book came about as a resultof discussions with my pre-service science teacheron effective ways to teach science vocabulary. Yearsago, I came to realize that high school and middleschool students viewed the complexities of scientificvocabulary as a necessary burden that sometimesinterfered with their pursuit of understanding impor-tant concepts. Students at these grade levels wouldcomplain about words that were unfamiliar or unrec-ognizable. Quite often science teachers new to theprofession would address the vocabulary by develop-ing word lists and definitions or by coming up withsimple word association games promoting the abilityto recognize words and recall their meanings.

During my years as a teacher of human anatomyand physiology, I developed a student assignmentcalled the “List of 50 Muscles.” Students were pro-vided with a list of the muscles, and their task was toexamine the names and describe all they could about agiven muscle simply by analyzing the name. Musclessuch as the pterygoideus internus, the external carpiradialis longus, or my favorite, the sternocleidomastoi-deus, challenged students to go beyond the wordsthemselves and, in a sense, dissect the word as theywould if they were dissecting a preserved specimen.Students discovered that the parts of these scientificterms could be interchanged and still retain theirmeanings.

As you might imagine, for me as a young teacher,this was a breakthrough of sorts. I became as strong anadvocate for inquiry-type teaching approaches to sci-entific terminology as I was for the teaching of inquirymethods in science itself. I found a way to once again

challenge students to think, analyze, and reason theirway to a deeper understanding rather than resort to rotememorization.

This, of course, led me to more deeply examinethe terminology that I used on a regular basis in allmy science classes. I became more curious about theorigins and the history of the words. If a studentwanted an explanation of a given word, I wanted tobe prepared to either point the student in a directionwhere he could find an answer or, sometimes, to sim-ply tell the tale myself.

What I discovered was that words have histories.They move through cultures and times and mutatealong the way. So when you examine the list, youwill find descriptions of many roots that will callupon you to make the connections between the origi-nal meanings of the roots and their modern counter-parts. Sometimes making those connections is astretch, and you’ll have to use your imagination. Butthrough all of this, I found the literal meanings to besimple, if not humble, compared with the rathersophisticated uses of the root words today.

I hope you will value the sidebars. You will proba-bly notice that the ancient Greeks had much to dowith science, mathematics, and philosophy. Thesegreat thinkers provided the world with its first reallygrand period of scientific enlightenment. The philoso-phers of the time pondered the order of the universe.They speculated and hypothesized on all aspects oforder and chaos. They spoke of the things that wereearthly and of things that were divine, and they usedthese models as the bases for their perception of thephysical world. Many of the terms used in science,

x Preface

especially the physical sciences, have their originsin the Greek language.

The study of living things—anatomy, taxonomy,and medicine—did not really move forward untilthe next period of scientific enlightenment, in theseventeenth and eighteenth centuries. By that time,the great days of the Greek civilization were longpast and the age of exploration and investigationmoved more toward Western Europe. Thus, you willnotice that many of the root words associated withliving things are of Latin rather than Greek origin.

As a final note, this compilation of words is byno means meant to be a complete text of scientificterminology, but it does represent a very healthycollection of the more common words used in sci-ence courses in middle and high school scienceclasses. I imagine that students in lower-divisioncollege courses will also find this book to be avaluable reference. It is my sincere hope thatreaders will have as much fun with this compila-tion of science terminology as I had putting it alltogether.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I wish to acknowledge the manyscience education students at Kutztown Universityfor their significant contributions to my list ofwords. Without them, the task of gathering infor-mation and developing the final product would havebeen far more daunting of an undertaking.

I would also like to acknowledge the members ofthe Department of Secondary Education at Kutztown

University. Their support, expertise, guidance, andpatience allowed me to focus on the task at hand.

I would also like to thank the regional scienceteachers who, on occasion, would e-mail or passalong words that caught their interest.

How to UseThis Book

I have never underestimated the creativity of teach-ers. When they were given the right tools and theproper amount of time, the teachers that I have knowndeveloped some fascinating perspectives on how toteach science. Virtually all experienced and talentedscience teachers pride themselves on being able tochallenge students to think, reason, predict, hypothe-size, and interpret data collected from observationand experimentation. This book provides anothervaluable component to assist them in their efforts.

Teaching scientific terminology for understand-ing has always been a challenge for teachers. Thewords included in this text will provide the teacherwith a source for integrating complex terminologyinto their lessons. I recommend that instructorsdesign activities that call for students to criticallyexamine the words they are learning in ways thatencourage them to look deeper into their meaningsand historic origins. The sidebars provide historicalperspectives and a quick study of interesting peopleand events that led to the study of science and tech-nology in the modern era. The reader will gain anappreciation of how scientists, mathematicians, andphilosophers of past eras were able to develop theo-

ries of the order of the universe based on reasonrather than experimentation. Many of these theorieswent unchallenged for over a thousand years.

I would encourage students to become veryfamiliar with the common prefixes and suffixes.Suffixes such as -or and -ion appear repeatedly inwords pertaining to actions or processes. Prefixessuch as a- or an- and con- or com- are very commonin scientific language. If students are made aware ofhow these word fragments are used, they should beable to recognize their relevance in terms that arenew to them. Teachers may also want to point outthat the o’s have been deliberately removed frommany of the word fragments, the reason being thatthey are generally referred to as “combining vow-els.” The o is used to connect many commonly usedprefixes and suffixes to the root words; such, forinstance, is the case with stern-o-mastoid.

This inquiry approach to language not onlystrengthens the analytical skills of students, it alsofosters a sense of independence in the learner.Students quickly learn that they have the power toexamine complex words and construct new mean-ings independently of a teacher or professor.

Abdomen

Latinabdomen belly, venterThat portion of the body that lies between thelower thorax (chest) and the pelvis.

Abdominalgia

Latin/Greekabdomen- belly, venter-algia pain, sense of pain; painful; hurtingPain in the abdomen; a belly ache.

Abductor

Latinab- off, away from-ducere- to draw or lead-or a condition or property of things or persons, person that does something The name given to the function of a skeletal mus-cle used to pull a body part (arm or leg) awayfrom the midline of the body.

Aberration

Latinaberrare- deviation from the proper or expected course-ion state, process, or quality ofThe bluring or distortion of an image, typicallycaused by a defect in the lens.

Abiocoen

Greeka- without-bios- life, living organisms or tissue-coen common, sharedThe sum total of the nonliving components of anenvironment.

Abiotic

Greeka- without-bios- life, living organisms or tissue-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofThe set of nonliving environmental factors orconditions that are common within a given eco-logical system.

Abrasion

Latinabradere- to scrape off-ion state, process, or quality of The process of wearing down or scraping off bymeans of rubbing one object against another object.

Abscess

Greekab- off, away from-c dere to goA localized collection of pus in part of the body,formed by tissue disintegration and surroundedby an inflamed area.

Abscission

Latinab- off, away from-caedere- to cut-ion state, process, or quality of The shedding of leaves, flowers, or fruits follow-ing the formation of the abscission zone.

Absorbance

Latinab- off, away from-sorbere- to suck-ance brilliance, appearance

e

2 Abyssal

The relative ability of the surface of a substanceto retain radiant energy.

Abyssal

Greeka- without-bussos- bottom-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf or relating to the region of the ocean bottombetween the bathyal and hadal zones, from depthsof approximately 3,000 to 6,000 meters.

Acanthaceous

Greek/Latinakanthos- thorn plant-aceous having the quality ofResembling or having the quality of the family ofplants that bear prickles or spines.

Acanthologist

Greekakanthos- thorn plant-logist one who speaks in a certain manner; one who deals with a certain topicA person who studies spines or spiny creatures.

Acapnia

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-kapnos smoke, carbon dioxide (CO2)A condition marked by the presence of less thanthe normal amount of CO2 in blood and tissue.

Acardia

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-kard- heart, pertaining to the heart-ia names of diseases, place names, Latinizing pluralsA congenital condition, usually occurring withtwins, where one of the two siblings is born with-out a heart, or a lone heart is shared by the two.

Acaulescent

Latina- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-caulis- stem-escent being in a specific state, beginning to beA seemingly stemless plant, though the stem maybe small and sometimes belowground.

Accipitrine

Latinaccipiter- hawk-ine of or relating toRaptorial, hawklike, belonging to the genusAccipiter.

Acclimation

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-klime- slope-ion state, process, or quality of Physiological responses to environmental change.

Accommodation

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-commodus- to adjust, suitable-ion state, process, or quality ofThe state or process of adjusting one item to another.

Accuracy

Latinaccuratus- done with care-cy state, condition, qualityPrecision, exactness.

Acetabulum

Latinaceta- hip-bul- place for-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structureCup-shaped cavity at the base of the hipbone.

Acetylcholine

Latin/Greekacetum- vinegar-khole- bile-ine a chemical substanceA neurotransmitter that mediates the synapticactivity of autonomic synapses and neuromuscularjunctions.

Acheiria

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-chir- hand; pertaining to the hand or hands-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsCongenital absence of the hands.

Acidaminuria

Latinacere- to be sour-amino- relating to an amine or other compound containing an NH2 group-urina urineA disorder involving the metabolism of proteinwhere excessive amounts of amino acids arefound in the urine.

Acidemia

Latinacere- to be sour-haima blood

Actophilous 3

A medical condition in which blood pH is belownormal.

Acidic

Latinacere- to be sour-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofHaving the reactions or characteristics of an acid.

Acidiferous

Latinacere- to be sour-ferrous bear, carry; produceProducing or yielding an acid.

Acidize

Latin/Greekacere- to be sour-ize to make, to treat, to do something withTo treat with acid.

Acidosis

New Latinacere- to be sour-sis action, process, state, conditionThe condition in which there is an excessiveamount of acid in the blood.

Acoelomate

Latin/Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-coelom- (koilomat) cavity-ate an organism having these characteristicsAn organism lacking a body cavity between thegut and the outer musculature of the body wall.

Acology

Greekaco- remedy, cure-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe science of remedies; therapeutics.

Acroanesthesia

Greekacro- outermost; extreme; extremity of the body-an- without, not-aisthesis- feeling-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsLoss of sensation in the extremities; such as thehands, fingers, toes, and feet.

Acrodendrophile

Greekacro- high, highest, highest point; top, tip end, outermost; extreme-dendron- tree, treelike structure-phile one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference for

In biology, describing a species that lives orthrives in treetop habitats.

Acromegaly

Greekacro- high, highest, highest point; top, tip end, outermost; extreme-megas large, big, greatA chronic disease in which the bones of theextremities, face, and jaw become enlarged.

Acrosome

Greekacro- high, highest, highest point; top, tip end, outermost; extreme-soma (somatiko) bodyA caplike structure at the anterior end of a sper-matozoon that produces enzymes aiding in eggpenetration.

Actin

Latinctus- motion

- nus relating toA protein found in muscle that, together with myo-sin, functions in muscle contraction.

Actinoid

Greekaktin- ray (as of light), radiance, radiating-oid (oeid s) resembling; having the appearance ofHaving a radial form, as a starfish.

Actinotherapy

Greekaktin- ray (as of light), radiance, radiating-therapeuein heal, cure; treatmentTreatment of disease by means of light rays.

Activation

Latinctus- to set in motion

-ion state, process, or quality of Stimulation of activity in an organism or chemical.

Activity

Latinactivus- to drive, do-ity state of, quality ofThe state of being active; energetic action ormovement; liveliness.

Actophilous

Greekacto- seashore, beach-phile- one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference for-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toIn biology, organisms thriving on rocky seashoresor growing on coasts.

ai

e

a

4 Acuminate

Acuminate

Latinacus- (acuere) to sharpen; needle, point-ate characterized by havingDescribing the tip of some leaves tapering gradu-ally at the end to a point.

Acute

Latinacus sharp; needleSevere and sharp, as in pain.

Adactylia

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-daktulos toe, finger, digitThe absence of digits on the hand or foot.

Adaptation

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-aptare- fit, fitted, suited-ion state, process, or quality of Modification of an organism or its parts that

makes it more fit for existence under the condi-tions of its environment.

Adduct

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-ducere to lead, bring, take, or drawTo draw inward toward the median axis of thebody or toward an adjacent part or limb.

Adductor

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-ducere- to lead, bring, take, or draw-or a condition or property of things or persons; person who does something Any muscle used to draw a body part toward themidline of the body.

Adelopod

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-delo- visible, clear, clearly seen, obvious-pod footAn animal whose feet are not apparent.

Natural Selection

Over a century ago two men put forth a coherenttheory about the origin of new species. The expla-nation was really quite simple and was basedmostly on observations of the natural world. Yettoday people in the Western world continue to con-test the validity of the theory of evolution based onnatural selection.

Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallacecontended that the world is full of different species,and that any species, if allowed to do so, will growat a prolific rate, producing far more progeny thancan be handled by its environment. The results arereadily observable: the excess population of a givenspecies tends to die off, leaving behind an accept-able number of organisms given the availableresources. Darwin believed that the organisms thatmanage to survive do so because they are bestadapted to the particular set of environmental con-ditions in which they exist. Since survivors tend tolive to reproduce, those managing to do so wouldpass on to the next generation the same or similargenetical traits that allowed them to be among the“selected.” And because organisms tend do whatcomes natural—eat, drink, seek shelter, andbreed—the progeny or filial generation wouldinvariably be confronted with environmentalstresses influencing their ability to carry out thefirst three of these natural functions, leading to the

imposition of a selective process on their numbersand leaving the survivors to breed amongthemselves—that is, assuming they are sexual intheir habits

Now multiply this process by the time allottedfor each generation—which is considerably longerfor humans than for rats, for instance. The numberof offspring produced by fertile females varies, asdoes their reproductive viability (how often theyreproduce). When we compare the number and fre-quency of births for rats with those of even moreprolific species, such as fleas or bacteria, we natu-rally find that the more prolific a species is, thegreater the likelihood of diversity in genotype andphenotype.

It is all about adaptability. Through selection,over time species tend to become more in tune withtheir environment. Because of successful adapta-tion and continual breeding, any given species hasthe capacity to produce genetic mutations. Thesecontinual, chance changes in genetic code overextreme periods of time have the potential of mod-ifying the individuals of a given species to the pointto where they significantly differ from their ances-tors. These genetically produced modifications are“tested” against environmental conditions and areeither selected for or selected against based onwhether the organism lives long enough to breed.

Advection 5

Adenalgia

Greekaden- lymph gland(s)-algia pain, sense of pain; painful, hurtingA painful swelling in a gland.

Adendric

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-dendr- tree, resembling a tree-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofWithout dendrites.

Adenine

Greekaden- lymph gland(s)-ine of or relating toA white crystalline base found in various animaland vegetable tissues as one of the purine baseconstituents.

Adenitis

Greekaden- lymph gland(s)-itis inflammation, burningInflammation of a lymph node or of a gland.

Adenocarcinoma

Greekaden- lymph gland(s)-karkinos- crab, cancer-oma tumor, neoplasmA malignant tumor originating in glandularepithelium.

Adenofibrosis

Greek/Latinaden- lymph gland(s)-fibre- an elongated threadlike structure-sis action, process, state, conditionFibroid change in a gland.

Adenoid

Greekaden- lymph gland(s)-oid (oeid s) resembling; having the appearance ofGlandlike lymphoid tissue, similar to the tonsils,located high in the back of the pharynx.

Adenovirus

Greekaden- lymph gland(s)-v rus poisonAny of a group of DNA-containing viruses thatcause conjunctivitis and upper respiratory tractinfections in humans.

Adhesive

Latin

ad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-haerere- stick to, cling to-ive performing an actionTending to cling; sticky.

Adiabatic

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-diabatos- passable-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf, relating to, or being a reversible thermody-namic process that occurs without gain or loss ofheat and without a change in entropy.

Adipocyte

Latinadip- of or pertaining to fat-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidA mature fat cell found in animals.

Adiponecrosis

Greekadip- of or pertaining to fat-necro- death-sis action, process, state, conditionDeath of fatty tissue occurring in hemorrhagicpancreatitis.

Adipose

Latinadip- of or pertaining to fat-ose sugar, carbohydrateOf a fatty nature; the fat present in the cells of adi-pose tissue.

Adjuvant

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-jungere- to join or unite-an one that is of, relating to, or belonging toA substance added to a vaccine to increase itseffectiveness.

Adrenal

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-ren- the kidneys-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofGlands located on top of the kidneys.

Advection

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-vehere- to carry-ion state, process, or quality of The transfer of a property of the atmosphere, suchas heat, cold, or humidity, by the horizontalmovement of an air mass.

e

i

6 Adventitious

Adventitious

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-vent- come-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toDescribing buds of a plant developing in intern-odes or on roots.

Adynamandrous

Greeka- without-dunamikos- powerful-androus man, men, male, masculineHaving nonfunctioning male reproductive organs.

Aerenchyma

Latinaer- air, atmosphere, mist, wind-enchyma tissueLarge air-filled cells that allow rapid diffusion ofoxygen within wetland plants.

Aerobacter

Greekaer- air, atmosphere, mist, wind-bacter rod-shaped microorganismAny genus of bacteria normally found in theintestine.

Aerobic

Greekaer- air, atmosphere, mist, wind-bio- life, living organisms or tissue-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofPertaining to organisms or processes that requirethe presence of oxygen.

Aerobiont

Greekaer- air, atmosphere, mist, wind-bio- life, living organisms or tissue-ont (einai) to beEither an organism living in air as distinct fromwater or soil or an organism requiring oxygen.

Aerolite

Greekaer- air, atmosphere, mist, wind-lite- (lith) stone or rockA meteorite that is composed of a siliceous stonymaterial.

Aerophilous

Greekaer- air, atmosphere, mist, wind-phile- one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference for-ous full of, having the quality of, relating to

Refers to plants that are pollinated by wind or fer-tilized by airborne pollen.

Aerotaxis

Greekaer- air, atmosphere, mist, wind-taxis order or arrangementMovement of an organism in response to the pres-ence of molecular oxygen.

Affect

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-facere to do, carry, bear, bringTo act upon or have an influence upon somebehavior.

Affector

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-facere- to do, carry, bear, bring-or a condition or property of things or persons; person who does somethingIn biology, the term given to a nerve cell.

Afferent

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-facere- to do, carry, bear, bring-ent causing an action, being in a specific state, withinLeading toward a region of interest; carryingtoward the center of an organ or section, such asnerves that conduct impulses from the body to thebrain or spinal cord.

Agantha

Greeka- without-gnatha jawA superclass of fish that lack a jaw and a pelvic fin.

Agglutination

a- without-glutinare- to glue-ion state, process, or quality of The process by which red blood cells clumptogether.

Agonist

Greekagon- conflict, contest-ist one who is engaged inA muscle that is contracting and has an opposingmuscle (antagonist) applying force on a bone inthe opposite direction.

Albinism 7

Agriculture

Latinagros- of or belonging to fields or soil-colere to tillThe science, art, and business of cultivating soil,producing crops, and raising livestock; farming.

Agroforestry

Greek/Latinagros- of or belonging to fields or soil-foris- outside-y place for an activity, condition, stateLand management for simultaneous productionof food crops and trees.

Aigialophilous

Greekaigial- beach, seashore, cliff-phile- one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference for-ous full of, having the quality of, relating to

A community of organisms that thrive in beachhabitats or among pebbles on the beach.

Albedo

Latinalbus- the color white-oid (oeid s) resembling; having the appearance ofThe ability of the surface of a planet or a moon toreflect light.

Albinism

Latinalbus- the color white-ism state or condition, qualityThe state or condition of being an albino; a group ofinherited disorders characterized by deficiency orabsence of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes due toan abnormality in the production of melanin.

George Washington Carver

“Our creator is the same and never changes despitethe names given Him by people here and in all partsof the world. Even if we gave Him no name at all,He would still be there, within us, waiting to give usgood on this earth.”

—G.W. CarverHow eloquent this humble man and inventor

was during his life. George Washington Carver wasborn in 1864, near the end of the American CivilWar, in Diamond Grove, Missouri. In these trou-bled times, Carver was kidnapped along with hismother by Confederate night raiders and wound upin Arkansas. Moses Carver, the owner of the farmthat was George’s birthplace, later found Georgeand reclaimed him. He and his wife, Susan, raisedGeorge as their own. His natural mother was neverfound, and the identity of his father was not known.

He left home at the tender age of 12 to begin hisschooling. George suffered all the setbacks associ-ated with racial segregation. He was the first blackstudent ever to be admitted into Simpson College ofIndianola, Iowa. There he studied piano and art, butGeorge wanted to study science, so he transferredto Iowa Agricultural College in 1891, when he was27 years old. George was a diligent student; heearned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree inbacterial botany and agriculture in 1897 andbecame the first black member of the Iowa college.

Later that year, George Washington Carvermoved to Tuskegee, Alabama, to become the Direc-tor of Agriculture at the Tuskegee Normal andIndustrial Institute for Negroes. It was here that

Carver began a career that has impacted the lives ofmillions. He helped revolutionize agricultural prac-tices in the war-torn South. As a result of the con-tinuous planting of either cotton or tobacco,southern plantations had become virtually useless.Carver taught farmers about crop rotation for thepurpose of enriching the fields with nutrients. Hetaught them how to grow peanuts, soybeans, sweetpotatoes, and other soil-enriching crops. Thisbrought the South back to life again.

George Washington Carver was never interestedin wealth or profit from his work. He lived by hiswords: “How far you go in life depends on yourbeing tender with the young, compassionate withthe aged, sympathetic with the striving, and toler-ant of the weak and strong. Because someday inyour life you will have been all of these.” He heldthree patents, but he did not patent the numerousdiscoveries he made while at Tuskegee. He createdover 300 products from peanuts and more than 100products from sweet potatoes.

Carver was a compassionate teacher. He taughthis students to love nature and to use the forces ofnature for the benefit of all. He believed that educa-tion should be “made common” and that all mem-bers of the community would profit by an educatedsociety.

George Washington Carver died in 1943. Hewas honored by President Franklin Roosevelt witha national monument, the first for an AfricanAmerican, near Diamond Grove, the place of hischildhood.

e

8 Albumin

Albumin

Latinalbumo- the color white-in protein or derived from a proteinBlood plasma protein produced in the liver.

Alcohol

Med. Latin from Arabical- the-kuhl- essences obtained by distillation-ol alcoholAny of a series of hydroxyl compounds havingthe general formula CnH2n+1OH.

Aldehyde

Latinal. dehyd- short for alcohol dehydrogenateAny of a class of highly reactive organic chemicalcompounds obtained by oxidation of primaryalcohols.

Aldosterone

Greek/Latinal. dehyd- dehydrogenized alcohol-stereos- solid-one chemical compound containing oxygen in a carbonyl groupA steroid hormone secreted by the adrenal cortexthat regulates the salt and water balance in the body.

Algae (alga)

Latinalga seaweedA very large, diverse group of plantlike organ-isms that are mostly aquatic or marine. Theyrange from the unicellular forms to the extremelylarge kelp forms.

Algaecide

Latinalga seaweed-cide (caedere) to cut, kill, hack at, or strikeType of pesticide that controls algae in bodies ofwater.

Algesimeter

Greekalgeis- pain-meter (metron) instrument or means of measur-ing; to measureAn instrument used to measure the sensitivity to pain,such as that produced by pricking with a sharp point.

Algesiogenic

Greekalgeis- pain-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofProducing pain.

Alimentary

Latinalimentum- nourishment, supplying food-ary of, relating to, or connected withPertaining to food or nourishment and to thedigestive system/alimentary canal.

Alinasal

Latin/Greekala- wing-nasus- nose-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofPertaining to the flaring of the nostrils.

Aliphatic

Greekaleiphein- to anoint with oil-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf or relating to a group of organic chemicalcompounds with carbon atoms linked in openchains.

Alkalimeter

Latin (from Arabic)/Greekalkali- (Latin) basic (pH more than 7)alqili- (Arabic) ashes (originally from Arabic word al-qali, which means “ashes,” and recalls the elements Na [sodium] and K [potassium] left in the ashes of burning wood or plants)-meter (metron) instrument or means of measur-ing; to measureAn apparatus for measuring concentrations ofalkalinity in solutions.

Alkaline

Latin (from Arabic)/Greekalkali- (Latin) basic (pH more than 7)alqili- (Arabic) ashes (originally from Arabic word al-qali, which means “ashes,” and recalls the elements Na [sodium] and K [potassium] left in the ashes of burning wood or plants)-ine of or relating toRelating to or containing the carbonate or hy-droxide of an alkali metal (the aqueous solutionof which is bitter, slippery, caustic, and basic).

Alkalosis

Latin (from Arabic)/Greekalkali- (Latin) basic (pH more than 7)alqili- (Arabic) ashes (originally from Arabic word al-qali, which means “ashes,” and recalls the elements Na [sodium] and K [potassium] left in the ashes of burning wood or plants)-sis action, process, state, conditionThe condition in which there is an excessiveamount of alkali in the blood.

Altruism 9

Alkane

English/Arabic/Frenchalkyl- (English) alcoholal-kuhl- (Arabic) al- the + kuhl powder of antimony-(meth)ane an odorless, colorless gas (CH4)Any member of the alkane series.

Alkene

Latin (from Arabic)/Greekalkyl- (English) alcoholal-kuhl- (Arabic) al- the + kuhl powder of antimony-ene an unsaturated organic compoundAny of a series of unsaturated, open-chain hydrocar-bons with one or more carbon-carbon double bonds.

Alkyne

Latin (from Arabic)/Greekalkyl- (English) alcoholal-kuhl- (Arabic) al- the + kuhl powder of anti-mony-ine a chemical compoundAny of a series of open-chain hydrocarbons witha carbon-carbon triple bond.

Allele

Greekalleion mutuallyOne of two or more alternative forms of a gene, occu-pying the same position on paired chromosomesand controlling the same inherited characteristic.

Allergen

Greekallos- other, different-gen to give birth, kind, produceA substance, such as pollen, that causes an allergy.

Alliaceous

Latinallium- onion, garlic bulb-aceous having the quality ofOf or pertaining to the botanical genus Allium.

Allometry

Greekallos- other, different-metria (metron) the process of measuringThe patterns of relationships among structure,function, and size.

Allosaur

Greekallos- other, different-sauros lizardAny one of a group of dinosaurs existing in thelate Jurassic and early Cretaceous periods. Theyhad features similar to those of the tyrannosaur,but were small.

Allotropy

Greekallos- other, different-trope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to a stimulus-y place for an activity, condition, stateThe existence of two or more crystalline ormolecular structural forms of an element (rotat-ing light in different directions).

Alloy

Latinalligare- to bind-y place for an activity, condition, stateThe state of mixing two or more metallic sub-stances where the combination calls for each metalto occupy spaces within the molecules of the other.

Alluvion

Latin (alluere)ad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-luere- to wash-ion state, process, or quality of The process by which the wash or flow of waterinundates a land mass; to wash against.

Altimeter

Latinaltus- high, highest, tall, lofty-meter (metron) instrument or means of measur-ing, to measureA barometer-like device that is used in airplanesto determine altitude.

Altitude

Latinaltus- high, highest, tall, lofty-ude state, quality, condition ofIn astronomy, the angle between an object in thesky and the horizon.

Altricial

Latinalere- to nourish-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofReferring to various bird species in whichhatchlings are typically weak, naked, and depen-dent on their parents.

Altruism

Latinalter- other-ism state or condition, qualityInstinctive cooperative behavior that is detrimen-tal to the individual but contributes to the survivalof the species.

10 Alveolus

Alveolus

Latinalveus hollow, bellyMicroscopic air-containing sacs in the lungs wheregases are exchanged during external respiration.

Amalgam

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-malgama soft massA combination of different elements sometimesmixed with mercury to create an alloy used indentistry.

Amalgamate

Greekamalgama- mixture-ate a derivative of a specific chemical compound or elementTo combine or mix a group of elements into anintegrated whole; the substance remains a mix-ture or alloy.

Amblyopia

New Latinambly- dull, dim-optic- eye, optic-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsReduced or dim vision; also called lazy eye.

Ambulacrum

Latinambula- walk-crum planted with trees-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structureOne of the five radial areas on the undersurface ofthe starfish, from which the tube feet are pro-truded and withdrawn.

Amictic

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-miktos- mixed or blended-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofPertaining to female rotifers, which produce onlydiploid eggs that cannot be fertilized, or to theeggs produced by such females.

Ammeter

French/Greekam- (ampere) named for Andre Marie Ampere-meter (metron) instrument or means of measur-ing, to measureA device used to measure electrical current inamperes.

Ammine

Latinammonia- a colorless, pungent gas, NH3-ine a chemical compoundAny of a class of inorganic coordination com-pounds of ammonia and a magnetic salt.

Ammophilous

Greekammo- sand, sandy beach-phile- one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference for-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toIn biology, vegetation that thrives in sandy beachhabitats.

Amniocentesis

Greekamnion- embryo, bowl, lamb-kentein- to prick, puncture-sis action, process, state, conditionA surgical procedure in which a small sample ofamniotic fluid is drawn from the uterus through aneedle inserted in the abdomen.

Amniotic

Greekamnion- embryo, bowl, lamb-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf or relating to the amnion, the sac or fluid thatprotects the embryo (as in amniotic sac or amni-otic fluid).

Amoeba

Greekameibein to changeOne-celled aquatic or parasitic organism belong-ing to the genus Amoeba, appearing as a mass ofprotoplasm with no definite shape.

Amoeboid

Greekameibein- to change-oid (oeid s) resembling; having the appearance ofAmoeba-like in putting forth pseudopodia.

Amorphous

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-morph- shape, form, figure, or appearance-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toSubstance with a disjointed, incomplete crystallattice or without shape.

Amphibian

Latinamphi- on both or all sides, around-bios- life, living organisms or tissue-an one that is of or relating to or belonging to

e

Analog 11

An animal capable of living both on land and inwater.

Amphibious

Greekamphi- on both or all sides, around-bios- life, living organisms or tissue-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toRelating to organisms that are able to live both onland and in water.

Amphiboles

Greekamphi- on both or all sides, around-bol (ballein) to put or throwAny of a large group of structurally similarhydrated double-silicate minerals.

Amphigean

Greekamphi- on both or all sides, around-ge- earth, world-an one that is of, relating to, or belonging toExtending all over the earth, from the equator toboth poles.

Amphioxus

Greekamphi- on both or all sides, around-oxus sharpSmall, flattened marine organism with a noto-chord (but no true vertebrae), which gives it apointed shape; the lancelet.

Amphipathic

Greekamphi- on both or all sides, around-path- suffering, disease-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRelating to protein molecules with one surfacecontaining hydrophilic and the other hydrophobicamino acid residues.

Amphoteric

Greekampho- (amphoteros) both, each of two-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofCapable of reacting chemically as either an acidor a base.

Amplitude

Latinamplus- large, full-ude state, quality, or condition ofThe maximum displacement of wave from a restposition; the measurement of a wave from thenormal to the height of the wave (crest) or to thedepth of the trough.

Ampulla

Latinamphi- on both or all sides, around-phoreus bearerAny membranous bag shaped like a leathern bot-tle, as the dilated end of a vessel or duct; especially,the dilations of the semicircular canals of the ear.

Amygdala

Greekamygdale almondAn almond-shaped region of the brain, located inthe medial temporal lobe, believed to play a keyrole in the emotions.

Amylopsin

Greekamulon- starch; not ground at a mill-tripsis- a rubbing (so named by its first being obtained by rubbing a pancreas with glycerin)-in protein or protein derivativeThe starch-digesting amylase produced in thepancreas.

Amyotonia

Greeka-, ano- no, absence of, lack of, without, not-myo- muscle-tonia, -tone tension, pressureGeneralized absence of muscle tone, usuallyassociated with flabby musculature and anincreased range in passive movement at joints.

Anabolism

Greekana- anew, up-bol- (ballein) to put or throw-ism state or condition, qualityBuilding of complex molecules within a cell.

Anaerobe

Greekan- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-aerobe organism requiring oxygen to liveOrganism that can live in the absence of atmo-spheric oxygen.

Analgesic

Greekan- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-algesi- pain, sense of pain; painful, hurting-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofReferring to compounds that reduce pain perception.

Analog

Greekanalogos proportionateIn chemistry, a compound in which one or moreelements are replaced by other elements.

12 Analysis

Analysis

Greekana- anew, up-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve, dissolution, break-sis action, process, state, conditionResolving or separating a whole into its elementsor component parts.

Anaphase

Greekana- anew, up-phase a stageThe third of four stages of nuclear division in mito-sis and in each of the two divisions of meiosis.

Anastomosis

Greekana- anew, up-stoma- mouth-sis action, process, state, conditionThe connection of separate parts of a branchingsystem to form a network, such as blood vessels.

Anatomy

Greekana- anew, up-temnein to cut

The structure of an animal or plant and any of itsparts.

Anconitis

Greekancon- elbow-itis inflammation, burning sensationAn inflammation of the elbow joint.

Androecium

Greekandros- male-oikos housePart of a flower that produces male gametes, orpollen grains.

Androgen

Greekandros- male-gen to give birth, kind, produceMale hormone secreted mostly by the testes andto a lesser amount by the adrenal cortex.

Andronosia

Greekandros- male-nosia diseaseDiseases occurring most often in males.

Claudius Galenus of Pergamum

In the annals of medicine, the writings and teachingof one Claudius Galenus, better known as Galen,overshadow those of any other individual. Themedical perspectives of this ancient Greek physi-cian occupied a position of prominence in the train-ing of physicians throughout Europe for over athousand years. Galen was born in 129 AD in thecity of Pergamum, known today as Bergama, Tur-key. Like many of the more learned people of histime, he had a wide range of interests, includingastronomy, philosophy, astrology, and agriculture.He chose to focus on medicine. After studyingmedicine in Alexandria and Corinth, he practicedwound treatment in gladiatorial schools.

He moved to Rome, where he began his careeras a lecturer and very quickly established himselfas an expert in the field. Soon he was appointedphysician to the Roman emperor Marcus Aureliusand later to his son Commodus.

Galen found himself in Rome at a time whenthe Roman Empire was at constant war with fac-tions on its northern border. As the empire slowlycrumbled around him, Galen spent his years inRome doing what he did best, dissecting animals.It was this work that laid the foundation for the

practice of medicine for over a thousand years. Itwasn’t a pretty sight to behold. Galen often dis-sected live animals, and he would cut certainnerve bundles to observe what happened as aresult. Galen was able to identify the causes ofparalysis by severing the spinal cords of pigs; hecut the nerve controlling vocalization in the larynxand, of course, discovered that the animal becameincapable of making sounds. He noted that bloodwas carried through vessels, and he made accurateobservations about the brain that were contrary toAristotle’s notions of the roles of the brain and theheart in the origination of conscious thought. Hehad numerous scribes record his observations anddraw the organs and blood vessels of the dissectedanimals, and this resulted in one of the majorworks based on his research. This seventeen-volume classic was titled On the Usefulness of theParts of the Human Body.

Galen did not, however, do significant workwith the human torso. Therefore, centuries later,quite a few of Galen’s anatomical drawings provedto be less than accurate, and it became necessary torob graves and to seek out the bodies of freshly exe-cuted prisoners for dissection.

Angular 13

Anemia

Greekan- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-haima bloodA pathological deficiency in the oxygen-carryingcomponents of the blood.

Anemometer

Greekanemos- wind-meter (metron) instrument or means of measur-ing; to measureInstrument used to measure wind speed.

Anesthesia

Greekan- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-aesthe- feeling, sensation, perception-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsPartial or total loss of the sense of pain, tempera-ture, touch, etc., which may be produced by dis-ease or an anesthetic.

Aneuploid

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-neur- nerve-nervus- sinew, tendon-ploid having a number of chromosomes that has a specified relationship to the basic number of chromosomesAberration in the chromosome number, in whichone or more extra chromosomes are present.

Aneurysm

Greekan- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-eurus- a widening; broad, wide-ism state or condition, qualityAbnormal dilation of a blood vessel due to a con-genital defect or weakness of the wall of the vessel.

Angialgia

Greekangeion- vessel, usually a blood vessel-algia pain, sense of pain; painful, hurtingPain in a blood vessel.

Angiectasis

New Latinangeion- vessel, usually a blood vessel-ectasis expansion, dilationAbnormal dilation of a blood vessel.

Angiitis

Greekangeion- vessel, usually a blood vessel

-itis inflammation, burning sensationInflammation of a blood or lymph vessel.

Angina

Greekankhon a stranglingA squeezing chest discomfort; angina pectorisoccurs when blood oxygen is cut off from por-tions of the heart.

Angiocarditis

Greekangeion- vessel, usually a blood vessel-kard- heart, pertaining to the heart-itis inflammation, burning sensationInflammation of the heart and great blood vessel.

Angiocarp

Greekangeion- vessel, usually a blood vessel-karpos fruitA tree bearing fruit enclosed in a shell, involu-crum, or husk.

Angiolith

Greekangeion- vessel, usually a blood vessel-lithe stone, rockA calcareous deposit in the wall of a blood vessel.

Angiolysis

Greekangeion- vessel, usually a blood vessel-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve; dissolution, break-sis action, process, state, conditionThe obliteration of blood vessels, such as occursduring embryonic development.

Angionecrosis

Greekangeion- vessel, usually a blood vessel-nekros- death, corpse-osis action, process, state, conditionDeath of a blood vessel.

Angiosperm

Greekangeion- vessel, usually a blood vessel-sperma seedAny of a class (Angiospermae) of vascular plants(such as orchids or roses) having the seeds in aclosed ovary.

Angular

Latinangulus angleHaving, forming, or consisting of an angle orangles.

e

14 Anhydride

Anhydride

Greekan- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-hydr- water-ide binary compoundA chemical compound formed from another bythe removal of water.

Anhydrous

Greekan- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-hydr- water-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toA compound in which all water has beenremoved, usually through heating.

Anisotropic

Greekan- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-isos- equal-trope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to a stimulus-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofNot isotropic; having different properties in dif-ferent directions; thus, crystals of the isometricsystem are optically isotropic, but all other crys-tals are anisotropic.

Annelid

Latinannellus- little ring-id state, condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, inclined toAny of a phylum (Annelida) of coelomate andusually segmented invertebrates (such as earth-worms, various marine worms, and leeches).

Anode

Greekan- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-hodós way or roadThe negative terminal of a voltaic cell or battery.

Anomaly

Greekan- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-homolus- even-y place for an activity, condition, stateThe angular deviation, as observed from the sun,of a planet from its perihelion.

Anopheliphobia

Greekan- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-ophelos- advantage, use-phob- fear, lacking an affinity for-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofAn abnormal fear or hatred of mosquitoes.

Anorexia

Greekan- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-orexis- appetite-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsLoss of appetite, sometimes because of a disease;anorexia nervosa.

Anoxia

Greekan- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-oxo- oxygen-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsDeprivation of oxygen that rapidly leads to col-lapse or death if not reversed.

Antacid

Greekanti- opposing, opposite, against-acere to be sourAny substance that reduces stomach acid.

Antagonist

Greekanti- opposing, opposite, against-agon- conflict, contest-ist one who is engaged inA muscle or muscles that move in opposition toan agonist.

Antarctica

Greekante- before or prior to-arc- bow arch or bent-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofA body of land found mostly south of the ArticCircle. It covers an area of 5,500,000 squaremiles. About 98% of the land mass is coveredwith a thick continental ice sheet, and the remain-ing 2% is barren rock.

Anterior

Latinante- before or prior to-or a condition or property of things or personsLocated near or toward the head in lower animals.

Anther

Greekanth- flower; that which buds or sprouts-er one that performs an actionPollen-bearing part of a stamen.

Antheridia

Greek/Latinanth- flower; that which buds or sprouts-oidium fungus

Anticline 15

A sperm-producing organ occurring in seedlessplants (fungi and algae).

Anthodite

Greekanth- flower; that which buds or sprouts-ite minerals and fossilsA period of the Paleozoic, spanning the timebetween 440 and 410 million years ago.

Anthophilous

Greekanth- flower; that which buds or sprouts-phile- one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference for-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toIn biology, attracted to, or feeding on, flowers;living on or frequenting flowers.

Anthracite

Greekanthrankitis- name of a fiery gem-ite minerals and fossilsHard coal that burns with very little smoke orflame.

Anthropic

Greekanthropo- man; human being, mankind-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofPertaining to humans or the period of their exist-ence on earth.

Anthropobiology

Greekanthropo- man; human being, mankind-bios- life, living organisms or tissue-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of the biological relationships ofhumans as a species.

Anthropocentric

Greekanthropo- man; human being, mankind-kentron- center, sharp point-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRegarding humans as the central element of theuniverse.

Anthropogenic

Greekanthropo- man; human being, mankind-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofReferring to pollutants and other impacts on nat-ural environments that can be traced to humanactivities.

Anthropoid

Greekanthropo- man; human being, mankind-oid (oeid s) resembling; having the appearance ofA group of primates that resemble humans; apesand monkeys.

Anthropology

Greekanthropo- man; human being, mankind-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe scientific study of the history, culture,genetic conditions, and lifestyles of a given popu-lation of humans.

Anthropozoonosis

Greekanthropo- man; human being, mankind-zoon- animal-nosis diseaseAn animal disease maintained in nature by ani-mals and transmissible to humans.

Antibacterial

Greekanti- opposing, opposite, against-bacter- small rod-ial (variation of -ia) relating to or characterized byPertaining to a substance that kills bacteria.

Antibiotic

Greekanti- opposing, opposite, against-bios- life, living organisms or tissue-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofAny of a large class of substances produced byvarious microorganisms having the power toarrest the growth of other microorganisms or todestroy them.

Antibody

Greek/Old English anti- opposing, opposite, against-botah (body) the material frame of humans and animalsProtein produced by the immune system inresponse to the presence of antigens in the body.

Anticline

Greekanti- opposing, opposite, against-klinein sloping, to leanA fold of the rock strata that slopes downwardfrom a center or common crest.

e

16 Anticoagulant

Anticoagulant

Latinanti- opposing, opposite, against-co gulum- coagulator-ant performing, promoting, or causing a specific eventA non–habit-forming medication that preventsthe formation of clots in the blood.

Anticodon

Greekanti- opposing, opposite, against-caudex bookA sequence of three nucleotides found in t-RNA.

Anticyclone

Greekanti- opposing, opposite, against-kyklos- circle, wheel, cycle-ne of or relating toA system of winds rotating about a center of highatmospheric pressure, clockwise in the NorthernHemisphere and counterclockwise in the South-ern, that usually advances at 20 to 30 miles (about30 to 50 kilometers) per hour.

Antigen

Latinanti- opposing, opposite, against-gen to give birth, kind, produceSubstance to which the body responds by produc-ing antibodies.

Antimatter

Greekanti- opposing, opposite, against-m ter motherA hypothetical form of matter that is identical tophysical matter except that its atoms are com-posed of antielectrons, antiprotons, andantineutrons.

Antioxidant

Latinanti- opposing, opposite, against-oxy- pungent, sharp-ant performing, promoting, or causing a specific eventA substance or enzyme that inhibits oxidationor inhibits the loss of an electron.

Antiparticle

Latinanti- opposing, opposite, against-particula a very small piece or part; a tiny por-tion or speckA subatomic particle, such as a positron, antiproton,or antineutron, having the same mass, average life-time, spin, magnitude of magnetic moment, and

magnitude of electric charge as the particle to whichit corresponds, but having the opposite sign of elec-tric charge and opposite direction of magneticmoment.

Antisense

Greek/Latinanti- opposing, opposite, against-sent re to feelOf or relating to a nucleotide sequence that iscomplementary to a sequence of messengerRNA. When antisense DNA or RNA is added to acell, it binds to a specific messenger RNA mole-cule and inactivates it.

Antiseptic

Greekanti- opposing, opposite, against-sepsis- putrefaction or decay-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofPreventing or counteracting putrefaction or decay.

Antiserum

Greek/Latinanti- opposing, opposite, against-ser- the watery part of fluid-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structureAnimal or human serum containing antibodiesthat are specific to a number of antigens.

Antitoxin

Greekanti- opposing, opposite, against-toxikos- poison-in protein or derived from proteinAn antibody with the ability to neutralize a spe-cific toxin.

Aortic

Latinaort- lower extremity of the windpipe; by exten-sion, extremity of the heart, the great artery-ic relating to or having some characteristics ofRelating to the main trunk of the systemic arteries,carrying blood from the left side of the heart to thearteries of all limbs and organs except the lungs.

Apatite

Greekapat - deceit-ite minerals and fossilsA natural, variously colored calcium fluoridephosphate, Ca5F(PO4)3.

Aphasia

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-phanai- speech

a

a

i

e

Appendectomy 17

-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsA condition characterized by defective or absentlanguage abilities, typically caused by brain injury.

Aphelion

Greekapo- away from-helios- sun-ion state, process, or quality of The point on the orbit of a celestial body that isfarthest from the sun.

Aphonia

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-phonos- voice-ia names of disease, place names, or Latinizing pluralsA condition characterized by the loss of one’svoice, caused by a disease, injury to the vocalcords, or various psychological factors.

Aplasia

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-plassein- to form-ia names of disease, place names, or Latinizing pluralsDevelopmental failure of an organ or tissue toform, or the malformation of an organ or tissue.

Apnea

New Latina- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-pnea breathing or breathTemporary cessation of breathing.

Apocrine

Greekapo- away from, off, separate-krinein to separateApplies to a type of mammalian sweat gland thatproduces a viscous secretion by breaking off apart of the cytoplasm of secreting cells.

Apoenzyme

Greekapo- away from, off, separate-en- in-zuma leaven, yeastThe protein part of an enzyme to which the coen-zyme attaches to form an active enzyme.

Apogee

Greekapo- away from, off, separate-gaia earthPoint of a satellite’s orbit that is farthest from the sun.

Apogeotropism

Greekapo- away from, off, separate-geo- earth, world-trope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to a stimulus-ism state or conditionThe response by an organism of turning awayfrom the earth (e.g., plant stems growing upward).

Apomixis

Greekapo- away from, off, separate-mixis mingling, intercourseReproduction without meiosis, or the formationor fusion of gametes.

Aponeurosis

Greekaponeurousthai to become tendinousSheetlike fibrous membrane that binds muscle tomuscle or muscle to bone.

Apopyle

Greekapo- away from, off, separate-pyle gateIn sponges, opening of the radial canal into thespongocoel.

Apparatus

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-parare to make readyA device or system composed of different partsthat act together to perform some special function.

Appendage

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-pendere- to hang-age ( ticum) (Latin) condition or state A part or an organ that is attached to the axis ofthe body (i.e., arm, leg); a structure arising fromthe surface or extending beyond the tip of anotherstructure.

Appendectomy

Latin/Greekad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-pendere- to hang(ectomy)-ekt- outside, external, beyond-tomos(temnein) to cut, incise, sectionThe surgical removal of the vermiform appendix.

a

18 Appendicitis

Appendicitis

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-pendere- to hang-itis inflammation, burning sensationAn inflammation of the vermiform appendix.

Appendix

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-pendere to hangA supplementary or accessory part of a bodilyorgan or structure.

Aquatic

Latinaqua- water-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofConsisting of, relating to, or being in water; anorganism that lives in, on, or near water.

Aquation

Latinaqua- water-ion state, process, or quality ofThe process of replacement of other ligands by water.

Aqueous

Latinaqua- water-ous possessing, full of; characterized byRelating to, similar to, containing, or dissolved inwater.

Aquifer

Latinaqua- water-ferre to carryLayer of rock or sediment that allows groundwa-ter to pass freely.

Arachnid

Latinarakhn- spider-id state or condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, or inclined toArthropods characterized by four pairs of seg-mented legs and a body divided into two regions.

Arboraceous

French/Latinerbe- herb-aceous having the quality ofA reference to a tree or woodlike substance.

Arboreal

Latinarbor- tree-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character of

Of or pertaining to life in the trees or living thingsin the trees.

Archaeocytes

Greekarchae- original, beginning, origin, ancient-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidAmoeboid cells of varied functions in sponges.

Archaeology

Greekarchae- original, beginning, origin, ancient-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of past human life and culture by therecovery and examination of remaining materialevidence.

Archaeopteryx

Greekarchae- original, beginning, origin, ancient-pterux wingA primitive group of birds existing in the Jurassicperiod, winged, with reptilian skin, teeth, and along tail.

Archean

Greekarchae- original, beginning, origin, ancient-an one that is of, relating to, or belonging toThe first formed rocks, characterized by coolingperiods 3.8 to 2.5 billion years ago.

Archegonium

Greekarchae- original, beginning, origin, ancient-gonos- offspring-ium quality or relationshipA flasklike reproductive organ found in mosses,ferns, and some other gymnosperms where theeggs are produced.

Archenteron

Greekarchae- original, beginning, origin, ancient-enteron gutThe main cavity of an embryo in the gastrula stage.

Archeognatha

Greekarchae- original, beginning, origin, ancient-gnatha jawBristletail; insect with cylindrical body, no wings,and three terminal “tails” with a medial caudal fil-ament. Found in rocky areas, it is crepuscular ornocturnal.

Arthroscopy 19

Archetype

Greekarchae- original, beginning, origin, ancient-tupos type, model, stampAn original model or pattern from which copiesare made or evolve.

Area

Latinarea open spaceThe extent of a planar region or of the surface of asolid measured in square units.

Areola

Latinarea- a courtyard, open space-ola littleA small ring of color around a center portion, asabout the nipple of the breast, or the part of theiris surrounding the pupil of the eye.

Argillaceous

Latinargillos- clay-aceous having the quality ofOf the nature of clay; largely composed of clay.

Argon

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-ergon workA colorless, inert gaseous element composingapproximately 1% of the earth’s atmosphere.

Arillate

Latinarillus- grape seed-ate characterized by havingA seed with an unusually brightly colored cover.

Arithmetic

Greekarithmos- number-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofThe computation of numbers having to do withaddition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Aromatic

Greekaroma- smell (due to sweet smell of benzene and related organic groups)-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf, relating to, or containing one or more six-carbonrings characteristic of benzene series and relatedorganic groups.

Arteriole

Greekarteria windpipe, artery-ole little

Small, terminal branch of an artery that leads intoa capillary bed.

Arteriomalacia

Greekarteria- windpipe, artery-malacia softening of tissueThe softening of arteries, usually as a result ofsome disorder.

Arteriosclerosis

Greekarteria- windpipe, artery-sklero- (skl roun) to harden-sis action, process, state, conditionA chronic disease in which thickening, harden-ing, and loss of elasticity of the arterial wallsresult in impaired blood circulation.

Artery

Greekarteria windpipe, arteryA vessel that carries blood from the heart to thecells, tissues, and organs of the body.

Arthralgia

Greekarthr- joint-algia pain, sense of pain; painful, hurtingPain resulting from inflammation in a joint.

Arthritis

Greekarthr- joint-itis inflammation, burning sensationAn inflammation of a joint.

Arthroplasty

Greekarthr- joint-plastos- (plassein) something molded (to mold)-y place for an activity; condition, stateSurgical reconstruction or replacement of a mal-formed or degenerated joint.

Arthropod

Greekarthr- joint-poda footAny of numerous invertebrate animals of the phy-lum Arthropoda, including insects, crustaceans,arachnids, and myriapods.

Arthroscopy

Greekarthr- joint-skopion for viewing with the eyeVisual examination of the inside of a joint withthe use of a specialized scope.

e

20 Articulation

Articulation

Latinarticulus- small joint-ate- of or having to do with-ion state, process, or quality of The action of bending the joints; a movable orfixed joint between two or more bones.

Artificial

Latinartificialis- not natural, man-made-ial relating to or characterized byProduced by humans rather than occurring natu-rally; refers to something created or modifiedthrough the effects of human or sociological forces.

Artiodactyla

Greekartios- even-daktulos toe, finger, digitOrder including even-toed mammals (deer, cows,sheep).

Asbestos

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-sbennunai to quenchMagnesium silicate; a fibrous, incombustible,and chemical resistance substance used for fire-proofing and insulation.

Ascarid

Greekaskarizein- to jump, throb-id state or condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, or inclined toAny of a family of nematode worms, includingthe common roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides),which is parasitic in the human intestine.

Ascocarp

Greekaskos- bag-karpos fruitThe mature, saclike fruiting body of an asco-mycetes fungi.

Ascomycetes

Greekaskos- bag-muk s fungusA class of fungi containing an ascus and spores.

Ascus

Greekaskos- bagA saclike spore capsule located at the tip of theascocarp in the phylum Ascomycota.

Asepsis

Latin

Astrology

The ancient Greeks bore witness to the orderlynature of the daytime and nighttime skies. Basedon this recognition, they gave the name cosmos,meaning “order,” to the celestial sphere. Theserenity of the cosmos apparently gave theancients a sense of security from the knowledgethat tomorrow’s nighttime sky would closelyresemble tonight’s.

The Mesopotamians are credited with theadvent of Western astrology in the second millen-nium BC. They believed that the arrangement ofthe stars and planets somehow influences humanexistence here on earth. The term zodiac wasgiven to an imaginary band or belt spanning about8 degrees on either side of the path of the sun.Zodiac comes from the Greek word zoon, meaning“animal” or “animal-like,” reflecting the fact thatthe major constellations in the band are namedafter animals or animal-like creatures. The path-way defined by the zodiac also includes the orbitalpaths of many planets in our solar system as wellas our moon. The Greeks are credited with the cre-

ation of the horoscope, which is a chart preparedat the conception of a particular human being. Byplotting stellar and planetary positions in thezodiac, ancient astrologers believed that thecourse of one’s life could be foretold. So skillfulwere these Greeks in the use of astrological chartsand prediction that over the course of human his-tory few changes have been made to the methodol-ogy of astrology as practiced by the Greeks.

Astrology, of course, is a pseudoscience. How-ever, among the early Arab astrologers and later inboth Jewish and Christian sects, astrology devel-oped into a vital component of the relationshipbetween man and his deity.

Astrology is as popular among the public todayas it was during the Middle Ages and before, espe-cially in the United States. Scientists discount anyrelationship between the positions of heavenly bod-ies and prognosticative power. Most treat astrologyas it should be treated, as a source of amusementand fun.

e

Astigmatism 21

a- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-sepein- to decay, cause to rot-sis action, process, state, or conditionThe absence of contamination by unwantedorganisms.

Aseptic

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-sepein- to decay, cause to rot-ic (ikos) relating to or having some character-istic ofPertaining to the condition of being free fromgerms or other infection-causing microorganisms.

Asexual

Latina- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-sexus sexRefers to reproduction in which a single parentproduces offspring that are genetically identicalto the parent.

Asphyxia

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-sphyzein- to throb; pulse, heartbeat-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsA condition in which an extreme decrease in oxy-gen in the body accompanied by an increase inthe concentration of carbon dioxide leads to lossof consciousness or death.

Aspiration

Latina- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-spir- breath of life, breath, breathing-ion state, process, or quality of The process of withdrawing fluid from a cavity orsac by the use of a needle.

Assay

Latinassa- pure, whole-y place for an activity; condition or stateIn chemistry, the determination of the quality of asubstance present in a sample.

Assimilate

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-simulare- to make similar or alike-ate characterized by havingTo consume, digest, absorb, and assimilate nutri-ents into a living being.

Assimilation

Greek

ad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-simulare- to make similar or alike-ion state, process, or quality of Process by which absorbed food molecules cir-culating in the blood pass into the cells and areused for growth, tissue repair, or other metabolicactivities.

Astatine

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-statos- standing, stay, make firm, fixed, balanced-ine in a chemical substanceA highly unstable, radioactive element.

Asteroid

Greekaster- star-oid (oeid s) resembling; having the appearance ofAny of the small celestial bodies between theorbits of Mars and Jupiter.

Asteroidea

Greekaster- star-oid (oeid s) resembling; having the appearance ofAny of various marine echinoderms of the classAsteroidea, characteristically having a thick,often spiny body with five arms extending from acentral disk.

Asthenia

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-sthenos- strength-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsLoss or lack of bodily strength or energy; weak-ness, debility.

Asthenosphere

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-sthenos- strength-sphaira a globe shape, ball, sphereA layer of hot, weak material located in the man-tle at a depth between 100 and 350 kilometers;the rock within the zone is easily deformed.

Astigmatism

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-stigma- a point, mark, spot, puncture-ism state or condition, qualityA defect in an optical system (i.e., impaired eye-sight) in which light rays fail to converge to a sin-gle focal point.

e

e

22 Astrobiology

Astrobiology

Greekastros- star-bios- life, living organisms or tissue -logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe branch of biology that deals with the searchfor extraterrestrial life and the effects of extrater-restrial surroundings on living organisms.

Astrocyte

Greekastros- star-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidA star-shaped cell, especially a neuroglial cell ofnervous tissue.

Astrology

Greekastros- star-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of the positions of the stars and planetsbased on the belief that they can predict the future.

Astronaut

Greekastros- star-nautes sailorA traveler in space; a member of a U.S. spacecrew trained to pilot, navigate, or conductresearch in outer space.

Galileo (1564–1642)

Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564, inthe Tuscan region of Italy. His accomplishments inthe sciences are far too extensive to be covered in abrief exposé. He spent most of his life studyingmathematics, astronomy, and physics. He was aCatholic and had many friends who held esteemedpositions in the Catholic Church, but he foundhimself on the defensive for his support of theheliocentric configuration of the solar system asdescribed by Copernicus. For this position, in hislater years, he was put on trial and confined tohouse arrest for the remaining days of his life.

Galileo is given credit for inventing the tele-scope; he actually did not invent it but ratherrefined and improved its design. With the advent ofthe lens, he created a telescope that enabled him toobserve and study sunspots. This probably contrib-uted to his loss of sight. He made it possible to see,for the first time, the moons orbiting Jupiter. Hisobservations of Venus and its phases, which weremuch like the phases of the moon, led Galileo toside with the Copernican, heliocentric model of thesolar system rather than the widely accepted geo-centric model put forth by Ptolemy. Galileo soldquite a few of his telescopes and made a handsomeprofit marketing them to seafarers.

Galileo is hailed as the standard-bearer for sci-entific methodology. Influenced by his strongbackground in mathematics, he advocated and pio-neered experimental designs that included quanti-fication of data. This was a dramatic departurefrom earlier practices in science, where a morephilosophical, qualitative approach was the norm.For this and other reasons, Galileo stood at oddswith the Church and with the more traditional,

Aristotelian thinkers. Looking back at his ratherradical departure from older approaches to sci-ence, we acknowledge Galileo as the father of sci-ence. He is also credited as the father of modernphysics and of modern astronomy.

We can confirm that Galileo had more than acasual interest in technology. He developed a ther-mometer using an enclosed tube, water, andobjects floating in the water. It operates on theprinciples of temperature, compressed air andbuoyancy, and displacement. He designed anddeveloped the first compound microscope withconcave and convex lenses. Galileo also created avastly improved version of the military compass,paving the way for improved weaponry. His mili-tary compass provided a much safer way of elevat-ing and supporting cannons, increasing theirfirepower and accuracy.

Galileo studied pendulums and noted that theperiod of the swing is independent of the wave’samplitude. The advent of the pendular clock laterdeveloped by Christian Huygens depended on thedevelopment of the escapement mechanism for thependulum created by Galileo.

His work in physics is well known and contin-ues to be discussed in schools today. Recall hisexperiment with two balls of unequal massdropped from the Tower of Pisa. He contendedthat the time of descent of a ball was independentof its mass. This was the exact opposite of whatAristotle had proposed centuries before. Eventhough Galileo was not the first person to makethis argument, he was able to demonstrate usinginclined planes and rolling balls that the principlewas indeed correct.

Atrium 23

Astronomy

Greekastros- star-nom (nemein) to dictate the laws of; knowledge, usage, orderStudy of planets, stars, and other objects in space.

Astrophysics

Greekastros- star-phusis- nature-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofThe branch of astronomy that deals with thephysics of stellar phenomena.

Asymmetric

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-summetros- of like measure-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofUnequal in size or shape; having no balance.

Asymptotic

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-sumptotos intersectingRefers to a line whose distance to a given curvetends to zero; an asymptote may or may not inter-sect its associated curve.

Asystole

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-sustellein to contractA life-threatening cardiac condition marked byfailure of the heart to contract.

Atactic

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-taktos orderedThe type of orientation of the methyl groups on apolypropylene chain in plastics—in this case ran-dom orientation.

Ataxia

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-taxis orderLoss of the ability to coordinate muscular movements.

Athermancy

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-thermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-ancy condition or state ofImpermeability to heat (i.e., no heat passingthrough); the inability to transfer radiant energy.

Athermy

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-thermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-y place for an activity; condition or stateA therapeutic treatment for certain diseasesinvolving no heat.

Atherosclerosis

Greekathera- tumors full of pus, like a gruel-skleros- hardening-sis action, process, state, conditionA stage of arteriosclerosis involving fatty depos-its (atheromas) inside the arterial walls.

Atmosphere

Greekatmos- vapor-sphaira a globe shape, ball, sphereMixture of gases that surrounds the earth.

Atoll

Sanskritantara interiorA nearly circular coral reef surrounding a shallowlagoon.

Atom

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionA unit of matter, the smallest of an element, hav-ing all the characteristics of that element and con-sisting of a dense, positively charged nucleussurrounded by an electron cloud.

Atonia

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-tonos- tone, stretching, firm-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsDecrease in or lack of normal muscle tone, some-times caused by prolonged paralysis.

Atrioventricular

atri- open area, central court, hall, entrance, or main room of an ancient roman house-ventricul- belly-ar relating to or resemblingRelating to, involving, or resembling the area ofthe atrium or ventricle of the heart; the atrioven-tricular valve.

Atrium

Latinatri- open area, central court, hall, entrance, or main room of an ancient roman house

24 Atrophy

-ium quality or relationshipChamber associated with the heart; upper chamber.

Atrophy

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-trophos- (trophein) to nourish, food, nutrition; development-y place for an activity; condition, stateA wasting away, deterioration, diminution, ordecrease in the size of a body organ, tissue, or partowing to disease, injury, or lack of use.

Attenuate

Latinad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-tenuis- thin-ate of or having to do withTo make or become weaker; to reduce the size,strength, or density of something; to become thin-ner, weaker, less dense, or less virulent.

Auditory

Latinaudit- hearing, listening, perception of sounds-ory tending to, serving forOf or relating to hearing, the organs of hearing, orthe sense of hearing.

Auricle

Latinauricula earAn ear-shaped part of an organ.

Aurora

Latinaurora dawnShort for aurora australis or aurora borealis(luminous bands or streamers of light visible innight sky).

Aurous

Latinaurum- gold-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toOf, relating to, or containing gold.

Austral

Latinaustr- south; south wind-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofRelating to or coming from the south.

Australopithecus

Latinaustral- southern; human race classification-pithecus ape, apelike creaturesExtinct genus of African hominid family thoughtto have lived between 4 and 1 million years ago.

Autecology

Greekauto- self, same, spontaneous; directed from within-oikos- home, house-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe ecology of an individual organism or species.

Autism

Greekauto- self, same, spontaneous; directed from within-ism state or condition, qualityA psychiatric disorder of childhood characterizedby marked deficits in communication and socialinteraction, preoc-cupation with fantasy, languageimpairment, and abnormal behavior, such as repeti-tive acts and excessive attachment to certain objects.

Autoclave

Frenchauto- self, same, spontaneous; directed from within-clavis key (from the fact that it’s self-locking from the pressurization)A strong, pressurized, steam heat vessel, as used forlaboratory experiments, sterilization, or cooking.

Autogenous

Greekauto- self, same, spontaneous; directed from within-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofSelf-generated; produced independently. Comingfrom the individual that it is growing in; a graft.

Autoionization

Greekauto- self, same, spontaneous; directed from within-ion- (ienai) to go; something that goes-izein to cause or become-ion state, process, or quality ofAn ionization reaction between identical molecules.

Autolysis

Greekauto- self, same, spontaneous; directed from within-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve; dissolution, break-sis action, process, state, conditionSelf-acting disintegration of tissue by the releaseof enzymes within the cells.

Autonomic

Greekauto- self, same, spontaneous; directed from within-nom (nemein) to dictate the laws of; knowledge, usage, order-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofFunctioning independently of the will; not undervoluntary control (e.g., as with most functions ofthe nervous system).

Azimuth 25

Autopsy

Greekauto- self, same, spontaneous; directed from within-opsy examinationExamination of the organs of a body to determinethe cause of death.

Autosomal

Greekauto- self, same, spontaneous; directed from within-soma (somatiko) body-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofPertaining to or characteristic of an autosome.

Autosome

Greekauto- self, same, spontaneous; directed from within-soma (somatiko) bodyAny chromosome other than those that determinethe sex of an organism.

Autotherm

Greekauto- self, same, spontaneous; directed from within-thermos combining form of “hot” (heat)An organism that regulates its body heat indepen-dently of ambient temperature changes.

Autotoxin

Greekauto- self, same, spontaneous; directed from within-toxikos poisonAny harmful substance generated within thebody; something that is self-poisonous.

Autotroph

Greekauto- self, same, spontaneous; directed from within-trophos (trophein) to nourish; food, nutrition; developmentAn organism that makes organic nutrients frominorganic raw materials; any organism consideredto be a producer, capable of making its own food.

Autotrophic

Greekauto- self, same, spontaneous; directed from within-trophos- (trophein) to nourish; food, nutrition; development-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRelating to the process of synthesizing foodeither by photosynthesis or by chemosynthesis.

Auxin

Greekauxein to growAny of several plant hormones that regulate vari-ous functions, including cell elongation.

Average

Arabicawariyah damaged merchandiseA single value that summarizes or represents thegeneral significance of a set of unequal values.

Avian

Latinavis birdOf, relating to, or characteristic of birds.

Aviation

Latinavis- bird-ation state, process, or quality ofThe art or science of flying, especially airplanes.

Avicide

Latinavis- bird-cide (caedere) to cut, kill, hack at, or strikeType of pesticide that controls populations ofbirds considered to be pests.

Axiom

Greekaxios worthyA universally recognized truth; self-evident, estab-lished rule.

Axis

Latinaxis centralAny of the anatomical structures that lie centrallyor along a midcentral line within a body.

Axon

Greekax n axisThe usually long process of a nerve fiber that gen-erally conducts impulses away from the body ofthe nerve cell.

Azeotrope

Greeka- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-zein- to boil-trope bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to a stimulusA mixture of two or more substances that has thesame composition in vapor state and liquid state.

Azimuth

Arabical- the-samt way, pathIn astronomy, the horizontal measurement of theposition of an object from north to east (clock-wise) in degrees from a reference direction or acelestial body (polaris).

o

Bacteremia

Greekbaktron- staff, rod-haima- blood-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsPresence of bacteria in the blood.

Bacteria

Greekbaktron- staff, rod-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsSingle-celled or noncellular spherical or spiral- orrod-shaped organism without chlorophyll.

Bactericide

Latinbaktron- staff, rod-cida cutter, killer, slayer.Any chemical agent that kills bacteria

Bacteriophage

Greekbaktron- staff, rod-phagein to eatAn ultra-microscopic filter-passing agent that hasthe power to destroy bacteria and to induce bacte-rial mutation.

Bacteriostat

Greekbaktron- staff, rod-statos standing; stay; make firm, fixed, balancedA class of antibiotics that prevents growth of bac-terial cells.

Bacteriotherapy

Greekbaktron- staff, rod-therapeuein heal, cure; treatmentTreatment of disease by introducing bacteria intothe system.

Bacteriotropic

Greekbaktron- staff, rod-trope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to a stimulus-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofHaving an affinity for bacteria; moving towardbacteria.

Bacterium

Greekbaktron- staff, rod-ium quality or relationshipA single-celled or non-cellular spherical or spi-ral- or rod-shaped organism lacking chlorophyllthat reproduces by fission; important as a patho-gen and for its biochemical properties; taxon-omy is difficult (often considered a plant).

Bacteroid

Greekbaktron- staff, rod-oid (oeid s) resembling, having the appearance ofResembling bacteria in appearance or action.

Barometer

Greekbaro- weight, heavy; combining form meaning “pressure”

e

Behavior 27

-meter (metron) instrument or means of measur-ing; to measureAn instrument for determining the weight orpressure of the atmosphere, and hence used forjudging probable changes in the weather.

Baroreceptor

Greekbaro- weight, heavy; combining form meaning “pressure”-reciepere- to receive-or a condition or property of things or persons; person that does somethingIn living tissue, a receptor end organ that respondsto pressure.

Base

Latinbasis fundamental ingredient, foundationAny large class of compounds, including thehydroxides and oxides of metals, having the abil-ity to react with acids to form salts.

Basidiomycete

Latin/Greekbasid- foundation or base-idion- (Greek) diminutive suffix -muk t fungusAny of a large group of fungi, including puff-balls, shelf fungi, rusts, smuts, and mush-rooms, that bear sexually produced spores on abasidium.

Basidium

Latinbasid- foundation or base-ium quality or relationshipClub-shaped organ involved in sexual reproduc-tion in basidiomycete fungi (mushrooms, toad-stools etc.) and bearing four haploid basidiosporesat its tip.

Basophile

Greekbasis- fundamental ingredient, foundation-phile one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference forA granulocytic white blood cell characterized bycytoplasmic granules that stain blue whenexposed to a basic dye.

Batholith

Greekbathy- deep, depth-lith rock, stoneA mass of igneous rock that has melted andintruded into surrounding strata.

Bathyal

Greekbathy- deep, depth-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf or relating to a region of the ocean betweendepths of 200 and 4,000 meters (660 and 13,000feet).

Bedrock

Old English/Latinbed- bed-rocca rock, stoneThe layer of solid rock beneath the gravel, soil,and stone of the earth’s surface.

Behavior

Old English/Frenchbe- to cause, make, affect-havour to haveIn biology, all of the responses to stimuli that anorganism is capable of displaying.

e

The Greek Language

Examining the origins of the languages ofWestern cultures, we see that most hadtheir beginnings in the language of theGreeks. Around the sixth century BC, theancient Greek culture flourished. Democ-racy, cherished only by the wealthy, pro-vided a political and social environmentfor philosophers to ponder the nature ofthe universe. Some put down in wordstheir interpretations of order and chaos.Plato (427–347 BC), one of the mostfamous Greek philosophers, metaphori-cally linked science to politics by statingthat all things celestial were pure andgodly while earthly things were somehowtarnished and corrupted. He referred toplanets as crystalline spheres and made ananalogy between the good and the sun:“though the good itself is not essence butstill transcends essence in dignity andsurpassing power.” In Plato’s Allegory ofthe Cave he speaks of shadows and captiv-ity and the darkness. In many such waysPlato and others advanced the sciences intheir time. Yet some would say they alsosuppressed science and philosophythrough their belief that these endeavorsbefit only the elite in Greek society.

28 Benthic

Benthic

Greekbenthos- bottom-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf the benthos, or bottom of the ocean or deep lake;organisms existing at the bottom zone of the sea.

Beta (rays)

Greekbeta second letter of the Greek alphabetElectrons or positrons that are emitted from aradioactive substance.

Bias

Frenchbiais slantTo apply a small voltage to.

Bicephalous

Greekbi- two, twice, double, twofold-cephalo- (kephalikos) head-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toHaving two heads.

Bicuspid

Latinbi- two, twice, double, twofold-cuspis- sharp point, cusp-id state, condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, inclined toHaving two points or cusps, such as a premolartooth.

Bidentate

Greekbi- two, twice, double, twofold-dentis- tooth-ate to cause to be affected or modified byTo have two teeth or teethlike parts.

Bifurcation

Latinbi- two, twice, double, twofold-furca- fork-ation state, process, or quality ofThe point at which a splitting into two pieces occurs.

Bilateral

Latinbi- two, twice, double, twofold-latus- side-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofReferring to two-sided symmetrical animals;having identical parts on each side of an axis.

Bilirubin

Latin

b lis- bile-ruber- red-in protein or derived from proteinA pigmented substance in the hemoglobin thatappears in the urine, darkening it and indicative ofliver or gallbladder disease.

Bimetallic

Latinbi- two, twice, double, twofold-metallon- mine, ore, quarry; any of a category of electropositive elements from metallum -ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRelating to a substance composed of two differ-ent metals that are bonded together.

Binary

Latinbini- two at a time, two by two-ary of, relating to, or connected withConsisting of or involving two, as in binary fission.

Binocular

Latinbi- two, twice, double, twofold-ocul- of or relating to the eye-ar relating to or resemblingHaving two eyes arranged to produce stereo-scopic vision.

Binomial

Latinbi- two, twice, double, twofold-nom- (nemein) to dictate the laws of; knowl-edge, usage, order-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofA taxonomic name consisting of two terms; bino-mial nomenclature.

Bioaccumulation

Greek/Latinbios- life, living organisms or tissue-ad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-cumul re- to pile up-ion state, process, or quality of To accumulate in a biological system.

Bioaugmentation

Greek/Latinbios- life, living organisms or tissue-augere- to increase-ion state, process, or quality of Increasing the activity of bacteria that decomposepollutants, a technique used in bioremediation.

Biocentrism

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue

i

a

Biomimetics 29

-kentron- center, sharp point-ism state or condition, qualityThe belief that all life—or even the whole uni-verse, living or otherwise—taken as a whole, isequally valuable, and that humanity is not thecenter of existence.

Biodegradable

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-degrade- to impair physical structure-able capable, inclined to, tending to, given toCapable of being decomposed by biological agents,especially bacteria.

Biodiversity

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-diverse- differing from another-ity state, qualityThe number and variety of organisms found withina specified region.

Bioecologist

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-eco- environment, habitat-logist a person who studiesA specialist who studies the relation-ships oforganisms to their natural environments.

Bioenrichment

Greek/Latin/Frenchbios- (Greek) life, livingen- (Latin) in-riche- (French) rich-ment state or condition resulting from a (speci-fied) actionAdding nutrients or oxygen to increase the micro-bial breakdown of pollutants.

Biofuel

Variousbios- life, living organisms or tissue-focus (fuel) hearth, fireplaceAny fuel derived from biomass, such as treatedmunicipal and industrial wastes and methane pro-duced from renewable resources, especially plants.

Biogenesis

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-sis action, process, state, conditionThe biological principle that life originates orarises from life, and not from nonliving things.

Biogeography

Greek

bios- life, living organisms or tissue-geo- earth-graphia (graphein) to write, record, draw, describeThe study of the geographical distribution oforganisms.

Biolith

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-lithos stone or rockA rock of organic origin.

Biologics

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-logics talk, speak; speech; wordAgents, such as vaccines, that confer immunity todiseases or harmful biotic stresses.

Biology

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe science of life and of living organisms,including their structure, function, growth, ori-gin, evolution, and distribution.

Biomass

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-maza mass, large amountThe total amount or weight of living material in agiven area.

Biome

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-oma communityA major region, such as continental grassland, thathas similar physical and climatological conditions.

Biomimesis

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-minie- mimic, mime; imitate, act; simulation-sis action, process, state, conditionIn biology, the ability of an organism to mimic thephysical characteristics of another species.

Biomimetics

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-minie- mimic, mime; imitate, act; simulation-ic (ikos) relating to or having some character-istic ofA branch of biology that uses information frombiological systems to develop synthetic systems.

30 Biopesticide

Biopesticide

Latin/Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-pestis- (Latin) plague, pestilance-cide (caedere) to cut, kill, hack at, or strikeNaturally occurring substances with pesticidalproperties.

Biopsy

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-opsy examinationSelection of tissue removed from a living specimen.

Bioremediation

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-re- again-medi- middle-ion state, process, or quality of The process of using bacteria or other organismsto “clean up” toxins in the environment.

Biosphere

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-sphaire to surroundThe thin outer shell of the earth and the inner lay-ers of its atmosphere, the place where all livingsystems are found.

Biotechnology

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-tekhne- skill, systematic treatment-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe scientific manipulation of living organisms,especially at the molecular genetic level, to produceuseful products. Gene splicing and the use of recom-binant DNA(rDNA) are major techniques used.

Biotic

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofLiving materials in an ecosystem; having somecharacteristics of living organisms.

Biotoxin

Greekbios- life, living organisms or tissue-toxikos poisonAny toxic substance formed in an animal body anddemonstrable in its tissues or body fluids, or both.

Bipectinate

Latin

bi- two, twice, double, twofold-pectin- comb-ate characterized by havingFeathery, with comblike branches or projectionsgrowing out from both sides of the main axis(applied mainly to insect antennae).

Bipedal

Latinbi- two, twice, double, twofold-ped- foot-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofAn organism having two feet or capable of walk-ing on two feet.

Biramous

Latinbi- two, twice, double, twofold-ramus- branch-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toConsisting of or having two branches, as theappendages of an arthropod.

Bitumen

Latinbit men a mineral pitch from the Near EastAny of various flammable mixtures of hydrocar-bons and other substances, occurring naturally orobtained by distillation from coal or petroleum,that are components of asphalt and tar and areused for surfacing roads and for waterproofing.

Bivalve

Latinbi- two, twice, double, twofold-valve leaf of a doorA mollusk that has a shell consisting of twohinged valves.

Bladder

Latinblaedre bladderIn biology, any sac or saclike organ that is capableof distension as it fills with fluid.

Blastocoel

Greekblastos- germ, bud-koilos hollowCavity of the blastula.

Blastocyst

Greekblastos- germ, bud-kustis (cyst) sac or bladder that contains fluidThe modified blastula that is characteristic of pla-cental mammals.

u

Bradycardia 31

Blastomere

Greekblastos- germ, bud-meros partName given to the early group of cells that resultfrom the fertilization and cleavage of an ovum.

Blastopore

Greekblastos- germ, bud-poros passageThe opening of the archenteron (the central open-ing of the gastrula, which ultimately becomes thedigestive cavity).

Blastula

Greekblastos- germ, bud-ula diminutiveEarly embryological stage of many animals; con-sisting of a hollow mass of cells.

Blennogenic

Greekblenno- mucus-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-ic relating to or having some characteristic ofProducing or secreting mucus.

Blepharoplast

Greekblepharon- eyelid-plastos (plassein) something molded; to moldA very small mass of cytoplasm at the base of a fla-gellum, containing small amounts of chromatin.

Blood

Old Englishbl d to thrive or bloomThe fluid consisting of plasma, cells, and plate-lets that is circulated by the heart through the ver-tebrate vascular system.

Bomb

Greekbombos booming soundA container capable of withstanding high internalpressure.

Boreal

Latinboreios coming from the northNorthern; of or relating to the north; the north wind.

Botany

Greekbotan - fodder, plants-onuma nameThe science or study of plants.

Botulism

Latinbotulus- sausage-ism state or condition, qualityA severe, sometimes fatal poisoning caused byingestion of food containing botulin and charac-terized by nausea, vomiting, disturbed vision,muscular weakness, and fatigue.

Boule

Latinbulla bubbleA pear-shaped, aluminum-based synthetic mineral.

Bovine

Latinbov- cow-ine of or relating toRelating to, affecting, resembling, or derivedfrom a cow or bull.

Bowel

Latinbotulus sausageThe intestines; sometimes refers to the largeintestine.

Brachial

Greekbrackh n upper arm-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf or relating to the arm, forelimb, or wing of avertebrate.

Brachiopod

Greekbrakh n- upper arm-pod footAny of various marine invertebrates of the phy-lum Brachiopoda, having bivalve dorsal and ven-tral shells enclosing a pair of tentacled, armlikestructures that are used to sweep minute food par-ticles into the mouth; also called lampshell.

Brachiosaurus

Greekbrakh n- upper arm-sauros lizardThe group of very large, herbivorous dinosaurs exis-ting in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods; nota-ble features include long forelegs and a long neck.

Bradycardia

Latin/Greekbradus- slow-kard- heart; pertaining to the heart-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing plurals

o

e

io

i

i

32 Breeds

Slower-than-normal heart rate in humans, usuallyconsidered to be less than 60 beats per minute.

Breeds

Old Englishbredan to breedVariations within the same species that are capa-ble of reproducing with one another; phenotypicmodifications within a group.

Brevis

Latinbrevis briefAn anatomical term meaning “short,” usuallyassociated with skeletal muscle.

Brittle

Old Englishbrytel to shatterLikely to break, snap, or crack.

Bronchitis

Greekbronkhos- windpipe-itis inflammation, burning sensationChronic or acute inflammation of the mucousmembrane of the bronchial tubes.

Bronchogenic

Greekbronkhos- windpipe-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOriginating in the bronchi or having its origin inthe bronchus.

Bronchomalacia

Greekbronkhos- windpipe-malacia softening of tissueThe degeneration or softening of the trachea as aresult of some disorder.

Bronchus

Greekbronkhos- windpipe-us singularMain branch of the windpipe.

Bryophyte

Greekbruein- to swell or teem-phyte plantAny of a division of nonvascular plants that lackvascular tissue, including mosses and liverworts.

Bryozoan

Greekbruon- moss-zôion living beingAny of various small aquatic animals of the phy-lum Bryozoa that reproduce by budding and formmosslike or branching colonies permanentlyattached to stones or seaweed; also called mossanimal or polyzoan.

Buoyancy

Dutch/Latinbuoy- to float-ancy condition or state ofThe tendency of a body to float or to rise whensubmerged in a fluid

Cadaver

Latincadere- to fall or die-er one that performs that actionA corpse or dead body.

Caddisfly

Old Englishcadace- cotton wool (refers to the tube in which the larva lives)-fl oge flyAny of various insects with four hairy wings,chewing mouthparts, and long antennae; aquaticlarvae.

Caldera

Late Latincaldaria cooking potLarge crater formed when the sides of a volcaniccone collapse.

Calendar

Latinkalendae- account book-ar relating to or resemblingAny of various systems of reckoning time inwhich the beginning, length, and divisions of ayear are defined.

Calibrate

Arabicqalib- shoemaker’s last-ate characterized by havingTo check, adjust, or determine by comparisonwith a standard.

Calomel

Greekkalos- beautiful-melas blackA tasteless compound, Hg2Cl2, used as aninsecticide.

Calorie

Latincalor- heatAny of several approximately equal units of heat,each measured as the quantity of heat required toraise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1degree Celsius from a standard initial temperature.

Calorimeter

Latin/Greekcalor- heat-meter (metron) instrument or means of measuring; to measureAn apparatus for measuring quantities of absorbedor evolved heat typically generated in a reaction.

Calorimetry

Latincalor- heat-metria process of measuringMeasurement of the amount of heat released orabsorbed during a chemical reaction.

Calving

Middle Englishcalve- calf-ing the act or action ofThe process by which a block of a glacier breaksoff and falls into the sea to form an iceberg.

e

34 Calyx

Calyx

Greekkalyx cupThe outer whorl of a flower, the sepals.

Cambium

Latincambiare- to exchange-ium quality or relationshipPlant tissue commonly present as a thin layer thatforms new cells on both sides; located either invascular tissue (vascular cambium), formingxylem on one side and phloem on the other, or incork (cork cambium or phellogen).

Camouflage

French/Latincamoufler- to disguise-age ( ticum) (Latin) condition or stateConcealment by means of disguise or protectivecoloring.

Campodeiform

Greekcampo- caterpillar, bend, curve-dei- god, deity, divine nature-form having the form ofApplied to insect larvae, grublike, flattened, andelongated with well-developed legs and anten-nae; many beetle larvae are of this type, as arethose of the lacewings.

Canaliculus

Latincan lis- conduit-us thingVery small channels or ducts in the body; nor-mally associated with the Haversian system ofcompact bone.

Cancer

Latincancer crabA pathological condition marked by the growthand proliferation of neoplastic cells.

Candle

Latincandela candleA unit of light intensity equal to the amount oflight emitted from a standard source such as acandle or an incandescent light.

Canine

Latincani- dog-ine of or relating toAn animal of the family Canidae; belonging to orcharacteristic of a dog.

Capacitor

Latincapacitas- spacious-or person or thing that does somethingAn electrical circuit element used to store chargetemporarily.

Capelin

Latincappa- cap or cape-lin small or littleA small food fish of the smelt family, found innorth Atlantic coastal waters.

a

a

The Heiki Warriors and Natural Selection

Each year on April 24, fishermen who aredescendants of the Heike warriors com-memorate the last battle of the war betweenthe Heike and Genji samurai clans. On thisday, the Heike clan succumbed to its finaldefeat. The naval battle of Danno-ura wasthe last stand for this noble clan.

The Heike fought gallantly against anopposing force that greatly outnumberedthem. In the end, the survivors, rather thanbeing taken alive, jumped from their shipsand committed mass suicide. Among themwas their emperor, a seven-year-old boynamed Antoku.

The story might have ended there, butfor a small group of handmaidens whoremained on shore that day. After the war,they lived among the fishermen of the vil-lage and bore children.

Over the centuries, the celebration hasgrown into a legend. The story has it thatthe Heiki samurai still wander at the bottomof the sea, as evidenced by the many crabsthere with markings of what appears to bethe face of a samurai.

This is a wonderful example of naturalselection. The fishermen of the Danno-uracast their nets into the inland sea and bringup thousands of crabs. Among them is onewith markings vaguely resembling a faceon its carapace. The fishermen believe thiscrab to be sacred and therefore throw itback. The process is repeated countlesstimes. The crabs breed and the likeness of aface is selected for because the crabs bear-ing it are not harvested. Thus, over time,humans preferentially selected a pheno-type, the face of a samurai, to predominateamong the population.

Cardiac 35

Capillary

Latincapill- hairy-ary pertaining toAs fine or minute as a hair; having a very smallbore, as a tube.

Capsid

Latincap- catch, seize, take hold of, contain, take, hold-sid state, condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, inclined toThe coating of a protein that encloses the nucleicacid core of a virus.

Capsule

Latincapsa- box-ule little, smallA sticky layer that surrounds certain bacteria.

Carapace

Spanishcarapacho coveringThe fused chitonous exoskeleton of various inver-tebrates such as crustaceans.

Carbohydrate

Frenchcarbo- carbon-hydr- solid compound containing water molecules-ate characterized by havingAny of a group of organic compounds produced byphotosynthetic plants, including sugars, starches,celluloses, and gums, and that serves as a majorenergy source in the animal diet.

Carbonation

Latincarbonate- to charge with carbon dioxide gas-ion state, process, or quality ofSaturation with carbon dioxide gas.

Carcinogen

Greekkarkinos- crab, cancer-gen to give birth, kind, produceA substance that induces cancer. Carcinogens aremore likely to affect tissues where rapid cellularreproduction takes place.

Carcinoma

Greekkarkinos- crab, cancer-oma tumor, neoplasm A malignant growth or tumor.

Cardiac

Greekkard- heart; pertaining to the heart-ac pertaining toReferring to the heart.

Impregnating Water with Fixed Air

Joseph Priestley was born in Birstall parishnear Leeds, England, in 1733. He was aman of many interests. He was persecutedfor his interest in civil rights, government,religion, and philosophy, but it was hissympathetic view of the French people dur-ing the French Revolution that led to rumorsand conspiracy against him. His home, labora-tory, and church in Birmingham were burnedto the ground in 1791. He later fled to theUnited States and took up residence inNorthumberland County, Pennsylvania, wherehe died in 1804.

In 1772 Dr. Joseph Priestley published apaper titled “Impregnating Water with FixedAir.” Here we have the beginnings of car-bonated beverages. Priestley experimentedwith the gas given off by fermenting beerand soon discovered some very interestingcharacteristics of his collected gas. Forexample, he learned that the unknown gaswas heavier than air, for it remained in theopened containers and did not mix with theambient air. By performing a common sci-ence experiment that is duplicated in mostsecondary schools across the United States,he came to discover that this gas wouldextinguish flaming wood chips. The gas thatPriestley called “fixed air” was also referredto as “mephitic air” by Joseph Black.

Dr. Priestley’s work with “fixed air” ledhim to perform an experiment where heplaced a vessel of water in the gas lingeringabout the fermented beer. He found thatsome of the gas dissolved in the standingwater, producing a rather tasty beverage,which we know as soda water.

Dr. Priestley’s work with gases furtherled him to the “discovery” of oxygen in1774. Although oxygen had been identifiedearlier by Michal Sedziwoj in the sixteenthcentury and later by Carl Wilhelm Scheelein 1772, Joseph Priestley was the first topublish his results on the gas in 1775, twoyears before Scheele published his ownwork. Therefore, Dr. Priestley is commonlycredited with the discovery of oxygen.

36 Cardialgia

Cardialgia

Greekkard- heart; pertaining to the heart-algia pain, sense of pain; painful, hurtingLocalized pain in the region of the heart.

Cardiology

Greekkard- heart; pertaining to the heart-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of the heart and its actions and diseases.

Cardiomalacia

Greekkard- heart; pertaining to the heart-malacia softening of tissueThe softening and degeneration of the walls of theheart, usually because of a disorder.

Cardiomyopathy

Greekkard- heart; pertaining to the heart-myo- muscle-patheia disease; feeling, sensation, perceptionA disease or disorder of the heart muscle, espe-cially one of unknown or obscure cause.

Cardiovascular

Greekkard- heart; pertaining to the heart-vascul- small vessel-ar relating to or resemblingRelating to the heart and the blood vessels of thecirculatory system.

Carnivore

Latincaro- meat-vorare to devourAny animal that kills and feeds on other animals.

Carotenoid

Latin/Greekcarota- carrot-oid (oeid s) resembling, having the appearance ofAny of a class of yellow to red pigments, includ-ing the carotenes and the xanthophylls.

Carotid

Greekkaroun- to put to sleep, plunge into sleep or stupor, stupefy-id state or condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, inclined toEither of the two major arteries, one on each side ofthe neck, that carry blood to the head; their com-pression was believed to cause unconsciousness.

Carpal

Greekcarpus- wrist; that which turns-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofA bone of the wrist; of or relating to the wrist.

Carpel

Greekkarpos fruitOne of the structural units of a pistil, representinga modified, ovule-bearing leaf.

Cartilage

Latincartilago- cartilage-age ( ticum) (Latin) condition or stateVarious tissues containing cartilaginous cells and amatrix composed of water and fibers; it is com-monly found in movable joints, the external ear, andthe nose, and is the precursor of numerous bones inthe human body.

Cartography

Greekkhartes- map, chart, paper-graphia (graphein) to write, record, draw, describeThe science of map or chart making.

Catabolism

Greekkata- down, downward; under, lower; against; entirely, completely-bol- (ballein) to put or throw-ism state, condition, or qualityDecomposition of larger molecules within cells.

Catadromous

Greekkata- down, downward; under, lower; against; entirely, completely-dramein/dromos to runRefers to fish that migrate from freshwater to theocean to spawn.

Catalyst

Greekkata- down, downward; under, lower; against; entirely, completely-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve; dissolution, break-sis action, process, state, conditionA substance that enables a chemical reaction toproceed, usually at a faster rate or under differentconditions than are otherwise possible.

Cataract

Greekkata- down, downward; under, lower; against; entirely, completely

e

a

Centripetal (force) 37

-arassein to strikeOpacity of the lens or capsule of the eye, causingimpairment of vision or blindness.

Catenation

Latincatena- connection of links or union of parts, as in a chain; a regular or connected series-ion state, process, or quality ofBonding of atoms of the same element into chainsor rings.

Cathode

Greekkata- down, downward; under, lower; against; entirely, completely-hod s way or roadA negatively charged electrode; an electrolyticcell or a storage battery.

Cation

Greekkata- down, downward; under, lower; against; entirely, completely-ion (ienai) to go; something that goesAn ion or group of ions having a positive charge andmoving toward the negative electrode in electrolysis.

Caudal

Latincaud- tail-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofConstituting, belonging to, or relating to a tail.

Cauterization

Latincauter- heat-ization action, process, or result of doing or makingThe process of searing a damaged part of the bodyby the use of heat or a chemical.

Cecum

Latincaecus blindA blind pouch that serves as the entrance to the largeintestine.

Ceilometer

Latincaelum- sky, heaven-meter (metron) instrument or means of measuring; to measureA device that measures the height of cloud layers.

Celestial

Latincaelum- sky, heaven-ial (variation of -ia) relating to or characterized by

Of or relating to the sky or the heavens; planetsare celestial bodies.

Cell

Latincella chamberThe smallest unit of a living thing that is capableof carrying out all life processes.

Cellulose

Latincellula- little cell-ose sugarColorless, insoluble, indigestible polysaccharidethat makes up the cell wall.

Celsius

Celsius Swedish scientist (Anders Celsius) who introduced the scale also known as centigrade for measuring temperatureScale of temperature in which the range from thefreezing to the boiling of water is divided into 100degrees (freezing being 0 and boiling being 100degrees).

Cenozoic

Greekkainos- new-zoe- life-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofDivision of geologic time that lasted 65 millionyears after the Mesozoic.

Centipede

Latincenti- one hundred -pede feetWormlike arthropods in the class Chilopoda.

Centrifuge

Greek/Latinkentron- center, sharp point-fugere to fleeA device for separating components of different den-sities contained in liquid by spinning at high speed.

Centriole

Greekkentron- center, sharp point-ole littleOrganelle associated with spindle formation dur-ing mitosis in animal cells.

Centripetal (force)

Greek/Latinkentron- center, sharp point-petal (petere) moving toward; to seek The force that opposes the inertia of a body and isrequired to keep a body in a circular motion.

o

38 Centroid

Centroid

Greekkentron- center, sharp point-oid (oeid s) resembling, having the appearance ofThe point in a system of masses each of whosecoordinates is a weighted mean of coordinates ofthe same dimension of points within the system.

Centromere

Greekkentron- center, sharp point-mere part ofThe area of the chromosome, usually in the cen-ter, where sister chromatids are attached.

Centrosome

Greekkentron- center, sharp point-soma (somatiko) bodyA small region of cytoplasm adjacent to the nucleusthat contains the centrioles and serves to organize.

Cephalic

Greekcephalo- (kephalikos) head-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf or relating to the head; anatomical term for“head.”

Cephalization

Greekcephalo- (kephalikos) head-ization action, process, or result of doing or makingConcentration of sensory and nervous systems inone area of the body, which is called a “head.”

Cephalopod

Greekcephalo- (kephalikos) head-poda footGroup of mollusks having a large head, largeeyes, prehensile tentacles, and, in most species,an ink sac for protection.

Cephalothorax

Greek/Latincephalo- (kephalikos) head-thorax breastplate, chestThe anterior section of arachnids and many crus-taceans, consisting of the fused head and thorax.

Cepheid

Greekcephalo- (kephalikos) head-id state, condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, inclined toA variable star that scientists can use to determinehow distant a galaxy, or star cluster, is because ofits highly regular pulsation.

Ceraceous

Latincer- wax-aceous having the quality ofWaxen, like wax; covered with or resembling wax.

Cercaria

Greekkerkos- tail-aria like or connected withTadpole-like juveniles of trematodes (flukes).

Cerebellum

Latincerebr- of or relating to the brain or cerebrum-bellum warA region of brain that lies posterior to the ponsand is responsible for voluntary muscular move-ment, posture, and balance.

Cerebral

Latincerebr- of or relating to the brain or cerebrum-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofThe largest part of the brain, consisting of two lobes,the right and left cerebral hemispheres. The cere-brum controls thought and voluntary movement.

Cerebromalacia

Greekcerebr- of or relating to the brain or cerebrum-malacia softening of tissueThe abnormal softening of the cerebral parenchyma.

Cerebroside

Latincerebr- of or relating to the brain or cerebrum-ide group of related chemical compoundsA group of lipids that occur most abundantly inthe membranes of nerves and brain cells.

Cerussite

Latinc russa- a white lead pigment, sometimes used in cosmetics-ite minerals and fossilsNative lead carbonate; a mineral occurring incolorless, white, or yellowish transparent crys-tals, with an adamantine, and that is massive andcompact.

Cervical

Latincervic- stem of cervix-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofRelating to the neck or any part of the body thatresembles a neck.

e

e

Chilopoda 39

Cetacean

cetu- whale-an one that is of, relating to, or belonging toOrder of marine mammals including whales, dol-phins, and porpoises.

Chaetotaxy

Greekchaeto- spine, bristle; long, flowing hair-taxy arrangement, order; put in orderThe arrangement of the bristles or chaetae on aninsect, especially important in the classification ofthe Diptera, Collembla, and several other groups.

Chalcopyrite

Greekkhalkos- copper-p r- fire-ite minerals and fossilsA yellow mineral, essentially CuFeS2, that is animportant ore of copper; also called copper pyrite.

Charge

Latincarrus Gallic type of wagon.The intrinsic property of matter responsible forall electric phenomena—in particular, for theforce of the electromagnetic interaction—occurring in two forms, arbitrarily designatednegative and positive.

Chatoyant

Latincattus- cat-ant performing, promoting, or causing a specifiedactionA gemstone (cat’s-eye) having the capacity ofchanging its luster or color because of the way nar-row bands or streaks of light reflect off its surface.

Cheilostomatoplasty

Greekcheil- claw, lip, edge, or brim-stomat- mouth, opening-plastos- (plassein) something molded; to mold-y place for an activity, condition, or statePlastic surgery of the lips and mouth.

Chelicera

Greekkhele- claw-keras hornOne of a pair of the most anterior head appendageson members of the subphylum Chelicerata.

Cheliped

Greekkhele- claw-ped foot

A pincerlike claw of a crustacean or arachnid,such as a lobster, crab, or scorpion.

Chemical

Greekkhemeia- chemical; alchemy-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofA substance composed of chemical elements orone produced by or used in chemical processes.

Chemistry

Greekkhemeia- chemical; alchemy-metria (metron) the process of measuringThe science of the composition, structure, proper-ties, and reactions of matter, especially of atomicand molecular systems.

Chemoautotroph

Greekkhemeia- chemical; alchemy-auto- self, same, spontaneous; directed from within-trophos (trophein) to nourish; food, nutrition; developmentOrganism that obtains its nourishment throughoxidation or inorganic chemical compounds.

Chemoheterotroph

Greekkhemeia- chemical; alchemy-heteros- different-trophos (trophein) to nourish; food, nutrition; developmentAny of a group of bacteria that, in addition to deriv-ing energy from chemical reactions, synthesize allnecessary organic compounds from carbon dioxide.

Chemotherapy

Latinkhemeia- chemical; alchemy-therapeuein heal, cure; treatmentA treatment for cancers that involves administer-ing chemicals that are toxic to malignant cells.

Chiasma

Greekkh azein to mark with an XIn anatomy, the crossing or intersecting of twotracts; the optic chiasma. In genetics, the point ofcontact between paired chromatids.

Chilopoda

Greekkheilos- lip-poda footA very large group of insects that includes centi-pedes; they are characterized by having elongatedlegs attached to each segment, with a pair of legs

u

i

40 Chimera

in the thorax that serve as fangs, and by havingvery powerful mouthparts.

Chimera

Greekchimaira she-goatAn organism composed of two or more geneti-cally distinct tissues, such as one that is partlymale and partly female, or an artificially producedindividual having tissues of several species.

Chiropractic

Greekchir- hand; pertaining to the hand or hands-praktikos- practical-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofA system of therapy in which disease is consid-ered the result of abnormal function of the ner-vous system; treatment usually involvesmanipulation of the spinal column and otherbody structures.

Chiroptera

Greekchir- hand; pertaining to the hand or hands-pteron wingOrder of flying mammals (bats).

Chloragogen

Greekchlor- the color green, yellow-green, or light green-agogos- a leading, a guide-gen to give birth, kind, produceModified greenish or brownish peritoneal cellsclustered around the digestive tract of certainannelids; they apparently aid in the elimination ofnitrogenous wastes and in food transport.

Chlorofluorocarbon

Greekchlor- the color green, yellow-green, or light green-fluere- chemical element; to flow-carbo- coal, charcoal-on a particleAny of several simple gaseous compounds that containcarbon, chlorine, fluorine, and sometimes hydrogen.

Chloroform

Greek/Latinchlor- the color green, yellow-green, or light green-formyl [-form(ic) found in ants + yle wood, matter]A clear, colorless, sweet-smelling liquid used inrefrigerants, propellants, and resins; as a solvent;and sometimes as an anesthetic.

Chlorophyll

Greekchlor- the color green, yellow-green, or light green-phullon leaf

Green pigment found in photosynthetic organ-isms that is capable of absorbing light and con-verting it to energy from oxidation and reductionin the photosynthesis of carbohydrates.

Chloroplast

Greekchlor- the color green, yellow-green, or light green-plastos (plassein) something molded; to moldChlorophyll-containing plasmid found in algaland green plants.

Choanoblast

Greekchoane- funnel-blastos bud, germ cellA cell that gives rise to one or more collar bodies,especially in the sponge class Hexactinellida.

Choanocytes

Greekchoane- funnel-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidOne of the flagellate collar cells that line the cav-ities and canals of sponges.

Cholecystectomy

New Latinkhole- bile, gall-kustis- (cyst) sac or bladder that contains fluid-ekt- outside, external, beyond-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionSurgical excision of the gallbladder.

Cholelith

Greekkhole- bile, gall-lith stone, rockA small, hard pathological concretion composedchiefly of cholesterol, calcium salts, and bile pigments,formed in the gallbladder or in a bile duct; gallstone.

Cholesterol

Greekkhole- bile, gall-steros- solid-ol chemical derivativeA white crystalline substance found in animal tis-sues and various foods that is normally synthesizedby the liver and is important as a constituent of cellmembranes and a precursor to steroid hormones.

Chondroblast

Greekkhondros- granule, cartilage-blastos bud, germ cellAn immature cartilage cell found in growing cartilage.

Chondroclast

Greek

Chronometry 41

khondros- granule, cartilage-klastos break, break in piecesA cartilaginous cell involved with the reabsorb-tion of the cartilaginous matrix.

Chondrocyte

Greekkhondros- granule, cartilage-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidA mature cartilage cell that can be found in thelacunae of the cartilaginous matrix.

Chondromalacia

Greekkhondros- granule, cartilage-malacia softening of tissueSoftening of any cartilage, usually because of aphysiological disorder.

Chordate

Greekkhorde- gut, string of a musical instrument-ate characterized by havingOf, pertaining to, or belonging to the phylumChordata or to a chordate subphylum; animalshaving at least at some stage of development of anotochord, a dorsally situated central nervoussystem, and gill clefts.

Choroid

Greekkhorion- afterbirth-oid (oeid s) resembling, having the appearance ofThe very dark brown vascular coat found betweenthe sclerotic coat and the retina of the eye.

Chromatics

Greekkhromat- color-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofThe scientific study of color.

Chromatid

Greekkhromat- color-id state, condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, inclined toOne of the two identical threadlike filaments of achromosome.

Chromatin

Greekkhromat- color-in protein or derived from proteinA complex of nucleic acids and proteins in the cellnucleus that stains readily with basic dyes and con-denses to form chromosomes during cell division.

Chromatography

Greek

khromat- color-graphia (graphein) to write, record, draw, describeAnalysis of mixtures of chemical compounds bypassing solutions of them through an absorbent.

Chromogen

Greekkhromat- color-gen to give birth, kind, produceA substance capable of conversion to a pigmentor dye.

Chromophore

Greekkhromat- color-phore bearer, carrierA chemical group capable of selective lightabsorption resulting in the coloration of certainorganic compounds.

Chromosome

Greekkhromat- color-soma (somatiko) bodyAny one of the threadlike nucleoprotein struc-tures in the nucleus of the cell that function in thetransmission of genetic information.

Chromosphere

Greekkhromat- color-sphaira a globe shape, ball, sphereAn incandescent, transparent layer of gas lyingabove and surrounding the photosphere of the sun.

Chronic

Greekkhronos- time-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofLasting a long time, long-continuing, lingering,inveterate (as diseases).

Chronobiology

Greekkhronos- time-bios- life, living organisms or tissue-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe scientific study of the effect of time on livingsystems.

Chronogram

Greekkhronos- time-gram something written or drawn; a recordThe record produced by a chronograph.

Chronometry

Greek

e

42 Chrysalis

khronos- time-metria (metron) the process of measuringThe scientific measurement of time.

Chrysalis

Greekkhr sallid gold-colored pupa of a butterflyThe protective stage of development in moths andbutterflies in which the pupa is contained in atough case or cocoon.

Chyle

Greekchylos juiceA milky fluid containing emulsified fat and otherproducts of digestion formed from the chyme inthe small intestine and conveyed by the lactealsand the thoracic duct to the veins.

Cilia

Latincili- a small hair-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsSmall hairlike projections that help ciliates move,sense their environment, and collect food.

Ciliate

Latincili- a small hair-ate characterized by having

Any of a group of animal-like protists that arecharacterized by having cilia.

Circadian

Latincircum- around-diurnus- day-an one that is of, relating to, or belonging toDesignating physiological activity that occursapproximately every twenty-four hours, or therhythm of such activity.

Circuit

Greekkirkos circleA set of electronic components that perform aparticular function in an electronic system.

Circular

Latincirculus- to make circular-ar relating to or resemblingReferring to a path that follows the shape of acircle.

Circulation

Latincirculus- to make circular-ion state, process, or quality of Movement or flow through a circle or circuit.

Eratosthenes’ Shadows

“Let none enter here who are ignorant of geome-try.” This quote was inscribed above the entrance ofPlato’s school, illustrating the importance of math-ematics to the early philosopher-scientists ofGreece and Egypt. Without knowledge of geome-try, we’d be left with many elegant theories, per-haps, but no reasoned explanations. Plato, thoughnot a mathematician, understood this.

This brings us to Eratosthenes (276–194 BC),born in what is now Libya. A man of considerableinfluence, Eratosthenes was a mathematician,astronomer, geographer, poet, historian, and phi-losopher. He studied and worked, probably as adirector, in the Great Library of Alexandria. It ishere he read that at noon every June 21, the suncast no shadow in the Egyptian village of Syene.And on that same day at the same hour, the fullface of the sun was reflected in the waters of thevillage’s deep well. To even the uninformedobserver, it was obvious that the sun was directlyoverhead.

Perhaps out of curiosity or an attempt to vali-date the account of Syene, Eratosthenes, using

only a stick placed in the sand at Alexandria (aconsiderable distance north of Syene), made theobservation that at noon of June 21, a ratherlengthy shadow was cast. Undoubtedly, Era-tosthenes asked himself what possibly couldaccount for such a phenomenon. If the earth wereflat, like the maps, then the shadows should be thesame length—provided, of course, that the sun wasa considerable distance from the earth. Or couldthe earth be a sphere, and not flat at all? Knowingthat the distance from Alexandria to Syene wasabout 800 kilometers, and observing and calculat-ing the difference between the shadow lengths atthe two locations, Eratosthenes calculated that thedegree of the angle where the sticks would inter-sect deep within the earth was probably close to 7degrees. Having that bit of information, he wasable to determine the circumference of the earth. Ifthe opposite side of a 7-degree angle is 800 kilo-meters, and there are 360 degrees in a circle, theresulting circumference is around 40,000 kilome-ters. He was pretty accurate for someone usingonly his intellect and no technology.

u

Clinic 43

Circumcision

Latincircum- in a circle; around, about, surrounding-caedere- to cut-ion state, process, or quality of The act of cutting around; the cutting and removalof all of the prepuce in males or the prepuce, cli-toris, or labia in females.

Circumference

Greekcircum- in a circle; around, about, surrounding-ferre to carryThe boundary line of a circle, or the length ofsuch a boundary.

Circumlunar

Latincircum- in a circle; around, about, surrounding-lunar moon, light, shineRevolving around or surrounding the moon.

Cirque

French (from Latin)circus circleA steep, hollow, bowl-shaped basin occurring atthe upper end of a mountain valley.

Cirrhosis

Greekkirrhos- tawny yellow-sis action, process, state, conditionA chronic disease of the liver characterized by thereplacement of normal tissue with fibrous tissue,the loss of functional liver cells, and an abnormalyellowish appearance.

Cirrus

Latincirro hair; wispyHigh clouds with a base of 6,000 meters.

Cistron

Latincist- to cut-on a particleSegment of DNA that is required in order to syn-thesize a complete polypeptide chain.

Cladistics

Greekklados- branch or sprout-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofA system of arranging taxa to reflect phylogeneticrelationships.

Cladogram

Greekklados- branch or sprout-gramma letter

A branching diagram showing the pattern of shar-ing evolutionarily derived characters among spe-cies or higher taxa.

Clastic

Greekklastos- broken-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofSedimentary rock formed by fragments of previ-ously existing rock.

Clavicle

Latincl vis- key (from its shape)-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOne of two slender, key-shaped bones locatedbe-tween the scapula and the manubrium of thesternum.

Cleavage

Middle Englishcleave- to split or separate-age ( ticum) (Latin) condition or stateSplitting or separation along a natural Zline ofdivision.

Clepsydra

Greekkleps- to steal-hudor waterAn ancient device used for measuring time by thedripping of water from a graduated vessel.

Climate

Greekklime- slope-ate characterized by havingGeneral conditions of temperature and precipita-tion for an area over a period of time.

Clinarthrosis

Greekklinein- to lean; sloping-arthr- pertaining to the joints-osis process, condition, or state ofAbnormal deviation in the alignment of the bonesat a joint.

Cline

Greekklinein to lean; slopingA continuous series of differences in structure orfunction exhibited by the members of a speciesalong a line extending from one part of theirrange to another.

Clinic

Greekklinikos- pertaining to a bed or couch-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic of

a

a

44 Clinician

A clinical lecture; examination of patients beforea class of students; instruction at the bedside.

Clinician

Greekklinikos- pertaining to a bed or couch-an one that is of, relating to, or belonging toAn experienced practitioner such as a nurse, phy-sician, or psychologist as opposed to someoneinvolved in research.

Clinicopathologic

Greekklinikos- pertaining to a bed or couch-pathos- feeling, sensation, perception; suffering, disease-logic talk, speak; speech; wordPertaining both to the symptoms of a disease andto its pathology.

Clinocephaly

Greekklinikos- pertaining to a bed or couch-cephaly (kephalikos) headCongenital flatness or concavity of the vertex ofthe head.

Clinodactyly

Greekklinein- to lean; sloping-dactylos finger, toePermanent lateral or medial deviation or deflec-tion of one or more fingers.

Clinography

Greekklinikos- pertaining to a bed or couch-graphia (graphein) to write, record, draw, describeA system of graphical representations of the tem-perature, symptoms, and pathological manifesta-tions exhibited by a patient.

Clinoid

Greekklinikos- pertaining to a bed or couch-oid (oeid s) resembling, having the appearance oBed-shaped, as the clinoid processes of the sphe-noid bone.

Clinostatism

Greekklinikos- pertaining to a bed or couch-statos- standing, stay, make firm, fixed, balanced-ism state, condition, or qualityThe condition of lying down or being in the hori-zontal position.

Cliseometer

Greek

klisis- inclination-meter (metron) instrument or means of measuring; to measureAn instrument for measuring the angle that thepelvic axis makes with the spinal column.

Clitellum

Latinclitellae- packsaddle-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structureA thickened glandular section of the body wall ofsome annelids that secretes a viscid sac in whichthe eggs are deposited.

e

How Do You Discover the Invisible?

It has been said that Empedocles ofAgrigentum (ca. 490–430 BC), a mystic,poet, and physician, was so self-absorbedthat he considered himself a god and wasperhaps considered divine by others.Empedocles postulated that all matter ismade up of four “roots”: water, earth, fire,and air. He declared that love (phila) wasthe force that held these roots together andthat discord (neikos) was the force at workto keep them apart.

We know air to be an invisible medium,but to the ancient Greeks, the wind was thebreath of the gods. It had no substance andno tangible qualities. How, then, couldEmpedocles prove the existence of air?One of the rare Greek scientists who actu-ally did experiments, Empedocles used aclepsydra, a common household ladle or“water clock,” for his test. A clepsydra wasa vessel with markings and one or moresmall holes at its base to allow water to dripout. The top of the vessel had a strawliketube attached. When Empedocles filled theclepsydra with water, it dripped out the bot-tom. But when he put his finger over theopening of the tube at the top of the vessel,the water stopped dripping. When he triedfilling the vessel with his thumb over theopening of the tube, as he submerged theclepsydra, no water could enter the vesselthrough the other end. What could be caus-ing this? Empedocles argued that some-thing invisible but with substance (matter)filled the void in the vessel. If it could notbe moved out, then nothing could take itsplace. Hence air, though invisible, existsand has substance.

Coadunation 45

Clitoris

Greekkleitoris clitorisAn organ of very sensitive tissue located justanterior to the urinary meatus.

Cloaca

Latincloa'cae drainA common passage for fecal, urinary, and repro-ductive discharge in monotremes, birds, andlower vertebrates.

Clone

Greekkl n young shoot or twigA cell, group of cells, or organism that isdescended from and genetically identical to a sin-gle common ancestor, such as a bacterial colonywhose members arose from a single original cell.

Clonogenic

Greekkl n- young shoot or twig-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofAn organism arising from or consisting of a cloneof cells.

Clupeine

Latinclupea- herring, small fish-ine in a chemical substanceA protamine obtainable from the spermatozoa ofthe herring.

Cnemitis

Greekkn m - leg-itis inflammation, burning sensationInflammation of the tibia.

Cnemoscoliosis

Greekkn m - leg-scoli- curvature; curved, twisted, crooked-sis action, process, state, conditionA lateral bending of the lower limb.

Cnicus

Greekkn kos- safflower-us thingA genus of European herbs of the family Compositae.

Cnidaria

Greekkin’ dh- to sting; nettle

-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsPhylum consisting of organisms with specialstinging cells.

Cnidoblast

Greekkin’ dh- to sting; nettle-blastos bud, germ cellThe epidermal cells of coelenterates that contain thenematocysts, especially numerous on the tentacles.

Cnidocil

Greekkin’ dh- to sting; nettle-cilium hairTriggerlike spine on a nematocyst.

Cnidocilium

Greekkin’ dh- to sting; nettle-cili- a small hair-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structureA bristle-like process at one end of a cnidoblast,which, when stimulated, triggers the discharge ofthe nematocyst.

Cnidocytes

Latinkin’ dh- to sting; nettle-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidStinging cell used by cnidarians to stun their prey.

Coacervate

Greekco- together, with-acerv re- to heap-ate of or having to do withThe viscous phase separating from a colloid-containing system in the phenomenon of coacervation.

Coacervation

Greekco- together, with-acerv re- to heap-ion state, process, or quality of The separation of a mixture of two liquids, one orboth of which are colloids, into two phases; one(the coacervate) contains the colloidal particles,and the other is an aqueous solution (e.g., as whengum arabic is added to gelatin).

Coadunation

Latinco- together, with-unus- one-ion state, process, or quality of Union of dissimilar substances in one mass.

o

o

e e

e e

e

a

a

46 Coagulate

Coagulate

Latinco- together, with-agulum- to condense; to drive-ate of or having to do withTo cause the transformation of a liquid into a soft,semisolid, or solid mass.

Coalescence

Latinco- together, with-alescere- to come together or growThe act of growing together; the act of uniting.

Coccidium

Greekco- together, with-kokkos- berry, grain, seed-ium quality or relationship In former systems of classification, a genus ofcoccidians, the organisms of which have beenassigned to other genera.

Cochlea

Greekkokhlias snailA spiral-shaped cavity of the inner ear that con-tains nerve endings essential for hearing.

Codominance

Latinco- together, with-domo- house, home-ance state, qualityIn genetics, the tendency of certain (dominant)alleles to mask the expression of their corre-sponding (recessive) alleles.

Codominant

Latinco- together-dominae to ruleReferring to an equal degree of dominance of twoalleles or traits fully expressed in a phenotype.

Codon

Latincod- a code of laws; a writing tablet; an account book-on subatomic particleA group of three nucleotides that specifies theaddition of one of the twenty amino acids duringtranslation of an mRNA into a polypeptide. Stringsof codons form genes, and strings of genes formchromosomes.

Coefficient

Latinco- together, with-efficiens- efficient

-ent causing an action; being in a specific state; withinNumber that serves as a measure of some prop-erty or characteristic; numerical factor by whichthe value of another is multiplied.

Coelenterata

Greekkoilos- hollow cavity-enteron intestineFormer name for a phylum of marine inverte-brates including sea anemones, hydras, jellyfish,and corals, which are now assigned to the phylumCnidaria.

Coelenteron

Greekkoilos- hollow cavity-enteron intestineInternal cavity of a cnidarian; gastrovascular cav-ity; archenteron.

Coelom

Greekkoilos hollow cavityThe epithelium-lined space between the bodywall and the digestive tract of metazoans abovelower worms.

Coelomoduct

Greekkoilos- hollow cavity-ductus leadingA duct that carries gametes or excretory products(or both) from the coelom to the exterior.

Coenocytic

Greekcoeno- shared-kutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofMultinucleate, with nuclei not separated by crosswalls.

Cohesion

Latinco- together, with-haerere- to stick together-ion state, process, or quality of The binding together of like molecules.

Cohesive

Latinco- together, with-haerere- to stick together-ive performing an actionHolding the particles of a homogeneous bodytogether.

Comet 47

Coitus

Latinco- together, with- re to go, comeThe sexual union of a male and female.

Colchicine

Latinkolkhikon- meadow saffron-ine of or relating toPoisonous, pale-yellow alkaloid that inhibitsmitosis.

Cold

Middle Englishcaeld coldIn weather, having a low atmospheric tempera-ture. In life science, a common name for infec-tions of the upper respiratory system.

Coleoptera

Greekkoleos- sheath-pteron wingInsect order having an anterior pair of hard andhorny wings covering a softer pair of posteriorwings, and two pairs of jaws adapted for feeding;beetles, weevils.

Coleoptile

Greekkoleos- sheath-ptilon plumeA protective sheath enclosing the shoot tip andembryonic leaves of grasses.

Collagen

Greekkolla- glue-gen to give birth, kind, produceA tough, fibrous protein occurring in vertebratesas the chief constituent of collagenous tissue, andalso occurring in invertebrates—for example, inthe cuticle of nematodes.

Collembola

Greekkolla- glue-mbolon wedge, pegSpringtail; minute insect that lacks wings and hasa ventral tube, or collophore, on the first abdomi-nal segment and an abdominal forked furcula, orspring used to propel the organism forward.

Collenchyma

Greekcol- with, together-khumos juice

Tissues that provide mechanical support in manyyoung, growing plant structures (stems, petioles,leaves) but are uncommon in roots.

Collencyte

Greekkolla- glue-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidA type of cell in sponges that secretes fibrillarcollagen.

Colligative

Latincom- together, with; joint; jointly-lig re- to tie, bind-ive performing an actionDepending on the quantity of molecules but noton their chemical nature.

Colloblast

Greekkolla- glue-blastos bud, germ cellA glue-secreting cell on the tentacles of ctenophores.

Colloid

Greekkolla- glue-oid (oeid s) resembling, having the appearance ofA suspension of final divided particles in a con-tinuous medium.

Collophore

Greekkolla- glue-phore bearer, carrierA suckerlike organ at the base of the abdomen ofinsects belonging to Collembola (springtails).

Colon

Greekkolon large intestineThe section of the large intestine extending fromthe cecum to the rectum.

Combustion

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly-bustus- to burn-ion state, process, or quality of A chemical process accompanied by the evolu-tion of light and heat.

Comet

Greekkometes long-hairedA celestial body in an elliptical orbit around thesun; a brightly illuminated mass composed of iceand rock and displaying a long, glowing tail whenits orbit takes it near the sun.

i

a

e

48 Commensalism

Commensalism

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly-mensa- table-ism state, condition, or qualityA relationship between organisms where one ben-efits while the other is unaffected; sharing a meal.

Commissure

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly-mittere to putA point or line of union or junction, especiallybetween two anatomical parts, such as the tract ofnerve fibers passing from one side to the other ofthe spine or brain.

Community

Latincommunis- commons-ity state or quality ofAll of the populations of all species existingtogether within an ecological system.

Competition

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly-peter- to strive-ion state, process, or quality of The struggle for existence among organisms.

Complex

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly-plexus an embraceA group of items, such as chemical molecules,that are related in structure or function.

Component

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly-ponere- to put together-ent causing an action; being in a specific state; withinUnit resulting from the subdivision of a vectorinto axial parts.

Compound

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly-ponere to putA pure substance that is composed of two or moreelements in fixed proportions and that can bechemically decomposed into these elements.

Compression

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly-premere- to press-ion state, process, or quality of

An increase in the density of something as a resultof compacting.

Concave

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly-cavare to make hollowCurved like the interior of an arched circle.

Concentric

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly-centrum centerDescribing circles within circles, with the systemhaving a common center.

Conchoidal

Greekconch- shell-id- state, condition; having, being, pertaining to -al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf, relating to, or being a surface characterized bysmooth, shell-like convexities and concavities, ason fractured obsidian.

Concurrent

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly-currere to coincideHappening at the same time or operating in con-junction with one another.

Condensation

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly-dens- to press close together-ion state, process, or quality of The process by which a gas changes to a liquid.

Conduction

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly-ducere- to bring together-ion state, process, or quality of The flow of electron through a material to pro-duce electric current.

Conductive

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly-ducere- to bring together-ive performing an actionExhibiting the power or ability to conduct ortransmit heat, electricity, or sound.

Constipation 49

Conductor

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly-ducere- to bring together-or person or thing that does somethingA substance or medium that conducts heat, light,sound, or especially an electrical charge.

Congenital

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly-genitus- born; to bear-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf or relating to a condition that is present at birth.

Conidiophore

Greekkonis- dust-phore bearer, carrierA specialized fungal form that asexually pro-duces conidial spores.

Conidium

Greekkonis dustAn asexually produced fungal spore, formed on aconidiophore.

Conifer

Greekkonos- cone-ferre to bearAny of an order of mostly evergreen trees andshrubs with true cones and others (such as yews)with an arillate fruit.

Coniferous

Latinkonos- cone-ferre- to bear-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toRelating to the groups of plants that bear cones(pines and cypress).

Coniine

Greekkoneion- poison hemlock-ine a chemical substance; of or relating toA poisonous, colorless liquid alkaloid found inpoison hemlock.

Conjugation

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-jugare- to join together-ion state, process, or quality of

The joining of unicellular organisms to exchangehereditary material.

Conjunctiva

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-jungere- to join-iva of the quality of; tending to, inclined toThe mucous membrane that lines the inner surfaceof the eyelid and the exposed surface of the eyeball.

Conodont

Greekkonos- cone-odontos toothToothlike element from a Paleozoic animal nowbelieved to have been an early marine vertebrate.

Conscious

com- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-scire- to know-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toBeing aware and having perception of one’s ownexistence, sensations, and thoughts and of the sur-rounding environment.

Conservation

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-servare- to preserve-ion state, process, or quality of The process of protecting, preserving, and usingwisely the natural resources.

Constant

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-stare to stand firmA numerical value that does not change.

Constellation

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-stella- star-ion state, process, or quality of A group of stars that form a pattern.

Constipation

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-stipare- to press together-ion state, process, or quality of Infrequent and difficult movement of bowels.

50 Constrictor

Constrictor

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-stingere- to pull-or condition or property of things or persons; person who does somethingA muscle that contracts a cavity or orifice or com-presses an organ.

Consumer

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-sumere- to take-er one that performs an actionAny organism that is incapable of producing itsown food by photosynthesis or chemosynthesis;it derives its nutrients through the consumption ofproducers or other consumers.

Contagious

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-teg- touch, reach, handle-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toTransmissible by direct or indirect contact; capa-ble of transmitting disease; spreading or tendingto spread from one to another; infectious.

Continent

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-tenere- to hold together-ent causing an action; being in a specific state; withinOne of the principal land masses of the earth.

Contour

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-torn re to round off Feathers that make up general outline of a bird.

Contusion

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-tundere- to beat-ion state, process, or quality of An injury in which the skin is not broken, oftencharacterized by ruptured blood vessels and dis-coloration; a bruise.

Convection

Latin

com- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-vehere- to carry-ion state, process, or quality of Transfer of energy by the flow of a heated substance.

Conversion

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-vertere- to turn around-ion state, process, or quality ofThe process in which something is changed fromone use, function, or purpose to another.

Convex

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-vextus to be vaultedHaving a surface that curves outward.

Copepod

Greekkope- oar-pod footAny of numerous minute marine and freshwatercrustaceans of the subclass Copepoda, having anelongated body and a forked tail.

Coprophagy

Greekkopros- dung-phagei- to eat-y place for an activity; condition, stateFeeding on dung or excrement as a normal behav-ior among animals; reingestion of feces.

Cornea

Latincorneus hornyThe outer transparent, convex part of the front of theeyeball; it covers the iris and the pupil of the eye.

Corniculate

Latincorniculum horn, hornlike structure-ate of or having to do withBearing or furnished with one or more small horns.

Corolla

Latincorolla small garlandWhorl of a flower that consists of the petals.

Corona

Latincorona crownThe luminous, irregular envelope of highly ionizedgas outside the chromosphere of the sun.

a

Couple 51

Coronary

Latincorona- crown-ary of, relating to, or connected withOf, relating to, or being the coronary arteries orcoronary veins; of or relating to the heart.

Corrugator (supercilii)

Latincom- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, converge-rigare- to wrinkle-or a condition or property of things or personsA muscle of the eyelid, located under the eye-brow, functioning to draw the eyebrow downwardand inward, wrinkling the adjacent skin.

Cortex

Latincortic bark, rind, that which is stripped offThe outer layer of an internal organ or body struc-ture, as of the kidney or adrenal gland; the outerlayer of gray matter that covers the surface of thecerebral hemisphere.

Cosmic

Greekkosmos universeOf or relating to the universe, especially as dis-tinct from earth.

Cosmochemistry

Greekkosmos- universe, order-khemeia- chemical; alchemy-y place for an activity, condition, or stateThe science of the chemical composition of theuniverse.

Cosmogony

Greekkosmos- universe, order-gonos offspringThe astrophysical study of the origin and evolu-tion of the universe.

Cosmology

Greekkosmos- universe, order-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of the physical universe considered as atotality of phenomena in time and space.

Costalgia

Latincosto- rib-algia pain, sense of pain; painful, hurtingPlueritic pain in the chest.

Costocervical

Latincosto- rib-cervic- stem of cervix-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofConcerning the ribs and the neck.

Costoinferior

Latincosto- rib-inferus below, lowRelating to the lower rib.

Costophrenic

Latincosto- rib-phren- diaphragm, midriff, heart-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofReferring to the ribs and diaphragm.

Costopneumopexy

Latincosto- rib-pneumon- wind, breath-pexy attaching; surgical fixation of an organThe surgical anchoring of a lung to a rib.

Costosuperior

Latincosto- rib-superus higher, upperRelating to the upper rib.

Costotome

Latincosto- rib-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionAn instrument designed to cut through ribs.

Cotyledon

Greekkotuledon a kind of plant; a seed leaf; a hollow or cup-shaped objectThe one or two seed leaves of an angiospermembryo.

Coumarin

Portuguesecumaru- tonka bean tree-in neutral chemical; protein derivativeA fragrant crystalline compound extracted fromseveral plants and widely used in perfumes.

Couple

Latincopula bond or pairA pair of forces of equal magnitude acting in par-allel but opposite directions.

52 Covalence

Covalence

Latinco- to the same extent or degree; together, jointly-valere to be strongThe number of electron pairs an atom can sharewith other atoms.

Covariant

Latinco- to the same extent or degree; together, jointly-variare to varyExpressing or relating to the principle that physi-cal laws have the same form regardless of thecoordinate system in which they are expressed.

Coxopodite

Latincoxa- hip-podos- foot-ite component of a part of the bodyThe proximal joint of an insect or arachnid leg; incrustaceans, the proximal joint of the protopod.

Cracking

Middle Englishcracian- to break apart-ing the act ofThermal decomposition of a complex substance.

Craniomalacia

Greekkranion- skull-malacia softening of tissueSoftening of the bones of the skull.

Cranium

Greekkranion skullThe part of the skull that encloses the brain.

Crater

Greekkrater bowl for mixing wine and waterFunnel-shaped pit or depression at the top of avolcanic cone.

Creatinine

Greekkreat- flesh-ine a chemical substanceA waste product of protein usage in cells; nitrog-enous wastes excreted in urine.

Cremaster

Latincrem- to hang; hung, hung up-ster one that is associated with, participates in, makes, or doesThe hooklike process on the end of a chrysalis thatattaches the pupa to the stem or twig, for example.

Crepuscular

Latincreper- dark-ar relating to or resemblingIn biology, relating to organisms that becomeactive after twilight (e.g., bats).

Cretaceous

Latincreta- chalk-eous full of, having the quality or nature of, relating toThe final period of the Mesozoic era, spanningthe time between 145 and 65 million years ago.

Crevasse

Frenchcrevace creviceA deep fissure; a chasm.

Crocodile

Greekkroke- pebble-drilos circumcised man; wormThe name given to various large aquatic reptilesfound in the tropics and subtropics with thick,bumpy skin and long, tapered jaws.

Crop

Old Englishcropp crawA pouched enlargement of the gullet that servesas a receptacle for food and for its preliminarymaceration.

Crust

Latincrusta shell, hard surface of a bodyThe outermost layer of the earth’s surface, extend-ing downward about 20 miles on the land massesand 3 to 10 miles down beneath the ocean floor.

Crustacean

Latincrusta- shell, hard surface of a body-acean belonging to a taxonomical groupOne of the classes of the phylum Arthropoda pos-sessing shells.

Cryptobiotic

Greekkryptos- hidden-bios- life, living organisms or tissue-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofLiving in concealment; refers to insects and otheranimals that live in secluded situations, such asunderground or in wood, and also to tardigradesand some nematodes, rotifers, and others that sur-vive harsh environmental conditions by assumingfor a time a state of very low metabolism.

Cycloalkane 53

Crystal

Latinkrustallos- ice, crystal; freeze; icelike-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofVery clear glass; a homogeneous solid formed bya repeating three-dimensional pattern.

Crystalline

Greekkrustallos- ice, crystal; freeze; icelike-ine of or relating toResembling crystal, as in transparency or dis-tinctness of structure or outline.

Crystallization

Greekkrustallos- ice, crystal; freeze; icelike-ion state, process, or quality of The process of forming solid crystals in solution dueto the solute solubility exceeding that of the solvent.

Culture

Latincult- to care for; to dwell, to inhabit-ura act, process, conditionThe growing of microorganisms, tissue cells, orother living matter in a specially prepared nutrientmedium.

Cumulonimbus

Latincumul- pile or heap-nimbus cloudAn extremely dense, vertically developed cumu-lus with a glaciated top extending to great heights.

Cumulus

Latincumul- pile or heap-us thingHeap, Pile, or mass.

Cuspid

Latincuspis- sharp point, cusp-id state or condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, inclined toPointed or conical teeth, usually referring to thecanine teeth.

Cuticle

Latincutis skinA waxy layer that coats the surface of stems,leaves, and other plant parts exposed to air.

Cutoff

Old English

cutten- to separate into parts with or as if with a sharp-edged instrument-of no longer taking place; canceledA new channel cut by a river across the neck of anoxbow.

Cyanobacteria

Greekcyano- (kyanos) blue, dark blue-baktron- staff, rod-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsMicroscopic, photosynthetic prokaryotes thatformed stromatilites and changed the earth’satmosphere by producing oxygen.

Cyanoderma

Greekcyano- (kyanos) blue, dark blue-derma skinBluish discoloration of the skin.

Cyanosis

New Latincyano- (kyanos) blue, dark blue-sis action, process, state, conditionBluish discoloration of the skin due to deficientoxygenation of the blood.

Cycads

Greekcyc- (koïx) a kind of palm tree, perhaps of Egyptian origin-ad member of a botanical groupAny of an order (Cycadales) of dioecious cycado-phytes that are represented by a single survivingfamily (Cycadaceae) of palmlike tropical plantsthat reproduce by means of spermatozoids.

Cyclase

Greekkyklos- circle, wheel, cycle; rotate-ase indicating an enzymeEnzyme that forms a cyclic compound.

Cycle

Greekkyklos circle, wheel, cycle, rotateAn interval of time during which a sequence of arecurring events or phenomena is completed.

Cycloalkane

Greekkyklos- circle, wheel, cycle; rotate-alkyl- alcohol; a monovalent radical, such as ethyl or propyl-ane a saturated hydrocarbonAn alicyclic hydrocarbon with a saturated ring;also called cycloparaffin.

54 Cyclonic

Cyclonic

Greekkyklos- circle, wheel, cycle; rotate-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofAn atmospheric system characterized by the rapidinward circulation of air masses about a low-pressure center, usually accompanied by stormy,often destructive weather. Cyclones circulatecounterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphereand clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Cyclotron

Greekkyklos- circle, wheel, cycle; rotate-tron device for manipulating subatomic particlesA circular particle accelerator in which chargedsubatomic particles are accelerated outward in aplane perpendicular to a fixed magnetic field byan alternating electric field.

Cygnus

Latincygnus swanA constellation in the Northern Hemisphere nearLacerta and Lyra, containing the star Deneb; alsocalled the Northern Cross or the Swan.

Cystic

Greekkustis- (cyst) sac or bladder that contains fluid-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf or related to a fluid-filled sac; a cyst or cystlikeobject. In anatomy, relating to the gallbladder orurinary bladder.

Cysticercus

Greekkustis- (cyst) sac or bladder that contains fluid-kerkos tailA type of juvenile tapeworm in which an invagi-nated and introverted scolex is contained in afluid-filled bladder.

Cystidolaparotomy

Greekkustis- (cyst) sac or bladder that contains fluid-lapar- soft part of the body between the ribs, hip, and flank; the loin-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionIncision of the bladder through the abdominal wall.

Cystitis

Latinkustis- (cyst) sac or bladder that contains fluid-itis inflammationInflammation of the urinary bladder.

Cystocele

Greek

kustis- (cyst) sac or bladder that contains fluid-kele hernia, tumorA herniation of the urinary bladder through thewall of the vagina.

Cystoscopy

Greekkustis- (cyst) sac or bladder that contains fluid-skopion for viewing with the eyeThe process of examining the urinary bladder bylooking into it with a scope instrument.

Cytoglucopenia

Greekkutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-gluc- glucose-penia reduction, poverty, lack, deficiencyAn intercellular deficiency of glucose.

Cytokine

Greekkutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-kinein to moveAny of several regulatory proteins, such as theinterleukins and lymphokines, that are released bycells of the immune system and act as intercellularmediators in the generation of an immune response.

Cytokinesis

Greekkutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-kine- movement, motion-sis action, process, state, conditionThe division of the cytoplasm of a cell followingthe division of the nucleus.

Cytokinin

Greekkutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-k nein to moveAny of a class of plant hormones that promotecell division and growth and delay the senescenceof leaves.

Cytolysis

Greekkutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve; dissolution, break-sis action, process, state, conditionThe dissolution or destruction of a cell.

Cytopharynx

Greekkutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-pharynx throatShort tubular gullet in ciliate protozoa.

i

Cytotoxicity 55

Cytoplasm

Greekkutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-plasm (plassein) to mold or form cells or tissuesSubstance of the body of a cell excluding thenucleus.

Cytoproct

Greekkutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-proktos anusSite on a protozoan where indigestible matter isexpelled.

Cytopyge

Greekkutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-pyge rump, buttocksIn some protozoa, localized site for expulsion ofwaste.

Cytoskeleton

Greekkutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-skeletos dried body

A network of interconnected filaments andtubules that extends from the nucleus to theplasma membrane in eukaryotic cells.

Cytosol

Greek/Latinkutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-solvere to loosenThe fluid component of cytoplasm, excludingorganelles and the insoluble, usually suspendedcytoplasmic components.

Cytostome

Greekkutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-stoma mouthThe mouth of a unicellular organism, sometimes con-sisting of a hollow tube and a groovelike opening.

Cytotoxicity

Greekkutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-toxikos- poison-ity state or quality ofThe state or quality of being toxic to cells.

Dactylozooid

Greekdactylo- finger, toe-zoon- animal, animal-like-oid (oeid s) resembling, having the appearance ofA hydroid modified for catching prey; it is long,with tentacles or short knobs, and with or withouta mouth.

Data

Latindatum something givenFactual information, especially information organizedfor analysis or used to reason or make decisions.

Decantation

Latinde- do or make the opposite of, reverse the action of, undo; from, apart, away-canthus- rim of a wheel or vessel-ion state, process, or quality of The process of separating a mixture of two or morelayers by pouring layers into separate containers.

Decapoda

Greekdeca- ten-pod footThe order of crustaceans, which includes theshrimps, lobsters, crabs, etc.

Decay

Latinde- do or make the opposite of, reverse the action of, undo; from, apart, away-cadere to fallTo break down into component parts.

Deciduous

Latindecidu- to fall off-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toFalling off at a specific season or stage of growth.

Decipher

Latin/Arabicde- do or make the opposite of, reverse the action of, undo; from, apart, away-safira- to be empty-er one that performs an actionTo read, interpret, or convert complex, sometimesambiguous data into a simplified form.

Declination

Greekde- do or make the opposite of, reverse the action of, undo; from, apart, away-klinein- to lean; sloping-ation action, process, state, or conditionA measure of how far north or south an object isfrom the celestial equator.

Decomposer

Latinde- do or make the opposite of, reverse the action of, undo; from, apart, away-compose- to form, create-er one that performs an actionOrganism that feeds on and breaks down dead matter.

Defect

Latinde- do or make the opposite of, reverse the action of, undo; from, apart, away-fecere make, do, cause, produce, build

e

Dental 57

An imperfection that causes inadequacy or fail-ure; a shortcoming.

Deglutination

Latinde- do or make the opposite of, reverse the action of, undo; from, apart, away-glutinare- to glue-ion state, process, or quality of The act of ungluing; the process of removing thegluten from flour.

Deglutition

Latinde- do or make the opposite of, reverse the action of, undo; from, apart, away-gl t re- to gulp-ion state, process, or quality of The act or process of swallowing.

Degradation

Latinde- do or make the opposite of, reverse the action of, undo; from, apart, away-gradus- walk, step, take steps, move around; walking or stepping-ion state, process, or quality of To reduce the complexity of. In geology, the pro-cess of wearing away at the earth’s surface througherosion.

Dehiscent

Latinde- do or make the opposite of, reverse the action of, undo; from, apart, away-hiare- to gape-ent causing an action, being in a specific state; withinThe opening of a fruit to liberate the seeds.

Deletion

Latindeletus- to erase, destroy-ion state, process, or quality of The loss of a piece of chromosome that has bro-ken away from the genetic material.

Deliquescent

Latindeliquiscere melt by absorption of moisture-ent causing an action, being in a specific state; withinA substance that absorbs enough water from the air that it dissolves completely to a liquid solution.

Dendrite

Greekdendro- tree, resembling a tree-ite a part of or product ofA branching, treelike extension from the body of

a nerve cell that detects nerve impulses transmit-ted from the axons of other neurons.

Dendrochore

Greekdendro- tree, resembling a tree-chore a central and often foundational part, usu-ally distinct from the enveloping part by a differ-ence in nature That part of the earth’s surface covered by trees.

Dendrochronology

Greekdendro- tree, resembling a tree-khronos- time-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeA method of dating using annual tree rings; treering chronology.

Dendroclastic

Greekdendro- tree, resembling a tree-klastos break, break in piecesBreaking or destroying trees; a destroyer of trees.

Dendroclimatology

Greekdendro- tree, resembling a tree-klinein- to lean; sloping-ate- characterized by having-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe determination of past climatic conditionsfrom the study of the annual growth rings of trees.

Dendrohydrology

Greekdendro- tree, resembling a tree-hydr- water-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of tree ring configuration to determinehydrologic occurrences.

Density

Latindensi- thick, thickly set, crowded, compact-ity state of, quality ofThe state or quality of being dense; compactness;closely set or crowded condition. Density is ameasure of mass per unit of volume.

Dental

Latindenti- teeth or tooth-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf or relating to the teeth or to dentistry.

u i

58 Dentalgia

Dentalgia

Greek/Latindenti- teeth or tooth-algia pain, sense of pain; painful, hurtingAn aching pain in or near a tooth; toothache.

Dentifrice

Latindenti- teeth or tooth-frice to rub; a rubbingA powder or other preparation for cleansing orrubbing the teeth; a tooth powder or paste.

Dentition

Latindenti- teeth or tooth-ion state, process, or quality of The number, type, and arrangement of an ani-mal’s teeth.

Deposit

Latinde- do or make the opposite of, reverse the action of, undo; from, apart, away-ponere to put To lay down or leave behind by a natural process;to settle down in layers, as in mineral deposits.

Depressor

Latinde- do or make the opposite of, reverse the action of, undo; from, apart, away-premere- to press-or a condition or property of things or persons; person who does somethingA muscle that draws down a part of the body; asubstance that slows a physiological activity.

Dermal

Greekderm- skin-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf or relating to the skin or dermis.

Dermatologist

Greekdermat- skin-logist one who deals with a specific topicA physician who specializes in the diagnosis andtreatment of skin disorders.

Dermatophyte

Greekdermat- skin-phyte plantAny one of a number of fungi that infect the skinand nails.

Dermatozoon

Greekdermat- skin-zoon animalReference to animal skin or a branch of medicinedealing with animals.

Desiccator

Latindesiccare make quite dryA device used for drying substances; a closedglass vessel containing a deliquescent substance.

Desmoplastic

Greekdesmo- bond, adhesion-plastos- (plassein) something molded; to mold-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofPertaining to the production or formation ofadhesions or fibrosis in the vascular connectivetissue framework of an organ.

Detergent

Latinde- out, off, apart, away-terr re- to frighten-agere to doA cleansing substance that acts similarly to soapbut is made from chemical compounds ratherthan fats and lye.

Detritivore

Latindeterere- to wear away, rub, grind; worn down-vore eat, consume, ingest, devourAn organism that lives on dead and discardedorganic matter; includes large scavengers, smalleranimals such as earthworms and some insects, aswell as decomposers (fungi and bacteria).

Detritus

Latindeterere to lessen, wear awayLoose material (stone fragments, silt, etc.) that isworn away from rocks.

Deuterium

Greekdeuteros- second, two in number-ium chemical elementAn isotope of hydrogen with one proton and oneneutron in the nucleus.

Deuterostome

Greekdeuteros- second, two in number-stoma mouthAn animal whose mouth forms from an openingother than the blastopore.

e

Dichroism 59

Dextrorotatory

Latindextra- right or clockwise-rota- wheel-ory of or pertaining toRotating to the right in a plane of polarized light.

Diagnose

Greekdia- through, across, apart-gnose to know or learnTo arrive at a conclusion or determine the cause of adisorder or disease, usually by deductive reasoning.

Diagnosis

Greekdia- through, across, apart-gno- to come to know-sis action, process, state, conditionThe act or process of identifying or determiningthe nature and cause of a disease.

Diaheliotropism

Greekdia- through, across, apart-helio- sun-trope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to a stimulus-ism state or condition, qualityA tendency of leaves to have their dorsal surfacetoward the rays of the sun.

Dialysis

Greekdia- through, across, apart-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve; dissolution, break-sis action, process, state, conditionThe separation of smaller molecules from largermolecules or of dissolved substances from colloi-dal particles in a solution by selective diffusionthrough a semipermeable membrane.

Diamagnetic

Greekdia- through, across, apart-magn s- stone from Magnesia (city in Asia Minor)-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofA substance that is weakly repelled by a magnet.

Diaphragm

Greekdia- through, across, apart-phragma fenceMuscular partition between the chest and abdom-inal cavities.

Diapsids

Greekdi- two

-apsis archAmniotes in which the skull bears two pairs oftemporal openings; includes reptiles (except tur-tles) and birds.

Diarrhea

Greekdia- through, across, apart-rhein to flow or runFrequent and possibly excessive elimination ofwatery feces.

Diastereomer

Greekdi- two-a- without, notstereos- being of three dimensions-mer one that hasTwo compounds that are optical isomers that arenot mirror images of each other, with differentphysical properties and reactivity.

Diastole

Greekdiast- dilation, spreading-ole littleRelaxation period of a heart during the cardiac cycle.

Diatom

Greekdia- through, across, apart-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionAny of a class of minute planktonic unicellular orcolonial algae with silicified skeletons that formdiatomite.

Diatomic

Latindi- two, twice, double-a- no, absence of, without, lack of, not-tomos- (temnein) to cut, incise, section-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofConsisting of or relating to a molecule that iscomposed of two atoms.

Dichotomy

Greekdicho- akin to-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionA dividing or branching into two equal parts.

Dichroism

Greekdi- two, twice, double-khr ma- color-ism state or condition, qualityThe property of showing two different colors atdifferent concentrations or when viewed at differ-ent angles.

e

o

60 Dicotyledon

Dicotyledon

Greekdi- two, twice, double-kotuledon a kind of plant; a seed leaf; a hollow or cup-shaped object Flowering plant group whose members have twoembryonic leaves.

Dictyostele

Greekdictyo- net, netlike-stele pillarIn some ferns, a stele that is interrupted by leafgaps so as to resemble a network of strands.

Diencephalon

Greekdia- through-enkephalos in the headThe posterior portion of the forebrain; includesareas of the midbrain such as the thalamus andhypothalamus.

Differentiation

Latindifferre- to differ; delay-atus- in-ion state, process, or quality of The process by which cells or tissues undergo achange toward a more specialized form or func-tion, especially during embryonic development.

Diffraction

Latindis- undo; apart, in all directions-frangere- to break-ion state, process, or quality of Change in the directions and intensities of agroup of waves after passing by an obstacle orthrough an aperture whose size is approximatelythe same as the wavelength of the waves.

Diffusion

Latindiffundere- to spread out-ion state, process, or quality of The process in which particles in a fluid movefrom an area of higher concentration to an area oflower concentration.

Digest

Latindigerere to break downTo break into smaller parts and simpler compounds.

Digestion

Latindi- apart, away, from-gerere- to bear

-ion state, process, or quality of The ability to change into absorbable form.

Digitigrade

Latindigitus- finger or toe-gradus step or degreeWalking on the digits with the posterior part ofthe foot raised.

Dihybrid

Greekdi- two, twice, double-hybrida- mongrel offspring-id state, condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, inclined toThe offspring of parents differing in two specificgene pairs.

Dilation

Latindi- apart, away, from-l tus wideThe process of becoming wider or larger, as of ablood vessel.

Dilute

Latindi- apart, away, from-luere wash, cleanTo make thinner or less concentrated by adding aliquid such as water.

Dimension

Latindis- undo; apart, in all directions-metiri- to measure out-ion state, process, or quality of A measurement of spatial extent; specifically, one ofthree coordinates determining a position in space.

Dimorphism

Greekdi- two, twice, double-morph- shape, form, figure, or appearance-ism state or conditionThe existence within a species of two distinctforms according to color, sex, organ structure, orother characteristic.

Dinoflagellate

Greekdinos- whirling-flagrum- whip-ate characterized by havingA marine protozoan of the order Dinoflagellata,having two flagella and a cellulose covering andforming one of the chief constituents of plankton.

a

Displacement 61

They include bioluminescent forms and formsthat produce red tide.

Dinosaur

Greekdeinos- terrible, monstrous-sauros lizardA variety of extinct reptiles that existed duringthe Mesozoic era.

Dioecious

Greekdi- two, twice, double-oec- environment, habitat-ious full of, having the quality of, relating toHaving the male and female reproductive organsin separate individuals.

Diphycercal

Greekdiphues- twofold-kerkos- tail-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofHaving a tail that tapers to a point, as in lung-fishes; the vertebral column extends to tip with-out upturning.

Diphyodont

Greekdi- two, twice, double-phuein- to grow-odont having teethHaving deciduous and permanent sets of teethsuccessively.

Diploblastic

Greekdiploos- double-blastos bud, germ cell-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofReferring to an organism with two germ layers,endoderm and ectoderm.

Diploid

Greekdiploos- double-oid (oeid s) resembling, having the appearance ofHaving the somatic (double, or 2n) number ofchromosomes, or twice the number characteristicof a gamete of a given species.

Diplopia

New Latindiploos- double-optic- eye, optic-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing plurals

Condition in which two images of a single objectare seen due to unequal action of the eye muscles;also called double vision.

Dipole

Middle English from Old French (from Latin)di- two, twice, double-pole either of two oppositely charged terminalsA pair of equal and opposite electrical charges ormagnetic poles, separated by a small distance.

Disaccharide

Greekdi- two, twice, double-saccharon- sugar-ide group of related chemical compoundsAny class of sugars, including lactose andsucrose, that are composed of two monosaccha-rides; a double sugar.

Disease

Middle Frenchdis- apart, away from; utterly, completely, in all directions-aise ease, freedom from painA condition of the living animal or plant body orof one of its parts that impairs normal functioning.

Dispersion

Latindis- apart, away from; utterly, completely, in all directions-spargere- to scatter or strew; sprinkle-ion state, process, or quality of The passing out or spreading about of something.

Dispersoid

Latindis- apart, away from; utterly, completely, in all directions-spargere- to scatter or strew; sprinkle-oid (oeid s) resembling, having the appearance ofA substance consisting of finely divided particlesdispersed in a medium.

Displacement

Greekdis- apart, away fro;, utterly, completely, in all directions-place- to put in or as if in a particular place or position-ment state or condition resulting from a (speci-fied) actionA vector or the magnitude of a vector from an ini-tial position to a subsequent position assumed bya body.

e

e

62 Dissection

(Continued)

Dissection

Latindis- apart, away from; utterly, completely, in all directions-sectus- to cut-ion state, process, or quality of The separation of a whole into its parts for study.

Disseminate

Latindis- apart, away from; utterly, completely, in all directions-seminare- to plant or propagate (from semen,seminis, meaning “seed”)-ate characterized by havingTo scatter for growth and propagation; to spread,to diffuse.

The Black Death

The black plague struck continental Europe in theyear 1347. Without a doubt, it was one of the mostdevastating natural disasters ever to befall human-kind. In many ways it altered the course of humanhistory. The epidemiology of plague was a mysteryto all. Even while it was happening, no one reallyknew its cause, let alone its cure. Thousands of peo-ple died, and others fled. Those who treated thevery ill died. Those who buried the dead died.

Today, historians and scientists believe that theBlack Death stemmed from a microorganism calledYersinia pestis, a bacterium that was carried andspread by fleas living on black rats. During that era,the black rat population vastly exceeded that of thelarger and fiercer Norwegian gray rat. Interestingly,the Norwegian gray rat was a poor vector for thefleas carrying the bacteria.

In the late 1370s and early 1380s, Marchione diCoppo Stefani wrote the descriptive narrative TheFlorentine Chronicle on Medieval Plague. Excerptsfrom that essay describe the horror of the plague:

In the year of the Lord 1348 there was a verygreat pestilence in the city and district of Flo-rence. It was of such a fury and so tempestuousthat in houses in which it took hold previouslyhealthy servants who took care of the ill died ofthe same illness. Almost none of the ill sur-vived past the fourth day. Neither physiciansnor medicines were effective. Whether becausethese illnesses were previously unknown orbecause physicians had not previously studiedthem, there seemed to be no cure. There wassuch a fear that no one seemed to know what todo. When it took hold in a house it often hap-pened that no one remained who had not died.And it was not just that men and women died,but even sentient animals died. Dogs, cats,chickens, oxen, donkeys, sheep showed thesame symptoms and died of the same disease.And almost none, or very few, who showedthese symptoms, were cured. The symptomswere the following: a bubo in the groin, wherethe thigh meets the trunk; or a small swellingunder the armpit; sudden fever; spitting blood

and saliva (and no one who spit blood survivedit). It was such a frightful thing that when it gotinto a house, as was said, no one remained.Frightened people abandoned the house andfled to another. Those in town fled to villages.Physicians could not be found because they haddied like the others. And those who could befound wanted vast sums in hand before theyentered the house. And when they did enter,they checked the pulse with face turned away.They inspected the urine from a distance andwith something odoriferous under their nose.Child abandoned the father, husband the wife,wife the husband, one brother the other, onesister the other. In all the city there was nothingto do but to carry the dead to a burial. And thosewho died had neither confessor nor other sacra-ments. And many died with no one lookingafter them. And many died of hunger becausewhen someone took to bed sick, another in thehouse, terrified, said to him:

“I’m going for the doctor.” Calmly walkingout the door, the other left and did not returnagain. Abandoned by people, without food, butaccompanied by fever, they weakened. Therewere many who pleaded with their relatives notto abandon them when night fell. But [the rela-tives] said to the sick person, “So that duringthe night you did not have to awaken those whoserve you and who work hard day and night,take some sweetmeats, wine or water. They arehere on the bedstead by your head; here aresome blankets.” And when the sick person hadfallen asleep, they left and did not return. If ithappened that he was strengthened by the foodduring the night he might be alive and strongenough to get to the window. If the street wasnot a major one, he might stand there a halfhour before anyone came by. And if someonedid pass by, and if he was strong enough that hecould be heard when he called out to them,sometimes there might be a response andsometimes not, but there was no help. No one,or few, wished to enter a house where anyone

Disseminate 63

(Continued)

was sick, nor did they even want to deal withthose healthy people who came out of a sickperson’s house. And they said to them: “He isstupefied, do not speak to him!” saying fur-ther: “He has it because there is a bubo in hishouse.” They call the swelling a bubo. Manydied unseen. So they remained in their bedsuntil they stank. And the neighbors, if therewere any, having smelled the stench, placedthem in a shroud and sent them for burial. Thehouse remained open and yet there was no onedaring enough to touch anything because itseemed that things remained poisoned and thatwhoever used them picked up the illness. Atevery church, or at most of them, they dugdeep trenches, down to the waterline, wideand deep, depending on how large the parishwas. And those who were responsible for thedead carried them on their backs in the nightin which they died and threw them into theditch, or else they paid a high price to thosewho would do it for them. The next morning,if there were many [bodies] in the trench, theycovered them over with dirt. And then morebodies were put on top of them, with a littlemore dirt over those; they put layer on layerjust like one puts layers of cheese in a lasagna.

The beccamorti [literally, vultures] whoprovided their service, were paid such a highprice that many were enriched by it. Manydied from [carrying away the dead], somerich, some after earning just a little, but highprices continued. Servants, or those who tookcare of the ill, charged from one to three flor-ins per day and the cost of things grew. Thethings that the sick ate, sweetmeats and sugar,seemed priceless. Sugar cost from three toeight florins per pound. And other confectionscost similarly. Capons and other poultry werevery expensive and eggs cost between twelveand twenty-four pence each; and he wasblessed who could find three per day even ifhe searched the entire city. Finding wax wasmiraculous. A pound of wax would have goneup more than a florin if there had not been astop put [by the communal government] to thevain ostentation that the Florentines alwaysmake [over funerals]. Thus it was ordered thatno more than two large candles could be car-ried [in any funeral]. Churches had no morethan a single bier which usually was not suffi-cient. Spice dealers and beccamorti sold biers,burial palls, and cushions at very high prices.Dressing in expensive woolen cloth as is cus-tomary in [mourning] the dead, that is in a

long cloak, with mantle and veil that used tocost women three florins climbed in price tothirty florins and would have climbed to 100florins had the custom of dressing in expensivecloth not been changed. The rich dressed inmodest woolens, those not rich sewed[clothes] in linen. Benches on which the deadwere placed cost like the heavens and still thebenches were only a hundredth of thoseneeded. Priests were not able to ring bells asthey would have liked. Concerning that [thegovernment] issued ordinances discouragingthe sounding of bells, sale of burial benches,and limiting expenses. They could not soundbells, sell benches, nor cry out announcementsbecause the sick hated to hear of this and it dis-couraged the healthy as well. Priests and friarswent [to serve] the rich in great multitudes andthey were paid such high prices that they allgot rich. And therefore [the authorities]ordered that one could not have more than aprescribed number [of clerics] of the local par-ish church. And the prescribed number of fri-ars was six. All fruits with a nut at the center,like unripe plums and unhusked almonds,fresh broadbeans, figs and every useless andunhealthy fruit, were forbidden entrance intothe city. Many processions, including thosewith relics and the painted tablet of SantaMaria Inpruneta, went through the city cryingour “Mercy” and praying and then they cameto a stop in the piazza of the Priors. There theymade peace concerning important controver-sies, injuries and deaths. This [pestilence] wasa matter of such great discouragement and fearthat men gathered together in order to takesome comfort in dining together. And eachevening one of them provided dinner to tencompanions and the next evening they plannedto eat with one of the others. And sometimes ifthey planned to eat with a certain one he had nomeal prepared because he was sick. Or if thehost had made dinner for the ten, two or threewere missing. Some fled to villas, others tovillages in order to get a change of air. Wherethere had been no [pestilence], there they car-ried it; if it was already there, they caused it toincrease. None of the guilds in Florence wasworking. All the shops were shut, tavernsclosed; only the apothecaries and the churchesremained open. If you went outside, you foundalmost no one. And many good and rich menwere carried from home to church on a pall byfour beccamorti and one tonsured clerk whocarried the cross. Each of them wanted a florin.

64 Dissociation

Dissociation

Latindis- apart, away from; utterly, completely, in all directions-sociar- to join-ion state, process, or quality of The process by which a chemical combinationbreaks up into simpler constituents.

Distillation

Latindis- apart, away from; utterly, completely, in all directions-stillare- to drip or trickle-ion state, process, or quality of A process used to separate a liquid mixture basedon the boiling points of the substances within thesolution.

Distribution

Latindis- apart, away from; utterly, completely, in all directions-tribuere- to give-ion state, process, or quality of In mathematics, sample values presented in orderfrom the lowest to the highest.

Diurnal

Latindiurnus- day-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofRelated to or occurring within a twenty-four-hourperiod; occurring in the daytime hours rather thanthe nighttime hours.

Diverge

Latindi- two, twice, double-verge to tend to move in a particular direction

To go or extend in different directions from acommon point.

Diverticulum

Latinde- reverse the action of, undo; from, apart, away-vertere- to turn-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structureA pouchlike structure extending out or away froman organ such as the intestines.

DNA ligase

Latinligo- bind, tie-ase enzymeEnzyme that links DNA fragments; used duringthe production of recombinant DNA to join for-eign DNA to the vector DNA.

Dodecahedron

Greekdodeca- twelve-hedron faceA Platonic solid with twelve faces; the fifthessence.

Doldrums

Middle Englishdold to dull-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structureA region of the ocean near the equator, character-ized by calms, light winds, and squalls.

Domain

Latindominus lordAny of numerous contiguous regions in a ferro-magnetic material in which the direction of spon-taneous magnetization is uniform and differentfrom that in neighboring regions.

This mortality enriched apothecaries, doc-tors, poultry vendors, beccamorti, andgreengrocers who sold of poultices of mal-low, nettles, mercury and other herbs neces-sary to draw off the infirmity. And it wasthose who made these poultices who made alot of money. Woolworkers and vendors ofremnants of cloth who found themselves inpossession of cloths [after the death of theentrepreneur for whom they were working]sold it to whoever asked for it. When themortality ended, those who found them-selves with cloth of any kind or with rawmaterials for making cloth was enriched.But many [who actually owned cloths being

processed by workers] found it to be moth-eaten, ruined or lost by the weavers. Largequantities of raw and processed wool werelost throughout the city and countryside.

This pestilence began in March, as wassaid, and ended in September 1348. And peo-ple began to return to look after their housesand possessions. And there were so manyhouses full of goods without a master that itwas stupefying. Then those who would inheritthese goods began to appear. And such it wasthat those who had nothing found themselvesrich with what did not seem to be theirs andthey were unseemly because of it. Women andmen began to dress ostentatiously.

Ductile 65

Dominant (traits)

Latindominan dominantThe hereditary traits that exhibit a stronger influenceon the phenotype than their more recessive alleles.

Doping

Dutchdoopen- to dip-ing the act of or actionThe act of introducing impurities into a crystalstructure in order to acquire useful properties.

Dormant

Latindormire- to sleep-ant a person who, the thing whichDescribes an inactive state of a seed.

Dorsal

Latindorsalis- back-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf, toward, on, in, or near the back or upper sur-face of an organ, part, or organism.

Downburst

Swedishdun- down-bresta to break asunderViolent downdrafts that are concentrated in alocal area.

Drag

Old Norsedraga to draw, dragThe retarding force exerted on a moving body bya fluid medium such as air or water.

Drosophila

Greekdrosos– dew-philos belovedAny of various small fruit flies of the genusDrosophila.

Drought

Anglo-Saxondygre dryDryness; lack of rain or water.

Drumlin

Scottish Gaelicdrum- ridge, back; long, narrow hill-lin small or littleAn elongated hill or ridge of glacial drift; elon-gated landform that results when a glacier movesover an older moraine.

Ductile

Latinductus- to be hammered out into a tube or pipe; leading or drawing-ile changing; ability; suitable; tending toProperty of a metal that enables it to be easilydrawn into a wire.

Pythagoras of Samos

During the reign of the tyrant Polycrates(535–515 BC), the Greek island of Samosin the eastern Aegean Sea was home toPythagoras. He was one of the most influ-ential mathematicians and philosophersof his time. All those who truly appreciatemathematics hold a special place in theirhearts for the Pythagoreans, who believedthat numbers constitute the true natureand harmony of the world—indeed, theuniverse. That is, the synchronization ofthe universe relies on mathematical har-mony. The Pythagoreans did not believein experimentation. They relied on thefaculties of thought, reason, and deduc-tion. Pythagoras’ followers (who calledthemselves the mathematikoi) reasonedthat the relationships among all thingswere mathematical. Even the workings ofthe mind (logic and reason) were, to thePythagoreans, the result of mathematicalexpressions.

Pythagoras is given credit for develop-ing a mathematical correlation betweenwhole numbers and musical scales. Heand his followers are recognized fordeveloping the Pythagorean theorem,which is well known among all who studygeometry. Beauty was to be found in theshapes of solids. The four regular solids,the tetrahedron, hexahedron (cube), octa-hedron, and icosahedron, represented thefour elements (earth, fire, air, and water),the “roots” of the earth. There was amystical, almost fearful forbiddancedirected toward the fifth of the regular sol-ids, the dodecahedron. The Pythagoreansbelieved that the twelve pentagons thatform the sides of this solid were somehowcelestial and not of this earth. This fifthelement, which could only come from theheavens, signified by the dodecahedrongave rise to the term quintessence: thepurest, most highly concentrated essence,the “fifth essence.

66 Dunite

Dunite

Englishdun- referring to Mount Dun in New Zealand-ite minerals and fossilsA dense igneous rock that consists mainly of oli-vine and is a source of magnesium.

Duodenostomy

Latin/Greekduodecum- twelve-stoma- opening-y place for an activity; condition, stateThe surgical establishment of an opening into theduodenum.

Duodenum

Latinduodeni- twelve each-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structureThe beginning portion of the small intestine,approximately 12 inches in length, starting at thelower end of the stomach and extending to thejejunum.

Duramen

Latin/Middle Englishdurare- to harden; hard growth-enen to cause or becomeThe older, nonliving central wood of a tree orwoody plant, usually darker and harder than theyounger sapwood.

Dynamic

Greekdunamikos- powerful-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofMarked by usually continuous and productiveactivity or change; of or relating to energy or toobjects in motion.

Dysentery (amoebic)

Greekdys- painful, difficult, disordered, impaired, defective, ill-enteron- intestines-y place for an activity, condition, stateExtreme diarrhea with blood in the feces, causedby either the ingestion of certain bacteria (shi-gella) or protozoa (Entamoeba hystolitica).

Dysfunction

Greek/Latindys- painful, difficult, disordered, impaired, defective, ill

-fungi- performance, execution-ion state, process, or quality ofAbnormal, inadequate, or impaired function of anorgan or body part.

Dyslexia

Greekdys- painful, difficult, disordered, impaired, defective, ill-legein- word, speech-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofA disorder affecting the comprehension and useof words.

Dyspepsia

Greekdys- painful, difficult, disordered, impaired, defective, ill-peps- digestion-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsCommonly referred to as indigestion, a painfuldisorder of the stomach.

Dysphagia

Greekdys- painful, difficult, disordered, impaired, defective, ill-phage- to eat-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsDifficulty in swallowing, but not to be con-fused with painful swallowing. Dysphagia is asymptom of numerous paralytic diseases, includ-ing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’sdisease).

Dyspnea

Greekdys- painful, difficult, disordered, impaired, defective, ill-pnoia breathing or breathSensation of difficult or labored breathing.

Dystrophy

Greekdys- painful, difficult, disordered, impaired, defective, ill-trophos- (trophein) to nourish; food, nutrition; development-y place for an activity; condition, stateAny of several disorders involving atrophy ofmuscular tissue.

Eccentric

Greekek- out of-kentron- center-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofDeviating from a circular form or path, as anelliptical orbit.

Eccentricity

Greekek- out of-kentron- center-itas variantThe measure of the degree of elongation of anellipse. For example, a circle has an eccentricityof 0, and a parabola (an open figure) has an eccen-tricity of 1.

Eccrine

Greekek- out of-krinein to separateApplies to a type of mammalian sweat gland thatproduces a watery secretion.

Ecdysiotropin

Greekekdysis- to strip off; escape-trope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to a stimulus-in protein or derived from a proteinHormone secreted in the brain of insects thatstimulates the prothoracic gland to secrete molt-ing hormone.

Ecdysone

Greekekdusis- to shed or molt-one a chemical compound containing oxygen in a carbonyl groupA steroid hormone, produced by the prothoracicgland of insects, that promotes growth and con-trols molting.

Echinoderma

Greekechino- spiny, hedgehog-derma skinRadially symmetrical marine invertebrates,including starfish and sea urchins.

Echocardiograph

Greekkh - repeat of sound

-kard- heart, pertaining to the heart-graphia (graphein) to write, record, draw, describeA technological instrument designed to noninva-sively transmit ultrasonic impulses into the chestthat are reflected back so that the heart can beimaged and studied.

Echolocation

Greekkh - repeat of sound

-locare to placeA sensory adaptation used by certain animalssuch as dolphins and bats. Pulses of sound wavesare emitted by the animal and reflected back froman object; the organism can then determine thedistance of the object by the elapsed time.

e o

e o

68 Eclipse

Eclipse

Greekektos- outer, external, out of, out, outside; away from-leipein to leaveThe partial or complete obscuring, relative to a des-ignated observer, of one celestial body by another.

Ecliptic

Greekektos- outer, external, out of, out, outside; away from-lipo- abandon, to leave [behind]-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofThe apparent path of the sun traced along the skyin the course of the year.

Ecocentrism

Greekoikos- home, house-centr- center-ism state or conditionThe view or belief that environmental concernsshould take precedence over the needs and rightsof human beings.

Ecocide

Greekoikos- home, house-cide (caedere) to cut, kill, hack at, or strikeDestruction or damage to the environment, espe-cially intentionally (e.g., by herbicides in war).

Ecogenetics

Greek/Latinoikos- home, house-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofThe study of the relationship between genetic fac-tors and the nature of response to an environmentalagent.

Ecohazard

Greek/Arabicoikos- home, house-az zahr the gaming die, dice gameAny activity or substance that may constitute athreat to a habitat or environment.

Ecology

Greekoikos- house-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe science of the relationships between organ-isms and their environments

Ecosystem

Greek/Latinoikos- home, house-systema the universe.

An ecological community together with its envi-ronment, functioning as a unit.

Ecotaxis

Greekoikos- home, house-taxi arrangement, order; to put in order The “homing” of recirculating lymphocytes tospecific compartments of peripheral lymphoidtissues, with B cells going to B-dependent areasand T cells to T-dependent areas.

Ecotone

Latinoikos- home, house-tonos tension, pressureA transition region where adjacent biomes blend,containing some organisms from each of the adja-cent biomes plus some that are characteristic of,and perhaps restricted to, the ecotone; this regiontends to have more species and to be moredensely populated than either adjacent biome.

The Eclipse That Stopped a War

Thales of Miletus (ca. 635–543 BC) isregarded by many as the father of sci-ence. He was a philosopher and anastronomer living in a time beforeSocrates. Unlike most philosophers ofthis time, he put his intellect to use inmatters other than pure philosophy.Although his motive probably was notto become wealthy, he proved that byapplying what he had learned about thenatural world, he could succeed inbusiness and politics. And he did. Hewas numbered among the Seven Sagesof Greece, those statesmen who wereknown for their practical wisdom.

Thales studied the natural world andits events. He believed that the worldwas not created by supernatural forces,but rather by naturally occurringevents. It was recorded by the historianHerodotus of Halicarnassus (ca. 484–425 BC) that Thales predicted theoccurrence of a total solar eclipse onMay 28, 585 BC. As it happened, thateclipse ended a long and bloody war.The warring factions, the Lydians andthe Medes, were in the sixth year of astruggle with no end in sight. Right inthe middle of the battle of Halys, “theday was turned into night,” and the bat-tle was stopped and the war ended.

Effector 69

Ecotoxicologist

Greekoikos- home, house-toxikos- poison-ologist one who deals with a specific topicA specialist in the harmful effects of chemicals onthe natural environment.

Ectobiology

Greekektos- outside, external, beyond-bios- life, living organisms or tissue-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of the properties and biochemical con-stitution of the cell surface and the specificenzymes at the surface.

Ectocardia

Greekektos- outside, external, beyond-kard- heart, pertaining to the heart-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsThe congenital displacement of the heart, eitherinside or outside the thorax.

Ectoderm

Greekektos- outside, external, beyond-derm skinEmbryonic tissue layer that leads to the differen-tiation of epidermal, nervous, and sensory organsand tissues.

Ectognatous

Greekektos- outside, external, beyond-gnathos jawDerived characteristic of most insects, in whichmandibles and maxillae are not in pouches.

Ectohormone

Greekektos- outside, external, beyond-hormo- to rouse or to set in motion-one chemical compound containing oxygen in a carbonyl groupA parahormonal chemical mediator of ecologicalsignificance that is secreted, largely by an organism(usually an invertebrate) into its immediate envi-ronment (air or water); it can alter the behavior orfunctional activity of a second organism, often ofthe same species as that secreting the ectohormone.

Ectolecithal

Greekektos- outside, external, beyond-lekithos egg yolk

Yolk for nutrition of the embryo contributed bycells that are separate from the egg cell and arecombined with the zygote by envelopment withinthe eggshell.

Ectomorphic

Greekektos- outside, external, beyond-morph- shape, form, figure, or appearance-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofReferring to an individual characterized by having alean, slightly muscular build in which tissuesderived from the embryonic ectoderm predominate.

Ectoplasm

Greekektos- outside, external, beyond-plasm (plassein) to mold or form cells or tissuesThe cortex of a cell or that part of cytoplasm justunder the cell surface.

Ectoscopy

Greekektos- outside, external, beyond-skopein- see, view, sight, look at, examine-y place for an activity; condition, stateA diagnostic method based on observation ofchest and abdominal movements and said to becapable of determining the outlines of the lungsand of localized internal conditions.

Ectothermic

Greekektos- outside, external, beyond-thermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofHaving a body temperature derived by heatacquired from the environment.

Edema

Greekoid ma a swellingThe accumulation of excessive amounts of serousfluids in the tissues or cavities within the body.

Effect

Latinex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-facere- to do; carry, bear, bringThe result or consequence of an action.

Effector

Latinex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-facere- to do; carry, bear, bring-or a condition or property of things or persons, person who does somethingAn organ or structure that responds as a result ofnervous stimulation.

e

70 Efferent

Efferent

Latinex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-facere- to do; carry, bear, bring-ent causing an action; being in a specific state; withinLeading or conveying away from some organ—for example, nerve impulses conducted awayfrom the brain, or blood conveyed away from anorgan; contrasts with afferent.

Efficiency

Latinefficere- to effect-cy state, condition, qualityThe ratio of useful work accomplished by amachine compared to the total work put into it;usually expressed as a percentage.

Effloresce

Latinex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-florere flower; to blossomTo become covered by a crusty deposit whenwater evaporates.

Ejecta

Latineicere- to throw outEjected matter, such as that from an eruptingvolcano.

Ejection

Latineicere- to throw out-ion state, process, or quality ofThe act of ejecting or the condition of being ejected.

Elastic

Greekelaunein- to beat out-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofReturning to or capable of returning to an initialform or state after deformation.

Electricity

Greeklektron- charge, electricity; dealing with positive

and negative charges-ity state or qualityThe flow of electrons in a circuit. The speed ofelectricity is the speed of light (approximately186,000 miles per second). In a wire, it is sloweddue to the resistance in the material.

Electrocardiograph

Greeklektron- charge, electricity; dealing with positive

and negative charges

-kard- heart, pertaining to the heart-graphia (graphein) to write, record, draw, describeAn instrument for recording the potential of theelectrical currents that traverse the heart and ini-tiate its contraction.

Electrodialysis

Greeklektron- charge, electricity; dealing with positive

and negative charges-dia- through, across, point to point-ly- loosening, dissolving, dissolution, breaking-sis action, process, state, conditionA form of dialysis in which the application of cur-rent to electrodes is used to separate substances orcompounds. Salt is removed from seawater inlarge quantities in this manner.

Electrolysis

Greeklektron- charge, electricity; dealing with positive

and negative charges-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve; dissolution, break-sis action, process, state, conditionA process in which electrolytes are created bysplitting compounds using electric current.

Electrolyte

Latin/Greeklektron- charge, electricity; dealing with positive

and negative charges-lyte substance capable of undergoing decompositionA substance that when dissolved in a suitable sol-vent becomes an ionic conductor.

Electromagnetic

Greeklektron- charge, electricity; dealing with positive

and negative charges-magnes- something that attracts (figurative sense)-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofVariation in electric and magnetic fields takingplace in regular, repeating fashion.

Electron

Greeklektron- charge, electricity; dealing with positive

and negative charges-on a particleAn elementary particle consisting of a charge ofnegative electricity equal to about 1.602 × 10–19

coulomb and having a mass when at rest of about9.109534 × 10–28 gram, or about 1/1836 that of aproton.

Electronegativity

Greeklektron- charge, electricity; dealing with positive

and negative charges

e

e

e

e

e

e

e

e

Emphysema 71

-negare- say no, deny-ity state or qualityProperty of an element that indicates how stronglyits atom attracts electrons in a chemical bond.

Electrophile

Englishlektron- charge, electricity; dealing with positive

and negative charges-phile one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference forA chemical compound or group attracted to elec-trons and tending to accept them.

Electrophoresis

Greeklektron- charge, electricity; dealing with positive

and negative charges-phoros- being carried, bearing-sis action, process, state, conditionThe movement of suspended particles in a fluidunder the influence of an electric field.

Electroweak

Greek/Middle Englishlektron- charge, electricity; dealing with posi-

tive and negative charges-weike pliantOf or relating to the combination of the electromag-netic and weak nuclear forces in a unified theory.

Element

Latinelementum rudiment, first principleA substance that cannot be separated into simplersubstances by chemical means.

Elimination

Latineliminat- to banish-ion state, process, or quality ofA process by which wastes are removed from thebody.

Ellipse

Latin/Greeken- in, at, onto-leipein to leaveA plane curve, especially a conic section whoseplane is not parallel to the axis, base, or generatrixof the intersected cone.

Elliptical

Greekelleiptikos- of a leaf shape; in the form of an ellipse-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf, relating to, or having the shape of an ellipse;containing or characterized by ellipsis.

Elongation

Latinelongate- to make or grow longer-ion state, process, or quality ofThe act of making something longer or the condi-tion of being made longer.

Elytra

Greekelutron sheathThe thickened or leathery forewings of insectssuch as beetles.

Embolism

Greekem- in-bol- (ballein) to put or throw-ism state or conditionObstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel block-ing the flow of blood.

Embryo

Greekem- in-bruein to be full, burstingAn organism in its early stage of development,especially before it has reached a distinctivelyrecognizable form.

Embryogenesis

Greekem- in-bruein- to be full, bursting-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-sis action, process, state, conditionThe origin and development of the embryo;embryogeny.

Emigration

Latine- out-migrare- to move-ion state, process, or quality ofThe act or process of leaving an area or country tolive in another country.

Emission

Latinmittere- to send out

-ion state, process or quality ofA substance discharged into the air, especially byan internal combustion engine.

Emphysema

Greekem- in, into, inward; within-phusan to blowA pathological condition of the lungs marked byan abnormal increase in the size of the air spaces,

e

e

e

e

72 Empirical

resulting in labored breathing and an increasedsusceptibility to infection.

Empirical

Greekempeirikos- doctor relying on experience alone-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofReferring to a formula that gives the simplest wholenumber ratio of atoms of elements in a compound.

Emulsification

Greek-mulg re- to milk out-ation action, process, state, or conditionProcess of mixing two liquids that do not dissolvein each other.

Emulsify

Latin-mulg re- to milk out-fy cause; to become, makeTo make into an emulsion.

Emulsion

Latinex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-mulg re- to milk out-ion state, process, or quality of A suspension of small globules of one liquid in asecond liquid with which the first will not mix.

Enantiomer

Greeken- to cause to be-anti- opposite-mere considered apart from anything else; pureEither of a pair of crystals, molecules, or com-pounds that are mirror images but not identical.

Encephalitis

Greeken- in, into, inward; within-cephalo- (kephalikos) head-itis inflammation, burning sensationInflammation of the brain, usually caused by aviral infection.

Encephalomalacia

Greeken- in, into, inward; within-cephalo- (kephalikos) head-malacia softening of tissueSoftening of brain tissue, usually caused by vas-cular insufficiency or degenerative changes.

Endemic

Greeken- in, into, inward; within-demo- population

-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofA condition, such as a disease, that is prevalent ina specific area.

Endergonic

Greekendo- inside, within-ergon- work-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofA chemical reaction requiring energy to obtainthe end products.

Endoabdominal

Greekendo- inside, within-abdomen- belly, venter, abdomen-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofRelating to tissues and other materials foundwithin the abdominal walls.

Endobenthos

Greekendo- inside, within-benthos deep; the fauna and flora of the bottom of the seaOrganisms living within the sediment on the sea-bed or lake floor.

Endocrine

Greekendo- within-krinein to separateGlands that secrete hormones into the blood.

Endocytosis

Greekendo- inside, within-kutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-sis action, process, state, conditionThe process of moving things to the inside of a cell.

Endoderm

Latinendo- inside, within-derma skinIn animals, the inner layer of embryonic tissuefrom which the digestive organs develop.

Endoergic

Greekendo- inside, within-ergon- work-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOccurring with absorption of energy. In biology,the process by which heat is generated to main-tain a constant body temperature.

e

e

e

Enterocoel 73

Endognathous

Greekendo- inside, within-gnathos jawAncestral character of insects, found in the ordersDiplura, Collembola, and Protura, in which themandibles and maxillae are located in pouches.

Endolecithal

Greekendo- inside, within-ekithos yolkYolk for nutrition of the embryo incorporated intothe egg cell itself.

Endometrium

Greekendo- inside, within-metra- womb-y place for an activity; condition, stateMucous membrane lining the interior surface ofthe uterus.

Endomorphic

Greekendo- inside, within-morph- shape, form, figure, or appearance-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofAn individual characterized by a significantamount of soft tissue around the area of the abdo-men; this fatty tissue develops from the embry-onic endodermal layer.

Endoplasm

Greekendo- inside, within-plasm (plassein) to mold or form cells or tissuesA central, less viscous portion of the cytoplasmthat is distinguishable in certain cells, especiallymotile cells.

Endopod

Greekendo- inside, within-podos footMedial branch of a biramous crustacean appendage.

Endorphin

Greekendo- inside, within-morpheus- god of dreams-in protein or derived from a protein.A morphine-like substance secreted in the pitu-itary gland to control pain and pleasure.

Endoskeleton

Greekendo- inside, within-skeletos hard

A supporting framework within the living tissuesof an organism.

Endosperm

Greekendo- inside, within-sperma seedIn flowering plants, storage tissue.

Endospore

Greekendo- inside, within-spora seedA small asexual spore that develops inside thecell of some bacteria and algae.

Endostyle

Greekendo- inside, within-sylos a pillarCiliated groove(s) in the floor of the pharynx oftunicates, cephalochordates, and larval cyclos-tomes, used for accumulating and moving foodparticles to the stomach.

Endothermal

Latin/Greekendo- inside, within-thermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofPertaining to chemical reactions in warm-blooded animals that generate heat for the main-tenance of a constant internal environment.

Endothermic

Greekendo- inside, within-thermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofCharacterized by or causing the absorption ofheat.

Energy

Greeken- in, at, onto-ergon workThe capacity to do work; source of usable power;vigorous exertion of effort.

Enneagynous

Greekennea- nine-gynous in relation to the female organ of a plantIn botany, having nine pistils or styles in a flower.

Enterocoel

Greekenteron- gut-koiloma cavity

74 Enterocoelomate

A type of coelom formed by the outpouching of amesodermal sac from the endoderm of the primi-tive gut.

Enterocoelomate

Greekenteron- gut-koiloma- cavity-ate of or having to do withAn animal having an enterocoel, such as an echi-noderm or a vertebrate.

Enthalpy

Greeken- in, at, onto-thalpien- to heat-y place for an activity; condition, stateThe sum of the internal energy of a body and theproduct of its volume multiplied by its pressure.

Entomology

Greekentomos- cut from two, segmented-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe scientific study of insects.

Entropy

Greeken- in, at, onto-trope transformationThe tendency for all matter and energy in the uni-verse to evolve toward a state of inert uniformity.

Environmentalist

Frenchenviron- round about; encircle-ment- state or condition resulting from a (speci-fied) action-al- of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character of-ist agent, specialistA person who seeks to protect the natural environment.

Enzyme

Greeken- in, at, onto-zume ferment, leavenProduced by living cells that catalyze chemicalreactions in organic matter.

Eocene

Greekeos- dawn-kainos recentAn epoch of the lower Tertiary period, spanningthe time between 55.5 and 33.7 million years ago.

Eon

Greek

aion indefinitely long period of timeLongest period of geologic time.

Eosinophil

Greekeos- dawn (color of), rose, red-in- protein or derived from a protein-phile one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference forA granular bilobed leukocyte with coarse cyto-plasmic granules that attract the red acid dye eosin,a biological stain for studying cell structures.

Ephemeroptera

Greekephemeros- for a day-pteron wingMayflies; fragile winged insects that developfrom aquatic nymphs and live as adults for only afew days.

Epibenthos

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-benthos deep; the fauna and flora of the bottom of the seaThe community of organisms living at the surfaceof the seabed or lake floor.

Epiblast

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-blastos bud, germ cellThe outer layer of the blastula giving rise to theectoderm.

Epicardium

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-kard- heart, pertaining to the heart-ium quality of the relationshipThe inner layer of the pericardium, a conical sacof fibrous tissue that surrounds the heart.

Epicenter

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-kentron center, sharp pointThe point of the earth’s surface directly above thefocus of an earthquake.

Epicycle

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-kyklos circle, wheel, cycleA circle whose circumference rolls along the cir-cumference of a fixed circle.

Epistome 75

Epidemic

Greekepi- upon, above-demos- people-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofA disease found among many people in an area; asituation where an infectious disease developsand spreads quickly through a population.

Epidendrous

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-dendr- tree, treelike structure-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toRelating to organisms that grow or exist on trees.

Epidermis

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-dermis skinThe outer epithelial layer of the external integu-ment of the animal body that is derived fromembryonic epiblast.

Epididymis

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-didumos twins, testiclesLong, narrow, convoluted tube on the top, poste-rior aspect of either of the two testes; it is part ofthe sperm duct system.

Epigastrium

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-gastr- stomach, belly-ium quality of the relationshipThe part of the abdominal wall lying on or overthe stomach.

Epiglottis

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-glotta tongueThe thin elastic cartilaginous structure located atthe root of the tongue that folds over the glottis toprevent food and liquid from entering the tracheaduring the act of swallowing.

Epinephrine

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-nephros- kidneys-ine a chemical substanceAn endogenous adrenal hormone that increasescardiac activity, dilates bronchial tubes, and stim-ulates the production of glucose from glycogen.

Epiphyseal (line)

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-phyein- to grow-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofPertaining to or resembling the epiphysis; in longbone development; the line that results when theossification process of the shaft meets with thebony development at the end of a bone.

Epiphyte

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-phuton plant having a (specified) characteristic or habitatA plant, such as a tropical orchid or a staghornfern, that grows on another plant upon which itdepends for mechanical support but not for nutri-ents; also called aerophyte, air plant.

Epipod

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-pous podos, footA lateral process on the protopod of a crustaceanappendage often modified as a gill.

Episode

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-eisodios coming in besides, enteringAn incident or event that stands out from the con-tinuity of everyday life.

Episome

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-soma (somatiko) bodyA genetic unit or gene that has the capacity toexist outside of or independently of its host cell.

Epistasis

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-histanai- to place; to stop-sis action, process, state, conditionThe suppression of a bodily discharge such asurine. In genetics, the suppression of the expres-sion of a gene by another gene.

Epistome

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-stoma mouthFlap over the mouth in some lophophorates thatbears the protocoel.

76 Epithethia

Epithethia

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-thele- nipple-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsPapillary projections of the epithelium that pene-trate the underlying stroma of connecting tissue.

Epitope

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-topos place, spotA portion of a protein molecule that is the specifictarget of an immune response.

Epizootic

Greekepi- above, over, on, upon-zoon- animal, animal-like-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofAffecting a large number of animals at the sametime within a particular region or geographicarea; used in reference to a disease.

Epoch

Greekep- time-och fixedSubdivision of a period on the geologic time scale.

Equation

Latinaequi- equal, same, similar, even-ion state, quality, or process ofA representation of a chemical reaction, usuallywritten as a linear array in which the symbols andquantities of the reactants are separated fromthose of the products by an equal sign, an arrow,or a set of opposing arrows.

Equator

Latinaequi- equal, same, similar, even-or fromThe imaginary great circle around the earth’s sur-face, equidistant from the poles and perpendicu-lar to the earth’s axis of rotation; it divides theearth into the Northern Hemisphere and theSouthern Hemisphere.

Equilibrate

Latinaequi- equal, same, similar, even-libr- balanced, level; make even; weight-ate characterized by havingHaving to maintain in or bring into equilibrium.

Equilibrium

Latinaequi- equal, same, similar, even-libr- balanced, level; make even; weight-ium quality or relationshipA state of balance between opposing forces oractions.

Equine

Latinequus- horse-ine of or relating toOf or belonging to the family Equidae, whichincludes the horses, asses, and zebras.

Equinox

Latinaequi- equal, same, similar, even-noct nightEither of the two times during a year when the suncrosses the celestial equator and when the dayand night are approximately equal in length.

Equipollent

Latinaequi- equal, same, similar, even-pollere- to be powerful-ent causing an action; being in a specific stateEqual in force, power, effectiveness, or significance.

Equipotential

Latinaequi- equal, same, similar, even-potent- power; to be able-ial (variation of -ia) relating to or characterized byThe work required to move a unit of positive charge,a magnetic pole, or an amount of mass from a refer-ence point to a designated point in a static electric,magnetic, or gravitational field; potential energy.

Era

Latinaera countersThe longest of the geological time periods, usuallymarked by some catastrophic geological event.

Eremic

Greekerem- lonely, solitary; hermit; desert-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofPertaining to deserts or sandy regions.

Eremobiology

Greekerem- lonely, solitary; hermit; desert-bios- life, living organisms or tissue-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe science of biology in arid ecological systems.

Esophagus 77

Eremophile

Greekerem- lonely, solitary; hermit; desert-phile one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference forOrganisms that survive and thrive in desert ordesertlike conditions.

Eremophyte

Greekerem- lonely, solitary; hermit; desert-phuton plant having a (specified) characteristic or habitatA plant species that has developed the adapta-tions to live in arid, desertlike conditions.

Erg

Greekergon work A small unit of work equal to the force of onedyne acting over a distance of one centimeter.

Ergonomics

Greekergon- work -nom- (nemein) to dictate the laws of; knowledge; usage; order-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofThe applied science of equipment design, as forthe workplace, intended to maximize productiv-ity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort.

Erogenous

Latineros- sexual love or sexual passion-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toProducing erotic feelings; often a reference to partsof the body that are sensitive to sexual arousal.

Erosion

Latinerosio- an eating away-ion state, process, or quality of The group of natural processes, including weath-ering, dissolution, abrasion, corrosion, and trans-portation, by which material is worn away fromthe earth’s surface.

Eruciform

Latineruci- caterpillar-forma having the form ofApplied to insect larvae, caterpillar-like; more orless cylindrical with a well-developed head andstumpy legs at the rear, in addition to the true tho-racic legs. The caterpillars of butterflies andmoths are typical examples.

Erythroblast

Greekeruthros- red-blastos bud, germ cellImmature red blood cells found within the red bonemarrow of mammals; they are typically nucleated.

Erythroblastosis

Greekeruthros- red-blastos bud, germ cell-osis increase, formationAn abnormal presence of immature red bloodcells in the bloodstream.

Erythrocyte

Greekeruthros- red-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidRed blood cell that contains hemoglobin and car-ries oxygen from the lungs or gills to the tissues invertebrates.

Erythropoiesis

Greekeruthros- red-poiein- production, formation; to make-sis action, process, state, conditionThe process of the production of red blood cellsin the red bone marrow.

Erythropoietin

Greekeruthros- red-poiein- production, formation; to make-in protein or derived from proteinA chemical secreted by the kidney to regulate theproduction of red blood cells.

Esophagoduodenostomy

Greek/Latinois- (pherein) to carry-phagos- (phagein) to eat, eating-duodeni- twelve each-stoma- opening-y place for an activity; condition, stateSurgical removal of the stomach, followed byconnection of the esophagus to the duodenum.

Esophagus

Greekois- (future tense of pherein) to carry-phagos- (phagein) to eat; eating-us thingA muscular, membranous tube extending fromthe pharynx to the stomach.

78 Ester

Ester

German (from Latin)essig vinegarAny of a class of organic compounds correspond-ing to the inorganic salts and formed from anorganic acid and an alcohol.

Esterification

Greekäther- etherlike acid-fication action, process, or quality ofA reaction involving a group of organic compoundsthat causes the reagents (usually a carboxylic acidand alcohol) to become an ester.

Estivation

Latinestiv- dormancy in the summer-ion state, process, or quality of The process of spending the summer in a resting state.

Estrogen

Greekoistros- frenzy; gadfly-gen to give birth, kind, produceFemale sex hormones secreted by both the ova-ries and the adrenal cortex.

Estuary

Latinaestus- tide, surge-ary of, relating to, or connected withAn arm of the sea that extends to meet the mouthof a river.

Ethane

Greeketh- organic functional group with two carbons-aneorganic compound containing no multiple bondsAn odorless alkane gas, C2H6.

Ether

Greekaither upper airAny of a class of organic compounds in which twohydrocarbon groups are linked by an oxygen atom.

Ethnobotany

Greekethnos- people or races-botan - fodder, plants-onuma nameThe study of the relationship between humansand plants.

Etiology

Greekaitia- cause-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledge

The scientific study of the causes and origins ofdiseases.

Etymology

Greek/Latinetymon- true sense; earlier form of a word-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of the sources and development of words.

Eubacteria

Greekeu- good, well; true-bacter- microscopic organism-baktron- staff, rod-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsLarge group of bacteria having rigid cell walls.

Euglena

Greekeu- good, well; true-glene eyeballAny organism of the genus Euglena, found infreshwater and characterized by chlorophyll, asingle flagellum, and a reddish “eyespot.”

Euhaline

Greekeu- good, well; true-hal- salt-ine in a chemical substanceTerm used with reference to normal sea water,containing 30 to 40 parts per thousand salt;applies to organisms thriving in this environment.

Eukaryote

Greekeu- good, well; true-kairon nut; cell nucleusAn organism whose cells contain a distinct,membrane-bound “true” nucleus.

Eumetazoans

Latineu- good, well; true-meta- later in time-zoan animalAnimals with both tissues and symmetry.

Euphotic (zone)

Greekeu- good, well; true-photos- light, radiant energy-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf, relating to, or being the uppermost layer of abody of water that receives sufficient light forphotosynthesis and the growth of green plants.

e

Evapotranspiration 79

Eupnea

New Latineu- normal-pnion breathing or breathNormal, rhythmic, unlabored breathing rates.

Eurybaric

Greekeury- wide, broad-bar- weight, pressure-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofApplicable to animals adaptable to great differ-ences in altitude.

Euryhalic

Greekeury- wide, broad-hal- salt-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofAble to tolerate a wide range of salinity; said oforganisms capable of withstanding widely vary-ing concentrations of salt in the environment.

Euryhaline

Greekeury- wide-hal- salt-ine in a chemical substanceAble to tolerate wide ranges of saltwater concentrations.

Euryphagous

Greekeury- wide-phagos- (phagein) to eat, eating-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toAn ecological term referring to an organism thateats a large variety of foods.

Euryphotic

Greekeury- wide, broad-phot- light-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofTolerant of a wide range of light intensity, typi-cally measured between a forest and a field.

Eurypterid

Greekeury- wide-pteron- wing-id state, condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, inclined toLarge, extinct scorpion-like arthropod consideredto be related to horseshoe crabs.

Eurytopic

Greek

eury- wide-topos place-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRefers to an organism or species capable of livingwithin a wide environmental range.

Eutrophic

Greekeu- good, well, true-trophos- (trophein) to nourish; food, nutrition; development-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofHaving waters rich in mineral and organic nutri-ents, causing plant life to proliferate, therebyreducing the dissolved oxygen content and oftenkilling off other organisms.

Eutrophication

Greekeu- good, well; true-trophos- (trophein) to nourish; food, nutrition; development-ation action, process , or quality of The process by which a body of water becomesenriched in dissolved nutrients (such as phos-phates) that stimulate the growth of aquatic plantlife, usually resulting in the depletion of dis-solved oxygen.

Evacuate

Latin-vacare- empty-ate of or having to do withTo empty or send away; to eliminate or excretewastes from a living body.

Evagination

Latin-vagina- sheath-ion state, process, or quality of An outpocketing from a hollow structure; to turna body part inside out.

Evaporation

Latinvaporatus- steam, vapor-ion state, process, or quality of Vaporization of a liquid below its boiling point.

Evapotranspiration

Latinex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-vaporatus- steam, vapor-trans- across or through-sp r re-to breath-ion state, process, or quality of The sum total of water loss due to evaporationand plant transpiration.

i a

80 Evolution

Evolution

Latinevolut- unrolling-ion state, process, or quality of The theory that the various types of animals andplants have their origin in other, preexisting typesand that the distinguishable differences are due tomodifications in successive generations.

Excision

Greekex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-cis- to cut-ion state, process ofThe process of cutting off something small bysurgery.

Excited

Latinex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-ciere to set in motionBeing at an energy level higher than the ground state.

Excretion

Latinex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-cernere- to separate-ion state, process ofTo separate and eliminate or discharge (waste) fromthe blood or tissues or from active protoplasm.

Exfoliate

Latinex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-folium- leaf-ate of or having to deal withTo come off or separate into flakes, scales, or lay-ers; mechanical weathering process in whichouter rock layers are stripped away, often result-ing in dome-shaped formations.

Exobiology

Greekex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-bios- life, living organisms or tissue-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeStudy of life forms that possibly exist elsewherein the universe.

Exocytosis

Greekex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-cyte- (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluid-sis action, process, state, conditionThe process of moving things to the outside of a cell.

Exopod

Greek

ex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-podos footLateral branch of a biramous crustacean appendage.

Exoskeleton

Greekex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-skeletos dried up (body)A hard outer structure, such as the shell of aninsect or crustacean, that provides protection orsupport for an organism.

Exosphere

Greekex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-sphaira a globe shape, ball, sphereThe outer layer of the thermosphere, extendinginto space.

Exothermal

Greekex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-thermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofCharacterized by or formed with the evolution ofheat.

Exothermic

Greekex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-thermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofReferring to a chemical reaction where heat isreleased from the source.

Exotic

Greekex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-otic state or condition of; condition of beingStrikingly, excitingly, or mysteriously different orunusual; from another part of the world.

Expedition

Greekex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-pedi- foot-ion state, process, or quality of A journey or excursion undertaken for a specificpurpose.

Experiment

Latinexperiri- to try-ent causing an action or being in a specific stateA test under controlled conditions that is made todemonstrate a known truth, examine the validityof a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy ofsomething previously untried.

Eye 81

Exsiccated

Latinex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-sicca- drying-ate characterized by havingDried, especially in reference to soils that have losttheir moisture.

Extensor

Greekex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-ten- to move in a certain direction; to stretch, hold out-or a condition or property of things or persons; person who does somethingAny of various muscles that extend or straightensome part of the body, especially a flexed arm or leg.

External

Latinexternus- outward-al pertaining to, having the form or character ofRelating to, existing on, or connected with theoutside or an outer part; exterior.

Extinction

Latinex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-stinguere- to quench-ion state, process, or quality ofCeasing of existence of a species.

Extraction

Greekex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-trahere- to draw-ion state, process, or quality ofTo obtain from a substance by chemical or mechani-cal action, as by pressure, distillation, or evaporation.

Extrusive

Latinex- outside, outward, out of, out; away from-trudere thrustIgneous rock that forms when molten rock solidi-fies above the surface.

Eye

Modern Englisheghe resembling an eye shapeThe development of a calm center of a storm.

Holland in the Seventeenth Century

Able to form a republic in the seventeenth century bydeclaring its independence from Spain, Holland wasleft to its own resources to either flourish or decline.Thus, the economy of Holland was dependent on thefree-thinking, creative society of its day. Beginningin that century, but associated more with the eigh-teenth century, was the Age of Enlightenment, aperiod characterized by reason rather than the tradi-tions of the Dark Ages. This movement led to anunparalleled optimism and to bold expressions ofphilosophy, law, art, science, and government. TheDutch embraced the Age of Enlightenment, whicheventually spread throughout Europe.

The formation of the Dutch East India Companyrequired the recruitment of skilled craftsmen tobuild a fleet of ships capable of traveling great dis-tances. The Dutch sailor-merchants sailed all overthe world and brought back the rarest of goods forsale. Exploration became a part of the social fiberof the Dutch people. Science, mathematics, andphilosophy flourished in Holland, where all freethinkers were welcome to explore their passions.There was little to fear from the Church, which stillheld a grip over much of Europe. Men feared fortheir lives when scientific reason clashed with theaccepted Church dogma. Thus seventeenth-century

Holland became home to many migrating scientistsand others who sought freedom to express theirideas. In Amsterdam Anton Van Leeuwenhoek,known as the father of microbiology, invented themicroscope during this period. It is said that hismicroscopes, equipped with lenses that he himselfground, were able to magnify well over 500 timesnormal vision. Only a handful of the hundreds ofmicroscopes he crafted still exist today.

Christian Huygens crafted lenses for telescopesand created a telescope that was over 5 meters long.He speculated that the atmosphere of Venus causedthe planet to be covered by clouds. He observed thepatterns of rotation of planets, and he estimatedquite accurately the length of a Martian day. Huy-gens was the first to recognize the rings of Saturn,and he also discovered Titan, the planet’s largestmoon. These are only a few of the incredible dis-coveries and inventions this scientist is responsiblefor.

Countless people have been inspired over theages by this colony’s many explorers, adventurers,craftsmen, statesmen, artists, mathematicians, andphilosophers. Even Albert Einstein was influencedby a Portuguese-Jewish philosopher who lived inHolland, Benedict (Baruch) Spinoza.

Famine

Latinfames- hunger-ine of or relating toA drastic, wide-reaching food shortage threaten-ing the lives of an entire population.

Fault

Latinfallere to deceive, failTo shift so as to produce a fault.

Fecundity

Latinfecund- fruitful, fertile-ity state of, quality ofRefers to female animals: the faculty of reproduc-tion; the capacity for bringing forth young; pro-ductiveness. In botany, the faculty or power ofgerminating.

Fermentation

Latinfermentum- splits complex organic compounds into simpler ones-ion state, process or quality of A type of anaerobic pathway of ATP formation: itstarts with glycolysis, ends when electrons aretransferred back to one of the breakdown prod-ucts or intermediates, and regenerates the NAD+required for the reaction. Its net yield is two ATPper glucose molecule degraded.

Ferroalloy

Latinferrum- iron; pertaining to, or containing iron-alligare to bind

Any of various alloys of iron and one or moreother elements.

Ferrotherapy

Latinferrum- iron; pertaining to, or containing iron-therapeuein to heal, cure; treatmentThe treatment of disease with iron.

Fertilization

Latinfertilis- to bear-ion state, process, or quality of The act or process of initiating the reproductiveprocess in sexual creatures by the union of an eggand a sperm cell.

Fibrin

Latinfibro-, fibr-, fibra- fiber; an elongated threadlike structure-in protein or derived from proteinLarge insoluble strands of protein that aid in theclotting of blood.

Fibrinogen

Latin/Greekfibro-, fibr-, fibra- fiber; an elongated threadlike structure-gen to give birth, kind, produceA blood plasma protein that turns into fibrin whenconverted by thrombin during the blood-clottingprocess.

Fibronectin

Latin/ Greekfibro-, fibr-, fibra- fiber; an elongated threadlike structure

Flood 83

-nhkto- (Greek) swimming-in protein or derived from proteinA fibrous linking protein that functions as a retic-uloendothelial mediated host defense mechanismand is impaired by surgery, burns, infection, neo-plasia, and disorders of the immune system.

Fibrosis

Latinfibro-, fibr-, fibra- fiber; an elongated threadlike structure-sis action, process, state, conditionThe formation of excess fibrous tissue, usually asan attempt to repair damaged tissue or as a reac-tion to a trauma.

Field

Old Englishfeld fieldA region of space characterized by a physicalproperty, such as gravitational or electromagneticforce or fluid pressure, having a determinablevalue at every point in the region.

Filial

Latinfili- son, daughter, offspring-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf or relating to a generation or the sequence ofgenerations following the parental generation.

Filipodium

Latinfilum- thread-podos- foot-ium quality or relationshipA type of pseudopodium that is very slender andmay branch, but does not rejoin to form a mesh.

Filtration

Latinfiltrum- to put or go through a filter-ion state, process, or quality of A process in which mixtures are separated basedupon the size of particles that can fit through a filter.

Fimbriae

Latinfimbriae thread, fringeA thread or fringelike anatomical part of anorgan, such as the aperture to the Fallopian tubes.

Fine

Latinfinis utmost limit, end

In chemistry, refers to having a stated amount ofgold or silver in it. A gold or silver alloy that is925/1000 fine is 92.5% gold or silver.

Fission

Latinfissus- splitting-ion state, process, or quality of Act or process of splitting or breaking up into parts.

Fistula

Latinfistula pipeAn abnormal duct or canal resulting from injury,disease, or congenital disorder that extends fromthe hollow of a body organ to the surface or toanother organ.

Fixation

Latinfixus- to fasten-ation action, process, or quality ofThe process of conversion into a more reactive,usable form.

Fjord

Old Norsefjordhr inletA long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea betweensteep slopes.

Flagellum

Latinflagrum whipA long, threadlike appendage; a whiplike extension.

Flammable

Greekphilogiston flammableDescribes a substance that is easily ignited andcapable of burning.

Flexor

Latinflectere- to bend-or a condition or property of things or persons; person who does somethingAny muscle that bends a limb.

Flocculate

Latinflocculus- tuft-ate of or having to do withTo form into woolly, soft, or cloudlike masses; toform compound masses, as a cloud or a chemicalprecipitate.

Flood

Middle Englishflud flowing water

84 Fluctuate

The overflowing of water on land that is usuallydry; a deluge.

Fluctuate

Latinfluere- to flow, wave-ate of or having to do withTo vary irregularly; to rise and fall in waves.

Fluid

Latin/Greekfluere- to flow, wave-id state, condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, inclined toA continuous, amorphous substance whose mole-cules move freely past one another and that hasthe tendency to assume the shape of its container;a liquid or gas.

Fluke

Greekplax flat surfaceA flattened, digenetic trematode worm.

Fluorescence

Latinfluere- to flow, wave-escentia state or process ofThe process in which an atom releases energy inthe form of electromagnetic radiation.

Fluoroscope

Latin/Greekfluere- to flow, wave-skopion for viewing with the eyeAn imaging device using x-rays to project a fluo-rescent image on a screen.

Fluvial

Latinfluvi- river, stream-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofPertaining to rivers and river activities; found orliving in a river; produced by a river or stream.

Fluvioterrestrial

Latinfluvi- river, stream-terra- of or relating to the earth or its inhabitants-ial of or relating toRefers to inhabiting streams and the surrounding land.

Flux

Latinfluxus (past participle of fluere) to flowThe rate of flow of fluid, particles, or energythrough a given surface.

Foliaceous

Latinfolium- leaf-aceous of or relating to a plant familyBelonging to, or having the texture or nature offoliage or leaves; leaflike in form or made ofgrowth; composed of thin laminated layers, ascertain rocks.

Foraminiferan

Latinforare- to bore; hole, an opening,-ferre to bearA member of the class Granuloreticulosea bear-ing a shell with many openings.

Forbicolous

Greekpherbein- to graze-cola tiller, inhabitantLiving on broad-leaved plants; herbicolous.

Forbivorous

Greek/Latinpherbein- to graze-vorare- swallow, devour-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toFeeding on broad-leaved plants.

Force

Latinfortis strongA vector quantity that tends to produce an acceler-ation of a body in the direction of its application.

Forensic

Latinforensis- public-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRelating to or dealing with the application of sci-entific knowledge to legal problems.

Forest

Latinforis outsideA dense growth of trees, plants, and underbrushcovering a large area.

Formation

Latinformat- shape, figure, appearance-ion state, process, or quality ofThe act or process of arranging something or oftaking form.

Formicary

Latinformic- ant-ary of, relating to, or connected withA nest of ants or anthill.

Fundamental 85

Fossil

Latinfossilis dug upHaving the characteristics of a fossil: preserved ina mineralized or petrified form from a past geo-logic age.

Fractal

Latinfrangere- to break-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofA geometric pattern that is repeated at ever smallerscales to produce irregular shapes and surfaces thatcannot be represented by classical geometry.

Fractionate

Latinfrangere- to break-ate of or having to do withTo separate a mixture by distillation, crystalliza-tion, or other method into its ingredients or intoportions that have different properties.

Fractoluminescence

Latinfrangere- to break-lumen- light-ence the condition ofThe emission of light from the fracture of a crystal.

Frequency

Latinfrequens- a crowd, throng-cy state, condition, qualityThe number of wave peaks occurring in a unit of time.

Friction

Latinfricare- to rub-ion state, process, or quality of The force generated opposite to the motion of anobject resulting from an interaction of surfaces.

Frigid

Latinfrigus- cold, frost-id state, condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, inclined toRefers to extreme cold, with a very cold temperature.

Fructose

Latinfructus- fruit-ose sugar, carbohydrateA very sweet sugar occurring in many fruits andhoney and used as a preservative for foodstuffsand as a intravenous nutrient.

Fruit

Latinfructus fruitThe ripened ovary or ovaries, together with acces-sory parts, containing the seeds of a seed-bearingplant and occurring in a wide variety of forms.

Fucivorous

Greek/Latinphukos- rock lichen, seaweed-vorare- to swallow, devour-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toFeeding or subsisting on seaweed and related seaand ocean foods.

Fulcrum

Latinfulcire to supportThe point or support on which a level pivots.

Fumaroles

Latinfumus- smoke, vapor-ole littleA crack or fissure that releases gases from a volcano.

Fumatorium

Latinfumus- smoke, vapor-ate- to do, to make, to cause-orium a place or a thing used for somethingAn airtight compartment in which vapor may begenerated to destroy germs or insects.

Fume

Latinfumus smoke, vaporVapor, gas, or smoke, especially if harmful,strong, or odorous.

Function

Latinfungi- to do, perform, execute, discharge-ion state, process, or quality ofThe special, normal, or proper physiological activ-ity performed by an organ or part.

Fundamental

Latinfundus- bottom-ment- state or condition resulting from a (speci-fied) action-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf or relating to the foundation or base.

86 Fungal

Fungal

Latinspongos- spongelike-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofCaused by a fungus, or relating to or having thecharacteristics of a fungus.

Fungicide

Greek/Latinspongos- spongelike-cide (caedere) to cut, kill, hack at, or strikeThe destruction of fungi or something used to killfungi (spores).

Fungus

Greekspongos- spongelike-us singularEukaryotic organisms lacking chlorophyll andvascular tissue. They range from unicellular tomulticellular. Many produce fruiting bodies.

Fusion

Latinfundere- to melt-ion state, process, or quality of The joining into a single entity.

Galactose

Greekgalakt- milk-ose sugar, carbohydrateC6H12O6; one of the hextose sugars, it is found inpectins and gums.

Galaxy

Greekgalakt- milk-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsAny of numerous large-scale aggregates of stars,gas, and dust that constitute the universe, contain-ing an average of 100 billion (1011) solar massesand ranging in diameter from 1,500 to 300,000light-years. Also called nebula.

Gallbladder

Old Englishgalla- nutgall-bla dre bladderA small, hollow, saclike, muscular organ locatedbelow the liver. It contains bile that is producedby the liver and secretes the bile into the smallintestine to aid in the digestion of fats.

Gallimimus

Latingallus- rooster-mimus mimicA dinosaur whose fossil remains resemble a verylarge rooster and that existed during the Late Cre-taceous period in Mongolia.

Gametangium

Greek/Latin

gamet- husband or wife; to marry-angeion- vessel-ium quality or relationshipThe reproductive organ of bryophytes, consistingof the male antheridium and the female archego-nium; a multichambered jacket of sterile cells inwhich gametes are formed.

Gamete

Greekgamein to marryEither a male or female reproductive cell possess-ing the haploid number of chromosomes.

Gametocyte

Greekgamet- husband or wife; to marry-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidThe mother cell of a gamete; that is, an immaturegamete.

Gametogenesis

Greekgamet- husband or wife; to marry-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-sis action, process, state, conditionThe process in which production of gametes,eggs or sperm, occurs.

Gametophyte

Greekgamet- husband or wife; to marry-phyte a plantA stage in a plant’s life cycle during which eggsand sperm are produced.

e

88 Ganglia

Ganglia

Greekgangl- nerve bundle-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsMasses of nerve tissue containing nerve cellsexternal to the brain or spinal cord.

Gangue

French (from German)gang lodeWorthless rock or other material in which valu-able minerals are found.

Gas

Greekchaos empty, spaceMatter that has no fixed volume or shape; it con-forms to the volume and shape of its container.

Gastrectomy

Greekgastr- stomach, belly-ekt- outside, external, beyond-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionCutting out or removing the stomach.

Gastric

Greekgastr- stomach-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofPertaining to or having some characteristic of thestomach.

Gastrodermis

Greekgastr- stomach, belly-derma skinLining of the digestive cavity of cnidarians.

Gastroenteritis

Greekgastr- stomach, belly-enteron- small intestine-itis inflammation, burning sensationInflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines.

Gastromalacia

Greekgastr- stomach, belly-malacia softening of tissueSoftening of the walls of the stomach, usuallyoccurring after death.

Gastromegaly

Greekgastr- stomach, belly-megaly largeEnlargement of the abdomen or the stomach.

Gastroplexy

Greekgastr- stomach, belly-plexy fixationFixation of the stomach.

Gastropod

Greekgastr- stomach, belly-podos footAny of a group of mollusks that have a broad disk-like organ of locomotion on the ventral surface ofthe body.

Gastroptosis

Greek/Latingastr- stomach, belly-ptosis downward, displacement, drooping, saggyDownward displacement of the stomach.

Gastrovascular

Greek/Latingastr- stomach, belly-vas- vessel, duct-cul- small, tiny-ar relating to or resemblingDescribes the primary organ of coelenterates thatfunctions both in digestion and in the transporta-tion of nutrients to all parts of an animal’s body.

Gastrula

Greekgastr- stomach, belly-ula diminutiveAn embryo at the stage following the blastula,consisting of a hollow, two-layered sac of ecto-derm and endoderm surrounding an archenteronthat communicates with the exterior through theblastopore.

Gemmules

Latingemma- bud-ule little, smallAsexual, cystlike reproductive unit in freshwatersponges; formed in summer or autumn and capa-ble of overwintering.

Genetic

Greekgen- origin, birth-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofThe branch of biology that deals with heredity,especially the mechanisms of hereditary transmis-sions and the variation of inherited characteristicsamong similar or related organisms; the geneticmakeup of an individual, a group, or a class.

Gestation 89

Genome

Greekgen- origin, birth-ome groupTotal number of genes in an individual.

Genotype

Greekgen- origin, birth-typos markThe complete genetic constitution of an organismor group as determined by the specific combina-tion and location of the genes on the chromosome.

Genus

Latingenus raceA group of related species with taxonomic rankbetween family and species.

Geobios

Greekge- earth, world-bios life, living organisms, or tissueThe total life of the land; that part of the earth’s sur-face occupied by terrestrial organisms; terrestrial life.

Geocentric

Greekge- earth, world-kentron- a point or place that is equally distant from the sides or outer boundaries of something; the middle-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRefers to early accepted position by scientists/philosophers that the earth was the center of thesolar system and that all objects in the skyrevolved around the earth.

Geodesic

Greekge- earth, world-daiesthai to divideDescribes the path an object will follow throughspace and time in the absence of external forces.

Geography

Greekge- earth, world-graphia (graphein) to write, record, draw, describeThe study of the earth and its features and of thedistribution of life on the earth, including humanlife and the effects of human activity.

Geology

Greekge- earth, world-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledge

Of or relating to the study of the earth, including soils,mineralogy, and the dynamics of the earth’s crust.

Geonyctitropism

Greekge- earth, world-nycto- night; a relationship to darkness, dark-trope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to stimulus-ium quality or relationshipOrientation movements in plants during darknessin response to gravity.

Geophysiology

Greekge- earth, world-phusio- form, origin, nature-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of the interaction among all organismsliving on the earth.

Geosynchronous

Greekge- earth, world-synchron- at the same time-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toRefers to a geocentric orbit that has the same orbitalperiod as the sidereal rotation period of the earth.

Geothermal

Greekge- earth, world-therm- heat, hot, warm-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf, relating to, or using the heat of the earth’s inte-rior; also, to be produced or permeated by such heat.

Germination

Latingerminare- to sprout-ion state, process, or quality ofTo begin or cause to sprout or grow.

Germovitellarium

Latingermen- a bud, offshoot-vitellus- yolk-ium quality or relationshipClosely associated ovary and yolk-producingstructures in rotifers.

Gestation

Latingestare- to bear-ion state, process, or quality ofTime during which a placental mammal developsin a uterus.

90 Getter

Getter

Middle Englishgeta- to obtain-er one that performs an actionA chemically active substance such as magne-sium that is ignited in vacuum tubes to removetraces of gas, or any substance that is added toanother to remove traces of impurities.

Geyser

Icelandicgeysa to gushA natural hot spring that intermittently ejects acolumn of water and steam into the air.

Gibbous

Latingibbus bulging, hunch-backed, humpedPertaining to swelling by a regular curve or sur-face; protuberant; convex, as “the moon is gib-bous between the half moon and the full moon.”

Gizzard

Latingigeria giblet, cooked entrails of poultryThe thickened part of the alimentary canal insome animals (such as an insect or earthworm)that is similar to the crop of a bird.

Glabrate

Latinglab- smooth or hairless-ate of or having to do withBecoming smooth or glabrous from age.

Glacial

Latinglacialis iceHaving an icelike form in its pure state at or justbelow room temperature.

Gland

Latinglans acornA term applied to a group of organs that secretechemicals used in other parts of the body.

Glaucoma

Greekglaukos- gray-oma swellingA disease of the eye caused by increased pres-sure, which can damage the optic nerve and resultin blindness.

Glitch

Yiddish/Germanglitschn lapse, slipA sudden change in the period of rotation of aneutron star.

Globular

Latinglobus- globular mass-ar relating to or resemblingIn biology, globe-shaped, having the form of aball or sphere (e.g., globular proteins)

Globular cluster

Latin/Old Englishglobus- globular mass-ar relating to or resemblingclyster bunchesIn astronomy, a system of stars, generally smallerin size than a galaxy, that is more or less globularin conformation.

Glochidium

Greekglokhis- point, barb of an arrow-idion quality of relationshipBivalved larval stage of freshwater mussels.

Glomerulus

Latinglomer- ball-ulus of, relating to, or resemblingCapillary network within glomerular capsule.

Glossus

Greekglw^ssa the tongueThe muscular organ found in the mouths of verte-brates. It is involved with the manipulation offood during chewing, tasting, and swallowing,and with speech.

Glottis

Greekglotta/glossa tongueThe opening between the vocal cords in the larynx.

Glucagon

Greekglukus- sweet, sweetness-agein lead, driveA peptide hormone secreted by pancreatic endo-crine cells that raises blood glucose levels; anantagonistic hormone to insulin.

Glucolytic

Greekglukus- sweet, sweetness-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve, dissolution, break-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofPertaining to the metabolic breaking down of glu-cose for the production of ATP occurring in thecytoplasm of cells.

Gravitropism 91

Gluon

Latingluton- glue-on subatomic particleA hypothetical, massless, neutral elementary par-ticle believed to mediate the strong interactionthat binds quarks together.

Glycogen

Greekglukus- sweet, sweetness-gen to give birth, kind, produceA polysaccharide that is the main form of carbo-hydrate storage in animals and occurs primarilyin the liver and muscle tissue. It is readily con-verted to glucose as needed by the body to satisfyits energy needs. Also called animal starch.

Glycolysis

Greekglykys- sweet-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve, dissolution, break-sis action, process, state, conditionInitial reactions of both aerobic and anaerobicpathways by which glucose is partially brokendown to pyruvate, with a net yield of two ATP.Glycolysis proceeds in the cytoplasm of all cells,and oxygen has no role in it.

Gnathostomes

Greekgnathos- jaw-stoma mouthThe group of vertebrates with distinct jaws.

Gonad

Greekgonos procreation, genitalsA reproductive organ that produces sperm or eggs.

Gonadotropin

gonos- procreation, genitals-trope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to stimulus-in protein or derived from a proteinAny one of three hormones released by either thepituitary gland or the placenta. These hormones stim-ulate the gonads and control reproductive activity.

Gonangium

Latingonos- seed, procreation-angeion diminutive of vesselReproductive zooid of hydroid colony (Cnidaria).

Gonophore

Latingonos- seed, procreation-pherein to carry

A small reproductive organ found in somesponges.

Gonopore

Greekgonos- seed, procreation-poros an openingA genital pore found in many invertebrates.

Gradation

Latingradus- walk, step, take steps, move around-ion state, process, or quality of The leveling of a planet’s surface through weath-ering, erosion, transpiration, and deposition ofrock debris by water, wind, and gravity.

Gradient

French (from Latin)grade- a position in a scale of size, quality, or intensity-ient performing, promoting, or causing a spe-cific actionThe rate at which a physical quantity changeswith respect to a given variable.

Gradualism

Latingradus- walk, step, take steps, move around-ism state or condition, qualityThe evolution of new species by the slow, steadyaccumulation of small genetic changes occurringover long periods of time.

Granuloma

Latingranum- grain, seed-oma communityA mass of inflamed granulation tissue, usuallyassociated with ulcerated infections.

Granum

Latingranum grain, seedA stacked, membranous structure within a chloro-plast that contains the chlorophyll and is the site ofthe light reactions involved in photosynthesis.

Gravitropism

Latingravis- heavy, weighty-trope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to stimulus-ism state or condition, qualityA turning or growth movement by a plant inresponse to gravity.

92 Gravity

Gravity

Latingravis- heavy, weighty-ity state of, quality ofAn acceleration value related to the force attract-ing two bodies.

Guanine

Spanishhuanu- the dung of sea birds or bats-ine of or relating toA purine base, C5H5ON5, that is an essential con-stituent of both RNA and DNA.

Gully

Frenchgoulet the throatErosional features; deep channels found in sedi-mentary layers, acted on by weathering.

Gustation

Latingustare- to taste-ion state, process, or quality of The sense of taste; the ability or the act of tasting.

Guttation

Latingutta- to drop-ion state, process, or quality of The exudation of water from leaves resultingfrom root pressure.

Gymnosperm

Greekgumnos- naked-sperma seedA plant whose seeds are not enclosed within anovary.

Gynecophoric

Greekgyne- woman, female-pherein to carryPertains to the groove in male schistosomes (cer-tain trematodes) that carries the female.

Gynenosia

Greekgyne- woman, female-nosia diseaseA disease occurring most often in females.

Gynoecium

Greekgyne- woman, female-oikos- house-ium quality or relationshipPart of a flower that houses the female gameto-phytes, the pistils.

Gyroscope

Greekgyros- ring, compass-skopion for viewing with the eyeRotating mechanism in the form of a universallymounted spinning wheel that offers resistance toturns in any direction.

Habitat

Latinhabitare to dwellArea or environment where an organism or eco-logical community normally lives.

Hadean

Greekhaides mythological subterranean world of the departed spiritsRelates to the beginning of the earth’s formation,when the surface was molten and forming, 4.5–3.8 billion years ago (bya).

Hadron

English (from Greek)hadros- thick-on a particleAny of a class of subatomic particles that arecomposed of quarks and take part in the stronginteraction.

Halic

Greekhal- salt-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofPertaining to saline or saltlike conditions.

Halimetry

Greekhal- salt-metria (metron) the process of measuringThe measurement of the amount of saline matterin solution.

Halite

Greekhal- salt-ite minerals and fossilsA colorless, crystalline rock salt found in saltmarshes, dried desert floors, and mines.

Halobiotic

Greekhal- salt-bios- life, living organisms, or tissue-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRefers to life in the sea, to organisms capable ofliving in a marine environment.

Halogen

Greekhalos- disk of sun-gen to give birth, kind, produceReactive, nonmetallic element in group 7A of theperiodic table.

Halolimnetic

Greekhal- salt-limn- lake-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofPertaining to salt lakes; marine organism designedto live in freshwater.

Halopexia

Greekhal- salt-pexia attaching to or fixationThe physiological retention of salt by the body.

94 Halophile

Halophile

Greekhal- salt-phile one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference forA microorganism requiring a high concentrationof salt for optimal growth.

Halophobe

Greekhal- salt-phobos fearAny creature that is intolerant of saline life.

Harmonics

Greekharmonikos- harmony-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofTones whose frequencies are whole-number mul-tiples of the fundamental; also referred to as fun-damental frequencies.

Haustoria

Latinhaurire- to drink-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsThe hyphae that invade the cells of a host toabsorb nutrients.

Heat

Old Englishhete hotA form of energy associated with the motion ofatoms or molecules.

Helictite

Greekhelix- spiral-ite a part of or product ofThin crystal strains that resemble flowers and arefound in clusters on cave ceilings.

Heliocentric

Greekhelio- sun-kentron- a point or place that is equally distant from the sides or outer boundaries of something; the middle-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofDescribes the nature of the solar system, with thesun located in the center and the planets orbitingaround it.

Hematemesis

New Latinhaimat- blood-emesis vomitThe presence of blood or blood cells in vomit.

Isaac Newton

Beginning in 1665 and continuing into1666, the Great Plague of London dev-astated the English population. Thiscatastrophic disease, most likelybubonic plague, killed over 75,000 inthat country. Because of these condi-tions, a relatively young undergraduatestudent at Cambridge University inLondon was sent home. At Woolthorpe,the town where he was born, Isaac New-ton would live as a recluse during thatyear, far from the death and dying inLondon.

With the exception of Einstein’smiracle year of 1905, few other singleyears in history have had such a dra-matic impact on science, discovery, andthe progression of thought. In the 18months during his time off from school,Isaac Newton laid some of the ground-work for the study of optics and thenature of light, he invented calculus,and he put forth some of the essentialelements for his theory of universalgravitation.

Isaac Newton was another major fig-ure of the scientific revolution. Likemost other great thinkers of his day, hewas, for a time, fascinated by mysti-cism, astrology, and mathematics. Hesought harmony in the universe throughmathematics.

Among Newton’s theories was theidea that gravity is universal. He postu-lated that if the earth’s gravitationalattraction held the moon in its orbit,then this same force was responsible forkeeping other planets in their orbits aswell. The orbital paths of planets wereaffected, in part, by the gravitationalattraction of the sun. Newton, unlikeKepler, was able to mathematicallyprove Kepler’s laws of planetarymotion.

Isaac Newton is known for his threelaws of motion.

• Newton’s first law, the law ofinertia, states that an object at resttends to stay at rest and that anobject in motion tends to stay inmotion unless acted upon by a netexternal force.

Hemophilia 95

Hematocrit

Greekhaimat- blood-krites judgeThe instrument used to determine the ratio of thevolume occupied by blood cells to the total vol-ume of blood.

Hematolysis (hemolysis)

Greekhaimat- blood-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve; dissolution, break-sis action, process, state, conditionThe lysing or breakdown of erythrocytes (red bloodcells) with the subsequent release of hemoglobin.

Hematuria

New Latinhaimat- blood-uria urineThe presence of blood or blood cells in urine

Hemimetabolous

Greekhemi- half-metabole- change-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toRefers to gradual metamorphosis during thedevelopment of insects, without a pupal stage.

Hemiptera

Greek

hemi- half-pteron wingInsect order for true bugs; wingless or four-winged bugs that include such insects as bedbugsand chinch bugs.

Hemisphere

Greekhemi- half-sphaira a globe shape, ball, sphereA half of a sphere.

Hemocoel

Greekhaima- blood-koilos cavityA cavity or series of spaces between the organs ofmost arthropods and mollusks through whichblood circulates.

Hemodialysis

Greekhaimo- relating to blood or blood vessels-dia- through, across, apart-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve; dissolution, break-sis action, process, state, conditionA medical procedure for removing metabolicwaste products from the blood.

Hemoglobin

Latin/Greekhaimo- relating to blood or blood vessels-globulus- globule-in protein or derived from proteinAn iron-containing respiratory pigment occur-ring in vertebrate red blood cells and in bloodplasma of many invertebrates; a compound of aniron porphyrin heme and a protein globin.

Hemolymph

Latin/Greekhaimo- relating to blood or blood vessels-numphe clear fluid; water nymph, young brideFluid in the coelom or hemocoel of some invertebratesthat represents the blood and lymph of vertebrates.

Hemolysis (hematolysis)

Greekhaimo- relating to blood or blood vessels-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve; dissolution, break-sis action, process, state, conditionThe destruction of red blood cells, leading to therelease of hemoglobin from the cells into theblood plasma.

Hemophilia

Greekhaimo- relating to blood or blood vessels-phile- one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference for

• Newton’s second law states thatforce = mass × acceleration. Thatis, the acceleration produced by anet force on an object is directlyproportional to the magnitude ofthe net force and is inversely pro-portional to the mass.

• Newton’s third law states that forevery action there is an equal andopposite reaction.

On July 5, 1687, Isaac Newton pub-lished his seminal three-volume work,Philosophiae Naturalis PrincipiaMathematica, which is Latin for Mathe-matical Principles of Natural Philoso-phy. His text is sometimes referred to asPrincipia or Principia Mathematica. Itcontains his groundbreaking principlesfor the mechanics of the universe, histhree laws of motion, and his law of uni-versal gravitation.

Sir Isaac Newton died on March 20,1727, in London.

96 Hemorrhage

-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsA group of hereditary bleeding disorders charac-terized by a deficiency of one of the factors neces-sary for coagulation of the blood.

Hemorrhage

Greekhaimo- relating to blood or blood vessels-rhegnynai to break, burstExcessive discharge of blood from the blood ves-sels; profuse bleeding from a ruptured blood vessel.

Hemorrhoid

Greekhaimo- relating to blood or blood vessels-rhein- to flow-oid (oeides) resembling, having the appearance ofA mass of dilated blood vessels located in theanus; the dilated vessels cause pain and itching.

Hepatitis

Latinhepat- liver-itis inflammation, burning sensationA disease or condition marked by inflammationof the liver.

Hepatomalacia

Greekhepat- liver-malacia softening of tissueA disease or condition of the liver marked by dis-tinct softening of the fleshy tissue of the liver.

Hepatonecrosis

Greekhepta- liver-necr- death-sis action, process, state, conditionDeath of liver cells, usually caused by either apathogenic organism or a toxic substance.

Hepatorrhexis

Greekhepta- liver-orrhexis, -rrhexis rupture of an organ or vessel; a breaking forth, burstingThe rupturing of the liver occurring as a result ofinjury or disease.

Heptad

Greekheptados group of sevenAn element, atom, or radical that has a valence of 7.

Herbicide

Latin

herba- grass, green crops-cide (caedere) to cut, kill, hack at, or strikeAny chemical agent that is toxic to some or allplants and is used to destroy unwanted vegetation.

Herbivore

Latinherba- grass, green crops-vorare to devourAny organism subsisting on plants.

Heredity

Latinhered- heir-ity state of, quality ofThe transmission of qualities from ancestor todescendant through the genes.

Hermaphrodite

Greekhermes- Hermes, Greek god of boundaries-aphrodite Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and beautyAn animal or plant species that normally exhibitsboth male and female sex organs.

Hernia

Latinherni- protruded viscus; rupture-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsThe protrusion of a bodily organ through a nor-mally intact supporting wall-like structure.

Heterocercal

Greekheteros- different-kerkos- tail-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofIn some fish, having or referring to a tail with theupper lobe larger than the lower, and the end ofthe vertebral column somewhat upturned in theupper lobe, as in sharks.

Heterochrony

Greekheteros- different-khronos- time-y place for an activity; condition, stateEvolutionary change in the relative time ofappearance or rate of development of characteris-tics from ancestor to descendant.

Heterocyst

Greekheteros- different-cyst (kustis) sac or bladder containing fluid

Holeuryhaline 97

A large, thick-walled, transparent cell that occursat intervals along the filaments of certain cyano-bacteria.

Heterodont

Greekheteros- different-odous toothHaving teeth differentiated into incisors, canines,and molars for different purposes.

Heterotroph

Greekheteros- different-trophos (trophein) to nourish, food; nutrition; developmentAn organism that obtains both organic and inor-ganic raw material from its environment in orderto survive.

Heterozygote

Greekheteros- different-zygoun to yokeAn organism that has different alleles at a partic-ular gene locus on homologous chromosomes.

Hexabasic

Latinhexa- six-bas- low-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRelates to having six hydrogen atoms that can bereplaced by basic atoms or radicals.

Hexactinellida

Greekhexa- six-aktin- ray-ella littleA siliceous sponge characterized by glassy spicules.

Hexagonal

Greekhexa- six-agon- a violent, intense struggle-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofHaving three equal axes intersecting at angles of60 degrees in one plane, and one axis of variablelength that is perpendicular to the others.

Hexahedron

Greekhexa- six-hedron faceA Platonic six-sided solid; a cube.

Hexamerous

Greek

hexa- six-meros partHaving six parts; specifically, symmetry based onsix or multiples thereof.

Hibernation

Latinhibern- winter-ation state, process, or quality of The process of spending the winter in a resting state.

Hilum

Latinhilum trifleA notch on the medial surface of the kidneywhere blood vessels enter and leave the kidney.

Hippocampus

Latinhippos- riverine-kampos sea monsterComposed of gray matter, this ridge on the floorof the lateral ventricles of the brain is responsiblefor memory.

Hippopotamus

Greekhippos- riverine-potamios horseChiefly aquatic mammal with an extremely largehead and mouth, bare and very thick grayish skin,and short legs.

Histochemistry

Greekhistos- web, tissue-chemo- (khemeia) chemical; alchemy-metria (metron) the process of measuringThe science dealing with the chemical composi-tion of the tissues of the body.

Histology

Greekhistos- web, tissue-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of the microscopic structures of tissues.

Histone

Greekhistos- web, tissue-one chemical compound containing oxygen in a carbonyl groupAny of a group of strongly basic low-molecular-weight proteins that combine with nucleic acid toform nucleoproteins.

Holeuryhaline

Greekholos- complete, whole, entire, all, full

98 Holistic

-eury- wide-hal- salt-ine in a chemical substanceRefers to organisms that freely inhabit freshwa-ter, sea water, and brackish water.

Holistic

Greekholos- complete, whole, entire, all, full-ist- one who performs an action-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofDescribes an approach to medical care thatemphasizes the study of all aspects of a person’shealth, including physical, psychological, social,economic, and cultural factors.

Holocene

Greekholos- complete, whole, entire, all, full-kainos recentAn epoch of the Quaternary period, spanning thetime from the end of the Pleistocene to the present.

Holoenzyme

Latinholos- complete, whole, entire, all, full-en- in, at, onto-zume ferment, leavenA fully active, complex enzyme, composed of aprotein and a coenzyme.

Holometabolous

Greekholos- complete, whole, entire, all, full-meta- between, after, beyond, later-bol- (ballein) to put or throw-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toPertains to complete metamorphosis duringdevelopment.

Holophytic

Greekholos- complete, whole, entire, all, full-phyt- plant-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRelates to the process that occurs in green plantsand certain protozoa involving synthesis of carbo-hydrates from carbon dioxide and water in the pres-ence of light, chlorophyll, and certain enzymes.

Holozoic

Greekholos- complete, whole, entire, all, full-zoikos- of animals-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofDescribes a type of nutrition involving ingestionof liquid or solid organic food particles.

Homeopathy

Greekhomeo- same, like, resembling, sharing, similar, equal-pathos- feeling, sensation, perception-y place for an activity, condition, stateA method of disease treatment that involves theadministration of small doses of chemicals that, ifgiven in large amounts, would produce symptomsin healthy people that are similar to those found inpeople with the disease.

Homeostasis

Greekhomeo- same, like, resembling, sharing, similar, equal-statos- standing, stay, make firm, fixed, balanced-sis action, process, state, conditionTendency of an organism to maintain internalequilibrium of temperature and fluid content, forexample, by regulation of its bodily processes.

Homeothermic

Greekhomeo- same, like, resembling, sharing, similar, equal-thermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofHaving a nearly uniform body temperature.

Hominid

Latinhomo/homonis- man-id state, condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, inclined toA member of the family Hominidae; humanbeings are the only surviving species.

Homocercal

Greek(h)omos- (combining form) one and the same, common-kerkos tailHaving or referring to a tail with the upper andlower lobes symmetrical and the vertebral col-umn ending near the middle of the base, as inmost teleost fish.

Homogeneous

Greek(h)omos- (combining form) one and the same, common-genus offspring, kindOf the same or similar nature or kind.

Hydra 99

Homologous

Greek(h)omos- (combining form) one and the same, common-logos word, proportionHaving the same or similar proportions or character-istics. In genetics, having the same gene sequenceon two different chromosomes.

Homoplasy

Greek(h)omos- (combining form) one and the same, common-plasy growth or development ofIndependent evolution of similar or identicalcharacteristics through convergence or parallelevolution.

Homozygote

Greek(h)omos- (combining form) one and the same, common-zugoun to yokeOrganism having the two genes at correspondingloci on homologous chromosomes identical forone or more loci.

Horizontal

Greekhoros- (horizein) to limit; boundary-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofRefers to the axis parallel to the horizon (side byside); of or near the horizon; relating to the horizon.

Hormone

Greekhorman that which sets in motion; to urge onSubstances produced by a gland or tissue, thentransported by the blood to effect physiologicalactivity and regulate development.

Horology

Greekhoro- hour, period of time, season, time-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe science of measuring time.

Horoscope

Greekhoro- hour, period of time, season, time-skopos observerAn astrological prediction based on observationsof the positions of celestial objects.

Horse

Old Englishhors horse

Common name given to species of the genus Equus.These mammals are characterized by having longlegs, short-haired coats, long tails, and hooved feet.

Humerus

Latinhumer- shoulder, upper arm-us thingThe long bone of the arm or forelimb, extendingfrom the shoulder to the elbow.

Humidity

Latinhumidus- moist, wet-ity state of, quality ofThe amount of water vapor or moisture in the air.

Humoral

Middle Englishhumor- fluid-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf or pertaining to the fluid of a body.

Humus

Latinhumus soilPartially decomposed organic matter consisting ofboth plant and animal remains, rich in nutrients andcapable of holding significant amounts of water.

Hyaline

Greekhualos- glass-in protein or derived from a proteinA clear, homogeneous, glassy substance nor-mally found in cartilage, vitreous humor, mucin,and glycogen, and pathologically found in thedegeneration of tissues and cells.

Hybrid

Latinhybrida mongrelAn offspring of two animals or plants of differentraces, breeds, varieties, species, or genera.

Hybridization

Latinhybrida- mongrel-ation action, process, state, or conditionThe act of cross-breeding various species or sub-species of organisms.

Hydra

Greekhydra of or having to do with waterIn astronomy, the largest constellation, windingacross more than a quarter of the sky.

100 Hydranth

Hydranth

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-anthos flowerNutritive zooid of hydroid colony.

Hydrate

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-ate of or having to do withA compound that contains a specific ratio of waterto ionic compound.

Hydration

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-ion state, process, or quality ofIn chemistry, the combination of water and anothersubstance to obtain a single product. In earth sci-ence, a form of chemical weathering caused by theexpansion of certain minerals as they absorb water.

Hydraulic

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-aulos characterized by having a hollow way; tube, pipeOf or relating to water or other liquid in motion.

Hydrocarbon

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-carbon coal, charcoalOrganic compounds containing hydrogen andcarbon only.

Hydrocephalus

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-cephalo- (kephalikos) head-us thingA usually congenital condition in which anabnormal accumulation of fluid in the cerebralventricles causes enlargement of the skull andcompression of the brain.

Hydrocoel

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-koilos hollowSecond or middle coelomic compartment in echi-noderms; the left hydrocoel gives rise to thewater-vascular system.

Hydrocoral

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-korallion coralAny of certain members of the cnidarian class

Hydrozoa that secrete calcium carbonate andresemble true corals.

Hydroformylation

Greek/Middle Englishhydr- of or having to do with water-formyl- the negative univalent radical HCO-ion state, process, or quality of The process by which an –H and a –CHO areadded across a carbon-carbon double bond. Analdehyde synthesis process.

Hydrogenation

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-ation state, process, or quality of The process of combining a substance with hydrogen.

Hydrogeology

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-ge- earth-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe branch of geology that deals with the occur-rence, distribution, and effects of groundwater.

Hydrology

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of the properties, distribution, andeffects of water on the surface of the earth, theatmosphere, and the earth’s substrate.

Hydrolysis

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve; dissolution, break-sis action, process, state, conditionDecomposition of a chemical compound by reactionwith water, such as the dissociation of a dissolvedsalt or the catalytic conversion of starch to glucose.

Hydrometer

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-meter (metron) instrument or means of measuring; to measureAn instrument used to determine specific gravity.

Hydropenia

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-penia reduction, poverty, lack, deficiencyA condition or disorder that results in a reductionof water.

Hypertension 101

Hydrophobic

Greek/Latinhydr- of or having to do with water-phob- fear, lacking an affinity for-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofDescribes something that is repelled by water ortends not to combine with or dissolve in water.

Hydrophyte

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-phyte plantA plant adapted to grow in water; a water lily.

Hydroplane

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-plane surfaceTo skim along the surface of water.

Hydroponic

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-pono- work-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofPertains to growing plants without soil in nutrient-enriched water.

Hydropower

Greek/Latinhydr- of or having to do with water-potis able, powerfulElectrical energy produced by falling or flowingwater.

Hydrosphere

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-sphaira a globe shape, ball, sphereThe water on the earth’s surface.

Hydrostatic

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-statos- standing, stay, make firm, fixed, balanced-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRelating to fluids at rest or to the pressures theyexert or transmit.

Hydrothermal

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-thermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)Relating to hot water; magmatic releases are richin water.

Hydrozoan

Greekhydr- of or having to do with water-zoon animal, animal-like

Any of a group of freshwater coelenteratesincluding hydras, hydroids, hydrocorals, andsiphonophores.

Hygrometer

Greekhygr- wet or moist-meter (metron) instrument or means of measuring; to measureAn instrument that measures humidity.

Hygroscopic

Greekhygr- wet, moist-scopion- to look at, examine-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRefers to a substance that easily absorbs waterfrom the air to become a hydrate.

Hymen

Greekhumen thin skin, membraneA membranous tissue fold that either partially orcompletely covers the vaginal orafice.

Hymenoptera

Greekhumen- thin skin, membrane-pteron wingOrder of insects characterized by thin, membra-nous wings. Most have two pairs of wings, withthe first being considerably larger than the sec-ond. Includes wasps, bees, and ants.

Hyoid

Greekhu- upsilon, Greek letter U-oid (oeides) resembling, having the appearance ofRelating to the hyoid bone.

Hyperglycemia

Greekhyper- above, high-glyco- sugar-emia the condition of having (a specific thing) in the bloodAbnormally high blood sugar.

Hyperpnea

Greekhyper- over, beyond-pnein breathing or breathAbnormally deep or rapid breathing.

Hypertension

Greekhyper- over, beyond-tens- stretching; physiological imbalance-ion state, process, or quality of Abnormally high blood pressure.

102 Hyperthermic

Hyperthermic

Greekhyper- over, beyond-thermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofHaving the characteristics of or relating to a con-dition of unusually high body temperature.

Hypertonic

Greekhyper- over, beyond-ton- tension-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofHaving the higher osmotic pressure of two solutions.

Hyperventilation

Greekhyper- over, beyond-ventilare- to fan-ion state, process, or quality of A pulmonary ventilation rate that is higher than whatis necessary for normal pulmonary gas exchange.

Hyphae

Greekhuphe webThreadlike filaments found in the mycelium of afungus.

Hypocalcemia

Greek/Latinhypo- under, below, beneath, less than, too little, deficient-calc- calcium-emia the condition of having a (specific thing) in the bloodA deficiency of calcium in the blood.

Hypochondria

Greekhypo- under, below, beneath, less than, too little, deficient-khondr- grain, any small rounded mass; carti-lage, gristle, granule, or a relationship to cartilage-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsA disorder characterized by a misinterpretation ofphysical signs that leads to the belief that one has aserious disease even though repeated evaluationsshow no indications of any physical disorder.

Hypodermis

Greek/Latinhypo- under, below, beneath, less than, too little, deficient-derma skinThe cellular layer lying beneath and secreting thecuticle of annelids, arthropods, and certain otherinvertebrates.

Hypoglossal

Greekhypo- under, below, beneath, less than, too little, deficient-gloss- tongue-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf or relating to the area under the tongue.

Hypognathous

Greekhypo- under, below, beneath, less than, too little, deficient-gnathos jawPertains to having the head directed vertically andthe mouthparts directed ventrally.

Hypokalemia

Greekhypo- under, below, beneath, less than, too little, deficient-kali- potassium-emia the condition of having (a specific thing) in the bloodA deficiency of potassium in the blood.

Hypostome

Greekhypo- under, below, beneath, less than, too little, deficient-stoma mouthName applied to the structure in various inverte-brates, such as mites and ticks, that is located atthe posterior or ventral area of the mouth; eleva-tion supporting the mouth of a hydrozoan.

Hypotenuse

Greekhypo- under, below, beneath, less than, too little, deficient-teinein to stretchThe line segment stretched under the right angle;the line opposite the right angle in a right triangle.

Hypothalamus

Greekhypo- under, below, beneath, less than, too little, deficient-thalamos inner chamber, bedroomThe region of the brain situated below the thala-mus and above the pituitary gland, which acts as acontrol center for the autonomic nervous systemand for hormonal activity.

Hypothermia

Greekhypo- under, below, beneath, less than, too little, deficient-thermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)

Hystolytic 103

-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsA condition in homeothermal organisms markedby a drop to a temperature below normal.

Hypothesis

Greekhypo- under, below, beneath, less than, too little, deficient-tithenai- to put or place-sis action, process, state, conditionAn assertion made as a possible explanation for aproblem.

Hypothetical

Greekhypo- under, below, beneath, less than, too little, deficient-tithenai- to put or place-alis of, related toRefers to a situation or setting based on or relat-ing to a hypothesis.

Hypotonic

Latin/Greekhypo- under, below, beneath, less than, too little, deficient-ton- tension-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofIn chemistry, refers to a situation where one solu-tion’s osmotic pressure is lower than that ofanother solution.

Hypoxia

Greekhypo- under, below, beneath, less than, too little, deficient-ox- acid, acidic-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsA disorder that causes a reduction in the oxygensupply to tissues.

Hysterectomy

Greekhustera- uterus, womb-ekt- outside, external, beyond-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionPartial or complete surgical removal of the uterus.

Hysteroptosis

Greekhyster- the womb or uterus; hysteria-pto- fall, a falling down of an organ; drooping, sagging; corpse-sis action, process, state, conditionThe sagging or prolapsing of the female uterus.

Hystolytic

Greekhistos- web, tissue-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve; dissolution, break-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofPertaining to the degeneration of tissues.

Ichthyologist

Greekichthus- fish-ologist one who deals with a specific topicA scientist who studies the biology of fish.

Ichthyology

Greekichthus- fish-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeBranch of zoology that deals with the study of fish.

Icosahedron

Greekicosa- twenty-hedron faceA Platonic solid with twenty faces.

Ideal

Latinidea- a plan, scheme, notion, or method-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofConforming to an ultimate form or standard ofperfection or excellence.

Igneous

Latinignis- fire-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toRefers to molten rock that cools and solidifies.

Ileum

Latinileum groin, flank

The terminal end of the small intestine; it extendsfrom the jejunum to the ileocecal sphincter.

Iliocostal

Latinilia- groin, flank-costo- rib-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofRelating to the ilium and ribs.

Image

Latinimago imageIn optics, the likeness of an object produced bythe use of a lens or group of lenses.

Imbibition

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-bib- drink-ion state, process, or quality of Adsorption of water to internal surfaces of anorganism, leading to swelling.

Immigrate

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-migrare- to go into, to depart-ion state, process, or quality of To enter and settle in a country or region to whichone is not native.

Immiscible

Latin

Inertia 105

in- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-miscere- to mix-ible capableRefers to that which cannot undergo mixing orblending.

Immunotherapy

Latin/Greekimmunis- not affected by a given influence; unre-sponsive-therapeuein to treat medicallyTreatment of disease by inducing, enhancing, orsuppressing an immune response.

Impedance

Latinimpedire to hinder motion on footA measure of the total opposition to current flowin an alternating current circuit, made up of twocomponents: ohmic resistance and reactance.

Impenetrability

Latinim- not-penitus- deeply, permeate-ity state of, quality ofA property of matter where no two objects canoccupy the same space at the same time.

Impulse

Latinimpellere to impelThe product obtained by multiplying the averagevalue of a force by the time during which it acts.The impulse equals the change in momentumproduced by the force during this time interval.

Inactive

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-agere to drive or doNot active; in biology, refers to a condition duringwhich metabolism is marked by a reduction ofactivity, possibly because of an infection.

Incandesce

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-candescere become white hotTo glow or cause to glow with heat.

Incisor

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-caedere- to cut-or a condition or property of things or persons; person who does somethingA tooth for cutting or gnawing, located at thefront of the mouth in both jaws.

Incline

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-klinein to lean, slopingA slant; deviation from the horizontal or vertical.

Incubation

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on , upon-cubare- to lie down on-ion state, process, or quality of Maintenance of optimal conditions for growthand development.

Indigenous

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-genus- birth, origin, kind-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toPertaining to a group of organisms native andoriginal to a region.

Induction

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-ducere- to lead-tion action, process or quality ofThe production of magnetism or electromotiveforce, or the separation of charge from a body bya neighboring body not in contact with it.

Inductor

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-ducere- to lead-or a condition or property of things or personsA coil of wire that generates a magnetic fieldwhen a current is passed through it.

Inelastic

Greekin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-elaunein- to beat out-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRefers to a type of collision in which two objectsremain attached after the collision.

Inert

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-aras skillUnable to move or act; not readily reactive withother elements.

Inertia

Latininers- idleness-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing plurals

106 Infectious

The tendency of a body to resist acceleration; thetendency of a body at rest to remain at rest, or of abody in straight-line motion to stay in motion in astraight line unless acted on by an outside force.

Infectious

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-facere- to make, do, build, cause, produce; form-ing, shaping-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toPertaining to a contagious disease capable ofspreading rapidly to others.

Inference

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-ferre- to bear-ence the condition ofThe act of passing from one proposition, statement,or judgment considered true to another, whose truthis believed to follow from that of the former.

Inferno

Latininfernus hell, lower, undergroundIn astrophysics, a unit for describing the tempera-ture inside a star. One inferno is approximatelyone billion degrees celsius.

Inflammation

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-flamma- flame-ation action, process, or quality of A localized defensive reaction of body tissue to irri-tation, damage, or infection; characterized by pain,redness, swelling, and sometimes loss of function.

Inflation

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-flare- to blow-ion state, process, or quality of In astronomy, an extremely brief phase of ultra-rapid expansion of the very early universe.

Influenza

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-fluere- to flow, wave-za quality or stateA human respiratory infection of undeterminedcause.

Infraciliature

Latininfra- inferior to, below, or beneath-cilia- eyelashes

-ure act, process, conditionThe organelles just below the cilia in ciliateprotozoa.

Infracostal

Latininfra- inferior to, below, or beneath-costo- rib-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofPertaining to or referring to a region below theribs.

Infrasonic

Latininfra- inferior to, below, or beneath-sonus- sound-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofGenerating or using waves or vibrations in fre-quencies below that of audible sound.

Inherit

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-hereditare to inheritTo acquire or express traits or conditions throughtransmission of genetic material from parents tooffspring.

Initiator

Latininitium- beginning-or a condition or property of things or personsA substance or chemical that begins a reactionbut is consumed or chemically changed in thereaction.

Inorganic

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-organon- instrument-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofComposed of nonliving matter.

Insect

Greekin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-secare- to cut upAny member of the class Insecta. All organismsin this class are segmented into three body parts,have an exoskeleton, and have three pairs oflegs.

Insecticide

Greekin- in, into, toward, against, on , upon-secare- to cut up-cide (caedere) to cut, kill, hack at, or strike

Intermolecular 107

Type of pesticide that controls or eliminates insectsthat adversely affect plants, animals, or people.

Insectivore

Greek/Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-secare- to cut up-vorare to eat, devourAnimal or plant that feeds on insects.

Instinct

Latininstinctus impulseA complex pattern of innate behavior.

Insulator

Latininsula- island-or a conition or property of things or personsA material that insulates or retards the transfer ofenergy, especially a nonconductor of sound, heat,or electricity.

Insulin

Latininsula- island-in protein or derived from proteinA hormone secreted by the islets of Langerhans inthe pancreas. Insulin is essential for the properuptake and metabolism of sugar.

Integument

Latinin- in, into, toward, against, on, upon-tegere to coverA natural outer covering or coat, such as the skinof an animal or the membrane enclosing an organ.

Interaction

Latininter- between, among-agere- to do-ion state, process, or quality ofAny of four fundamental ways in which elemen-tary particles and bodies can influence each other,classified as strong, weak, electromagnetic, andgravitational.

Intercellular

Latininter- between, among-cella- chamber-ar relating to or resemblingLocated between cells.

Intercloud gas

Greek/Middle Englishinter- between, among-clud rock, hillkhaos (Greek) gas, empty space

Low-density regions of the interstellar mediumthat fill the space between interstellar clouds.

Intercostal

Latininter- between, among-costo- rib-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofSituated between the ribs.

Intercrystalline

Latin/Greekinter- between, among-krystallinos- rock crystal-ine of or relating toBetween the crystals of a solid substance.

Interdependent

Latininter- between, among-depend- relying on-ent causing an action, being in a specific state, withinMutually dependent; having a direct relationshipwith one another.

Interferometer

Latininter- between, among-ferir- to strike-meter (metron) instrument or means of measur-ing, to measureAn instrument for measuring very small lengths,distances, and changes in the dimensions, den-sity, and other properties of a substance by meansof the interferences of two rays of light.

Interlunar

Latininter- among, mutually, together, between-luna- the moon-ar relating to or resemblingPertaining to the period between the old and newmoon, during which the moon is not visible fromthe earth.

Intermolecular

Latininter- among, mutually, together, between-moles- mass-ule- small, tiny-ar relating to or resemblingDescribes forces that are exerted by molecules oneach other and that, in general, affect the macro-scopic properties of the material of which themolecules are a part.

108 Internal

Internal

Latininternus- within-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf, relating to, or located within the limits or sur-face; inner.

Internode

Greekinter- among, mutually, together, between-node the point on a plant where a leaf stalk or petiole attaches to the stemDistance along the stem of a plant between twosuccessive nodes.

Internuclear

Latininter- among, mutually, together, between-nucula- kernel, little nut-ar relating to or resemblingLocated between nuclei.

Interphase

Greekinter- among, mutually, together, between-phasis appearanceThe stage of cell division during which the chro-mosomes are uncondensed and are copied.

Interspecific

Greekinter- among, mutually, together, between-specif- appearance/kind-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRefers to a relationship occurring between species.

Interstellar

Latininter- among, mutually, together, between-stella starBetween or among the stars (“interstellar gases”).

Interstitial

Latininter- among, mutually, together, between-sistere to standSituated in the interstices or spaces betweenstructures such as cells, organs, or grains of sand.

Intertidal zone

Latin/Old English/Greekinter- (Latin) among, mutually, together, between-tid- (Old English) division of time-alis (Latin) of, relating to, characterized byzone (Greek) girdle, celestial zoneThe marine zone located in the area of shorelinebetween high and low tides.

Interval

Latininter- among, mutually, together, between-vallum rampartsSpace between objects.

Intestine

Latinintestinus within, internalThe tubular portion of the alimentary canal extend-ing from the stomach to the anus; in humans andother mammals, the intestine consists of two seg-ments, the small intestine and the large intestine.

Intracellular

Latinintra- within, inside-cellula- chamber-ar relating to or resemblingOccurring within a body cell or cells.

Intramolecular

Latinintra- within, inside-moles- mass-ule- small, tiny-ar relating to or resemblingPertains to the characteristics and properties ofany given molecule.

Intraspecific

Latinintra- within, inside-specif- appearance/kind-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofReferring to a relationship occurring within aspecies.

Intrinsic

Latinintrinsicus- inward-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRelating to the central or core nature of a thing.

Intron

Latinintron occurring within a geneA segment of gene situated between exons that isremoved before the translation of messenger RNA.

Introvert

Latinintr- inwardly, within-vertere to turnThe anterior narrow portion that can be withdrawn(introverted) into the trunk of a sipunculid worm.

Intrusive

Latin

Isopod 109

in- into, on, among-trudere thrustReferring to igneous rocks that form at depthsbelow the earth’s surface

Invertebrate

Latinin- without-vertebratus backboneHaving no vertebrae (backbone).

Inverted

Latinin- to cause to be-vertere to turnReversed in terms of the position, order, or condi-tion of.

Ionic

Greekion- (ienai) to go, something that goes-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofContaining an atom or group of items that haveacquired a net electric charge.

Ionization

Greekion- (ienai) to go, something that goes-zation action, process, or quality ofEnergy required to remove most loosely heldelectrons from an atom.

Ionosphere

Greekion- (ienai) to go, something that goes-sphaira a globe shape, ball, sphereThe lower part of the thermosphere, where elec-trically charged particles called ions are found.

Ipsilateral

Latinipse- self, same-latus- side-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofLocated on or affecting the same side of the body.

Iris

Latinirid rainbowIn biology, the colored part of the eye that regulatesthe amount of light allowed into the interior of theeyeball; in botany, the name given to a group oftropical flowering plants; in physics, a diaphragm.

Irrigate

Latinin- to cause to be-rigare to water

To supply dry land with water by means ofditches, pipes, or streams; to water artificially.

Isobar

Greekisos- equal, uniform, same, similar, alike-baros weight, heavy; atmospheric pressureAny of the lines on a map joining places that havethe same air pressure.

Isobaric

Greekisos- equal, uniform, same, similar, alike-baros- weight, heavy; atmospheric pressure-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf a thermodynamic process in which a sub-stance experiences no change in pressure.

Isochoric

Greekisos- equal, uniform, same, similar, alike-choros- of or having to do with volume-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRefers to a thermodynamic process in which asubstance experiences no change in volume.

Isoelectric

Greekisos- equal, uniform, same, similar, alike-elektron- charge, electricity, dealing with posi-tive and negative charges-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofHaving an equal number of electrons outside thenucleus.

Isomer

Greekisos- equal, uniform, same, similar, alike-meros part, shareAny of two or more nuclei with the same massnumber and atomic number that have differentradioactive properties and can exist in any of sev-eral energy states for a measurable period of time.

Isometric

Greekisos- equal, uniform, same, similar, alike-metr- measurement-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofEqual in dimension or measurement; in biology,relating to the contraction of muscles against animmovable resistant force, where the length ofthe muscle fibers remains the same.

Isopod

Greekisos- equal, uniform, same, similar, alike-pod foot

110 Isotactic

Any of numerous crustaceans of the order Iso-poda, characterized by a flattened body bearingseven pairs of legs, and including the sow bugsand gribbles.

Isotactic

Greekisos- equal, uniform, same, similar, alike-taktos orderedDescribes the orientation of the methyl groups ona polypropylene chain in plastics, which in thiscase is all on the same side.

Isotherm

Greekisos- equal, uniform, same, similar, alike-thermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)In meteorology, a line drawn on a weather mapindicating points of equal temperature.

Isotonic

Greek

isos- equal, uniform, same, similar, alike-ton- tension-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf equal tension; having the same concentrationof solute on both sides of a membrane.

Isotope

Greekisos- equal, uniform, same, similar, alike-topos placeOne of two or more atoms having the sameatomic number but different mass numbers.

Isthmus

Greekisthmos narrow neckIn biology, a narrow strip of tissue connecting twoparts or lobes of a gland or organ; in earth science,a narrow strip of land connecting two larger sec-tions of land.

Jaundice

Latingalbinus yellowishYellow discoloration of the eyes, mucous mem-branes, and skin caused by deposits of bile, usu-ally as a result of a disease, such as hepatitis.

Jejunum

Latinieiunus fasting (referring to its always being found empty when dissected)The very large section of small intestine begin-ning at the end of the duodenum and ending at thebeginning of the ileum.

Joule

Old EnglishJoule English physicist (James Prescott Joule) who developed the first law of thermodynamicsA unit of electrical energy equal to 10 millionergs or one newton-meter.

Jurassic

Frenchjurassique/jura- mountains-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf or belonging to the geologic time, rock series,or sedimentary deposits of the second period ofthe Mesozoic era, in which dinosaurs continuedto be the dominant land fauna and the earliestbirds appeared.

Juvenile

Latiniuvenis- young-ile changingNot fully grown or developed; young.

Kalemia

Latinkalium- potassium-haima- blood-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsThe presence of excessive amounts of potassiumin the blood.

Kame

Middle Englishcamb combA short ridge or mound of sand and gravel depos-ited during the melting of glacial ice.

Karyapsis

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-haptien to fasten, joinThe process of the fussion or union of nuclei inconjugating cells.

Karyochrome

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-chrome pigmentA nerve cell whose nucleus is deeply stainablealthough its body is not.

Karyocyte

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidThe term for any cell possessing a nucleus.

Karyogamic

Greek

kary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-gam- husband or wife; to marry-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofDescribes a process pertaining to or characterizedby the union of two nuclei.

Karyogamy

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-gam- husband or wife; to marry-y place for an activity, condition, stateThe fusion of two cell nuclei following plasmog-amy during fertilization.

Karyogenesis

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-sis action, process, state, conditionThe growth and development of the nucleus of acell.

Karyokinesis

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-kinetikos- to move; set in motion-sis action, process, state, conditionA phenomenon involved in the division of thenucleus, usually an early stage in the process ofcell division, or mitosis.

Karyoklasis

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-klastos- break, break in pieces-sis action, process, state, condition

Ketone 113

The breaking down of the cell nucleus or nuclearmembrane.

Karyolymph

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-lympha clear water, water nymphThe liquid part of a cell nucleus, as contrastedwith the chromatin and linin.

Karyolysis

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve, dissolution, break-sis action, process, state, conditionForm of necrobiosis in which the nucleus of a cellswells and gradually loses its chromatin.

Karyomegaly

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-megas- large, great, big, powerful-ly like, likeness, resemblanceAbnormal enlargement of the nucleus of a cell,not caused by polyploidy.

Karyometry

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-metria (metron) the process of measuringThe measurement of a cell nucleus.

Karyomorphism

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-morph- shape, form, figure, or appearance-ism state or condition, qualityThe shape of a cell nucleus.

Karyophage

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-phagos (phagein) to eat, eatingA protozoan that is capable of phagocytic actionon the nucleus of the cell it infects.

Karyoplasm

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-plasm (plassein) to mold or form cells or tissuesThe nucleoplasm or protoplasm of the nucleus ofa cell.

Karyoreticulum

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-reticul- net or networklike-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structure

The fibrillar part of the karyoplasm as distin-guished from the fluid part of karyolymph.

Karyorrhexis

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-rhxis action or process of burstingRupture of the cell nucleus in which the chroma-tin disintegrates into formless granules that areextruded from the cell.

Karyotype

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-typos impression, figureRepresentation of individual chromosomes cutout from a photograph and grouped together.

Karyozoic

Greekkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleus-zoon- animal, animal like-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofExisting in or inhabiting the nuclei of cells, ascertain protozoa.

Katolysis

Greekkato- below-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve; dissolution, break-sis action, process, state, conditionThe incomplete or intermediate conversion ofcomplex chemical bodies into simpler com-pounds; applied especially to digestive processes.

Keel

Old Norsekjolr shipAnything with a shape or purpose similar to thatof a ship’s keel in supporting the whole frame, asin the breastbone of birds.

Keratin

Greekkeras- horn-in protein or derived from proteinA scleroprotein found in epidermal tissues andmodified into hard structures such as horns, hair,and nails.

Ketone

German (from Latin)keton short for aketon or acetone (acetone isderived from Latin acetum [vinegar])Any of a class or organic compounds having acarbonyl group linked to a carbon atom in each oftwo hydrocarbon radicals.

114 Kilogram

Kilogram

Greekkhilioi- thousand-gramma small weightA metric unit for the measurement of mass.

Kiloliter

Greekkhilioi- thousand-litra unit of weight or capacityA metric unit for the measurement of weight orcapacity; usually associated with liquids.

Kilometer

Greekkhilioi- thousand-meter (metron) instrument or means of measur-ing; to measureA metric unit for the measurement of distance.

Kindling

Old Norsekynda- cause or to give birth to-ing the act of or actionSubstances such as wook chips, dried sticks, orcharcoal that are relatively easy to ignite.

Kinematics

Greekkinemat- mechanics of movement-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofThe branch of mechanics that studies the motionof a body, or a system of bodies, with no consid-eration given to the body’s mass or the forces act-ing on it.

Kinetic

Greekkinetikos- to move; set in motion-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofThe kind of energy relating to or produced bymotion.

Kinetochore

Greekkinetos- moving-khoros placeStructure that forms on the centromere duringmitosis for binding microtubules.

Kinetosome

Greekkinetikos- to move; set in motion-soma (somatiko) bodyThe self-duplicating granule at the base of the fla-gellum or cilium; similar to the centriole; alsocalled basal body or blepharoplast.

Kingdom

Old Englishcyning- principal, chief-dom property, jurisdictionIn biology, the highest level in the hierarchy of thetaxonomical classification of living organisms.

Kyphosis

Latinkuphos- humpbacked, bent over-sis action, process, state, conditionExaggerated thoracic curvature.

Label

Middle Englishlap- to wrap, to fold-elle diminutiveTo infuse or treat a substance with a radioactiveisotope or a fluorescent dye so that its course ofactivity can be traced through a series of reac-tions; usually done in a living organism.

Labrum

Latinlabr- lip-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structureA structure forming the roof of the mouth in insects.

Labyrinthodont

Greeklabyrinthos- labyrinth, inner ear, double-headed axe, of Lydian origin-odontos toothA group of Paleozoic amphibians containing thetemnospondyls and the anthracosaurs.

Labyrinthus

Greeklabyrinthos- labyrinth, inner ear, double-headed axe, of Lydian origin-us thingThe portion of the inner ear characterized by thesemicircular canals and involved with hearingand balance.

Laccolith

Greeklakkos- cistern-lith rock, stone

A mass of igneous rock intruded between layersof sedimentary rock, resulting in uplift.

Lactescence

Latinlac- milk or lactic acid-escence giving off light of the kind or type specifiedA milky appearance; milkiness

Lactic

Latinlac- milk or lactic acid-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf or pertaining to milk; procured from sour milkor whey, as in lactic acid; lactic fermentation.

Lactose

Latin/Greeklac- milk or lactic acid-ose sugar, carbohydrateA disaccharide found in the milk of all mammals;a sugar found in milk that breaks down into glu-cose and galactose, and creates lactic acidthrough fermentation.

Lacuna

Latinlacuna lagoonA space or cavity in bone that is occupied by abone cell or a cartilage cell.

Lagomorph

Greeklagos- hare-morph shape, form, figure, or appearanceGnawing, herbivorous mammals, including rab-bits, hares, and pikas.

116 Lake

Lake

Latinlacus lakeA large inland body of freshwater or salt water.

Lamella

Latinlamin- thin plate or layer, neurophysis of a vertebra -ella dimunitiveA thin layer of bony matrix material.

Laminectomy

Latin/Greeklamin- thin plate or layer, neurophysis of a vertebra-ekt- outside, external, beyond-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionSurgical removal of the posterior arch of a vertebra.

Laparonephrectomy

Greeklapar- the soft part of the body between the ribs, hip, and flank; the loin-nephr- kidney-ekt- outside, external, beyond-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionRemoval of the kidney by an incision in the loin.

Laparosalpingo-oophorectomy

Greeklapar- the soft part of the body between the ribs, hip, and flank; the loin-salping- tube, trumpet-oophor- ovary-ekt- outside, external, beyond-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionRemoval of the Fallopian tube and ovary throughan abdominal incision.

Laparotomy

Greeklapar- the soft part of the body between the ribs, hip, and flank; the loin-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionThe act of cutting through the abdominal wallinto the cavity of the abdomen.

Larvae

Latinlarva mask, specterThe intermediary stage of development in insectsand many other animals between the egg andadult stages. Referred to as a larva because theadult stage is hidden or masked.

Laryngitis

Greeklarunx- part of the respiratory system in the neck, cartilage, muscular tube-itis inflammation, burning sensation

Inflammation of the larynx, often with a tempo-rary loss of voice.

Lateral

Latinlateralis sideOf, relating to, or being situated at or on the side.

Latitude

Latinlatus- wide-tudo condition, state, qualityThe angular distance north or south of the earth’sequator, measured in degrees along a meridian, ason a map or globe.

Lattice

Germaniclatte latheA regular, periodic configuration of points, parti-cles, or objects throughout an area or a space,especially the arrangement of ions or moleculesin a crystalline solid.

Lava

Latinlabi to fallMolten rock that reaches the surface of the earththrough a fissure of a volcano.

Leach

Late Middle Englishleche to wet or to infuseTo dissolve out soluble parts from, by runningwater or other liquid through slowly.

Leaf

Old Englishleaf leafTypically green, flattened structure of a plant thatis attached to a stem. It serves as the primary struc-ture for energy production via photosynthesis.

League

Latinleuga a measure of distanceA unit of distance equal to 3.0 statute miles (4.8kilometers).

Lepidoptera

Greeklepidos- scale, flake-ptera feather, wingThe order of insects that includes butterflies andmoths.

Lepidosaurs

Latinlepidos- scale, flake-sauros lizard

Lever 117

A lineage of diapsid reptiles that appeared in thePermian period and includes the modern snakes,lizards, amphisbaenids, and tuataras, as well asthe extinct ichthyosaurs.

Leprosy

Latinlepra- flake, scale, scaly, scabby-y place for an activity, condition, stateA slowly progressive, chronic infectious diseasecharacterized by granulomatous or neurotrophiclesions in the skin, mucous membranes, nerves,bones, and viscera, with a broad spectrum of clin-ical symptoms.

Leptocephalus

Greekleptos- thin-kephale- head-us thingTransparent, ribbonlike migratory larva of theEuropean or American eel.

Lepton

Greekleptos- small or fine-on a particleAny of a family of elementary particles that par-ticipate in a weak interaction, including the elec-tron, the muon, and their associated neutrinos.

Lethal

Latinletum deathRelating to or capable of causing death.

Leuco

Greekleukos white, clear, or colorlessOf or designating a reduced, colorless form of adye that is fixed on a fiber and then reconstitutedinto the dye by means of oxidizing agents.

Leucoplast

Greekleukos- white, clear, or colorless-plastos (plassein) something molded; to moldA colorless plastid in the cytoplasm of plant cellsaround which starch collects.

Leukemia

Greekleukos- white, clear, or colorless-haima- blood-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsA form of cancer characterized by uncontrolledproduction of abnormal white blood cells.

Leukoblast

Greekleukos- white, clear, or colorless-blastos bud, germ cellAn immature white blood cell; also called a pro-leukocyte.

Leukocyte

Greekleukos- white, clear, or colorless-kutos (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluidWhite blood cell, of which there are several types,each having a specific function in protecting thebody from invasion by foreign substances andorganisms.

Leukocytopenia

Greekleukos- white, clear, or colorless-kutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-penia reduction, poverty, lack, deficiencyA condition in which there is a decrease in or an insuf-ficiency of white blood cells circulating in the body.

Leukocytosis

Greekleukos- white, clear, or colorless-kutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-osis action, process, state, conditionAn increase in the number of white blood cells inthe circulating blood.

Leukopenia

Greekleukos- white, clear, or colorless-penia reduction, poverty, lack, deficiencyA condition in which the number of white bloodcells circulating in the blood is abnormally low.

Leukosarcoma

Greekleukos- white, clear, or colorless-sarko- flesh, meat-oma tumor, neoplasmA type of lymphoma characterized by large numbersof abnormal lymphocyte precursors in the blood.

Levator

Latinlevare- to lift, raise-or a condition or property of things or persons; person who does somethingAny muscle that elevates a part of the body.

Lever

Latinlevis lightA simple machine consisting of a rigid bar pivot-ing on a fixed point and used to transmit force, as

118 Levorotatory

in raising or moving a weight at one end of abeam by pushing down on the other end.

Levorotatory

Latinlaevus- left or counterclockwise-rota- wheel-ory of or pertaining toRotating to the left in a plane of polarized light.

Libration

Latinlibra- balance-ion state, process, or quality of A very slow oscillation, real or apparent, of a sat-ellite as viewed from the larger celestial bodyaround which it rotates.

Lichen

Greekleikhein to lickA plantlike organism consisting of a symbioticrelationship between algae and fungi; usuallyfound on rocks and other regions with minimalsources of food or water.

Life

Old Englishlif lifeThe term designating any physiologically activeorganism; the capacity to carry on all life processes.

Ligament

Latinligare- to bind, tie-ment causing an action, or being in a specific stateA strong, elastic connective tissue that crosses ajoint and prevents excessive movement that coulddislocate the joint.

Ligant

Latinligare to bind, tieA charged or uncharged molecule that can bind to ametal molecule or ion and form a large, complex ion.

Ligroin

Germanligroin ligroinPetroleum ether; a volatile, flammable liquidmixture of hydrocarbons obtained by the frac-tional distillation of petroleum; used as a solvent.

Limicole

Latinlimus- mud, slime-cole inhabitLiving in mud; a group of shore bird such as thesandpipers or plovers.

Limivorous

Latinlimus- mud, slime-vorare eat, swallowFeeding on mud for the organic matter it contains;characteristic of certain amnelids,

Limnetic

Greeklimne- lake-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRelating to of having the characteristic of livingin the deep waters of a lake or pond.

Lingual

Latinlingua- tongue, language-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf or pertaining to the tongue or tonguelike organ.

Lipid

Greek/Frenchlipos- fat-ide group of related chemical compoundsAny group of organic compounds, including fats,oils, waxes, sterols, and glycerides, that are insol-uble in water but soluble in organic solvents.

Liposome

Greeklipos- fat-soma (somatiko) bodyDroplet of phospholipid molecules formed in aliquid environment.

Liquefy

Latinliquere- flow, fluid, wave; to be liquid-fy (ficare) make, do, build, produceTo cause to become liquid, especially to melt (asolid) by heating or to condense (a gas) by cooling.

Liquid

Latinliquere- flow, fluid, wave; to be liquid-id state, condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, inclined toMatter that has a distinct volume but no specific shape.

Lithium

Greeklithos- stone, rock-ium quality or relationshipA silvery-colored soft metal with the atomicnumber 3. It is used as a therapeutic for bipolar,depressive disorders. It is also used as a heattransfer medium and is found in various alloys,ceramics, and glass.

Lordosis 119

Lithosphere

Greeklithos- stone or rock-sphaira a globe shape, ball, sphereThe solid outer layer of the earth, consisting ofthe crust and upper mantle.

Lithotomy

Greeklithos- stone or rock-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionThe surgical removal of a stone from the urinarytract.

Lithotripsy

Greeklithos- stone or rock-tripsy (tribein) to crush; massage, rub, rubbing, friction, grindSurgical crushing of stones, as in the bladder orureters.

Litmus

Middle Dutchleken- to drip-mosi mossA blue coloring matter obtained from lichens,used as an acid/base indicator. It turns red in anacidic pH of 4.5 and turns blue in bases at pH 8.3.

Littoral

Latinlitoralis pertaining to the seashoreOn the shore, coastal; a zone between high andlow tides.

Lobopodium

Greeklobos- rounded projection, especially a rounded projecting anatomical part-podos- foot-ium quality or relationshipBlunt, lobelike pseudopodium.

Lobotomy

French/Greeklobos- rounded projection, especially a rounded projecting anatomical part-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionSurgical incision into the frontal lobe of the brainto sever one or more nerve tracts. This techniquewas formerly used to treat certain mental disor-ders but now is rarely performed.

Locomotion

Latinlocus- a place or locationmovere- to move-ion state, process, or quality of

The ability of an organism to move from one placeto another place.

Lodestone

Old Englishlad- way-stan stone, rockMagnetite, a common ore that is a natural mag-net. At one time it was used by sailors to navigate.

Loess

Germanlosch looseA buff to gray windblown deposit of fine-grainedcalcareous silt or clay.

Longitude

Latinlongus- long-tude state or qualityAngular distance on the earth’s surface, measuredeast or west from the prime meridian at Green-wich, England, to the meridian passing through aparticular position; expressed in degrees (orhours), minutes, and seconds.

Lophophile

Greeklophos- crest-phile one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference forThriving on hilltops; hilltop plants, plant commu-nities existing on hilltops.

Lophophore

Greeklophos- crest-phoros bearingTentacle-bearing ridge or arm within which is anextension of the coelomic cavity in lophophorateanimals (ectoprocts, brachiopods, and phoronids).

Lophophyte

Greeklophos- crest-phyte plantPlants that thrive on hilltop or crest environments.

Lophotrichous

Greeklopho- ridge, crest-tricho- hair-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toRefers to having two or more flagella at one endof a cell.

Lordosis

Latinlordos- to bend backward-sis action, process, state, condition

120 Lumbar

An abnormal, exaggerated curvature of the verte-bral column in the lumbar region.

Lumbar

Latinlumbus loinRelating to the lower back or small of the back.

Lumen

Latinlumen an opening, lightIn biology, the space or cavity within an organ ororgan system, such as within blood vessels or thealimentary canal. In physics, the amount of lightgiven out through a solid angle by a source of onecandela intensity, radiating equally in all directions.

Luminous

Latinlumen- an opening, light-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toDescribes an object or living thing that has thecapacity to emit light, or glow.

Lunar

Latinluna- the moon-ar relating to or resemblingOf, involving, caused by, or affecting the moon.

Lunarscape

Latinluna- the moon-scapus scene, viewLandscape of rock similar to the surface of themoon.

Lunation

Latinluna- the moon-ation act or processThe period between new moons: 29 days, 12hours, and 44 minutes.

Luster

Latinlustrare light, illuminateShining or being reflected by light.

Lymph

Latinlympha clear water, water nymphFluid, derived from tissue fluid, that is carried inlymphatic vessels.

Lymphatic

Greeklympha- clear water, water nymph-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf or relating to lymph, a lymph vessel, or alymph node.

Lymphocyte

Greek/Latinlympha- clear water, water nymph-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidSpecialized white blood cell that occurs in twoforms: T lymphocyte and B lymphocyte.

Lymphoma

Greeklympha- clear water, water nymph-oma tumorAny of various usually malignant tumors that arisein the lymph nodes or in other lymphoid tissue.

Lysogenic

Greekly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve, dissolution, break-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofCapable of causing or undergoing lysis.

Lysosome

Greekly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve, dissolution, break-soma (somatiko) bodyA cytoplasmic, membrane-bound particle con-taining hydrolytic enzymes that function in intra-cellular digestive processes.

Lysozyme

Greekly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve, dissolution, break-zume fermenting, leavenAn enzyme occurring naturally in egg white,human tears, saliva, and other body fluids andcapable of destroying the cell walls of certainbacteria and thereby acting as a mild antiseptic.

Macradenous

Greekmakros- long, large, great-aden- lymph gland(s)-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toHaving large glands.

Macrencephaly

Greekmakros- long, large, great-enkephalos- in the head-ly like, likeness, resemblanceOvergrowth of the brain.

Macrocardius

Greekmakros- long, large, great-kard- heart, pertaining to the heart-us thingA fetus with an extremely large heart.

Macroevolution

Latinmakros- long, large, great-evolvere to unfoldEvolutionary change on a grand scale, encom-passing the origin of novel designs, evolutionarytrends, adaptive radiation, and mass extinction.

Macrogamete

Greekmakros- long, large, great-gamos marriageThe larger of the two gamete types in a heteroga-metic organism, considered the female gamete.

Macroglobulin

Greekmakros- long, large, great-globu- globe-in of or derived from a proteinAn immunoglobulin of very high molecularweight, usually above 900,000.

Macronucleus

Greekmakros- long, large, great-nucula- kernel, little nut-us thingLarge nucleus that controls the functions of the cell.

Macrophage

Greekmakros- long, large, great-phagos (phagein) to eat, eatingA large white blood cell that can engulf hundredsof bacteria.

Macrovolt

Greekmakros- long, large, great-volt electric potentialLarge electric potential (one million volts).

Madreporite

Latinmadre- mother-pora- passageway-ite component of a part of a bodyA perforated. platelike structure in most echino-derms that forms the intake for their water-vascular systems.

122 Mafic

Mafic

Latinma- the element magnesium-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofContaining or relating to a group of dark-coloredminerals that are composed chiefly of magnesiumand iron in igneous rock.

Magma

Greekmag- to knead-ma form or character ofThe name given to molten rock under the surfaceof the earth. Magma becomes lava if it escapesfrom a volcano to the earth’s surface.

Magnet

Greekmagnes stone from Magnesia (city in Asia Minor)An object that is surrounded by a magnetic fieldand that has the property, either natural orinduced, of attracting iron or steel.

Magnetosphere

Greekmagnes- stone from Magnesia (city in Asia Minor)-sphaira a globe shape, ball, sphereRegion around an object where the influence ofthe object’s magnetic field can be felt.

Magnification

Latin/Greekmagn- great-fic- to make-ion state, process, or quality of The process of making things look larger.

Magnitude

Latinmagnu- large-tude state, quality, condition ofThe overall size of a quantity.

Malacoderm

Greekmalacia- softening of tissue-derm skinHaving soft skin or soft flexible bodies, as is char-acteristic of fireflies.

Malacopterygia

Greekmalacia- softening of tissue-pterug- wing-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing plurals

Order of fishes where the fins are soft and closelyjointed; carp is an example.

Malacosarcosis

Greekmalacia- softening of tissue-sarko- flesh, meat-sis action, process, state, conditionSoftness of muscular tissue.

Malacostracan

Greekmalako- soft-ostracon shellAny member of the crustacean subclass Malacos-traca, which includes both aquatic and terrestrialforms of crabs, lobsters, shrimps, pillbugs, sandfleas, and others.

Malaria

Italianmala- bad-aria airAir infected with a noxious substance capable ofcausing disease.

Malignant

Latinmalignus bad, attach, malignRelates to a disease that is threatening to life; vir-ulent; cancerous.

Malleable

Latinmalleus- hammer-able capable, be inclined to, tending to, given toA property of metal enabling it to be pounded orrolled into thin sheets.

Mallophaga

Greekmallos- wool-phagos (phagein) to eat, eatingChewing lice; extensive group of small insectsthat are parasitic in nature on birds and mammalsand feed on feathers and hair.

Malnutrition

Latinmala- bad-nutrire- to suckle, nourish-ent causing an action, being in a specific state, withinPoor nutrition related to or caused by an insuffi-cient or poorly balanced diet, faulty digestion, orfaulty use of foods.

Maltase

Greekmalt- seed or grain-ase indicating an enzyme

Meatus 123

Enzyme in plants and animals that breaks downdisaccharide maltose into glucose.

Maltose

Greekmalt- seed or grain-ose sugar, carbohydrateDisaccharide sugar in which both monosaccha-ride parts are glucose.

Mammal

Latinmamma- breast-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofAn animal with hair that feeds its young withmilk from mammary glands.

Mammary

Greekmamma- breast-ary of, relating to, or connected withOf or relating to the breasts (e.g., mammaryglands).

Mandible

Latinmandere to chewThe lower jaw of vertebrates.

Mantle

Latinmantellum layerIn geology, the layer of earth between the centralmolten core and the surface crust.

Manubrium

Latinmanus- hand-ium quality or relationshipA bony segment of the sternum shaped like ahandle.

Marine

Latinmare seaOf or relating to the sea.

Marsupial

Greekmarsuppos- pouch or purse-ial (variation of -ia) relating to or characterized byMammal that bears its immature young in a mar-supium, or pouch.

Mass

Greekmaza mass, large, amountThe property of a body that is a measure of itsinertia; commonly taken as a measure of the

amount of material the body contains and thatcauses it to have weight in a gravitational field.

Mastication

Greekmastikhan- to grind the teeth-ion state, process, or quality ofThe process of using one’s teeth to chew andgrind food.

Mastoid (process)

Greekmastos- breast-oid (oeides) resembling; having the appearance ofA small process resembling a nipple that is foundon the temporal bone.

Matter

Latinmateria substance from which something is madeSomething that occupies space and can be per-ceived by the senses; a physical substance or thephysical universe as a whole.

Maxilla

Latinmaxilla jawboneThe fusion of two bones in mammals forming theupper jaw.

Maxilliped

Latinmaxilla- jawbone-ped footOne of the pairs of head appendages located justposterior to the maxilla in crustaceans; a thoracicappendage that has become incorporated into thefeeding mouthparts.

Maxima

Latinmaximus greatestThe greatest values assumed by a function over agiven interval.

Mean

Old Englishmaenan to tell ofThe average of a group of sample numbers as cal-culated by dividing the sum of the numbers by thenumber of samples.

Meatus

Latinmeare to passAn opening or a canal—for example, the externalauditory meatus.

124 Mechanical

Mechanical

Greekmekhane- machine, device-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofRelating to a machine or the functionality of amachine. Mechanical advantage refers to themeasurement of the output force of the machine(lever) versus the input force.

Meconium

Greekmekonion poppy juiceThe first feces of the newborn; the coloration isusually greenish black to light brown.

Median

Latinmedius middleThe average that gives the midpoint of a range ordistribution.

Medium

Latinmedius middleAn intervening substance through which some-thing else is transmitted or carried.

Medulla

Latinmerulla middleThe inner core of certain structures or organs.

Medusa

Latinmedein to protectTentacled, bell-shaped, free-swimming bodyplan of cnidarians.

Megalocephaly

Greekmegal- large, great-kephalikos headA birth defect that causes an abnormally large head.

Megaspore

Greekmegas- large, great, big, powerful-spora seedIn plants, a haploid (n) spore that develops into afemale gametophyte.

Meiosis

Greekmeion- smaller, less-sis action, process, state, conditionThe cellular process that results in the number ofchromosomes in gamete-producing cells beingreduced to one-half, and that involves a reductiondivision, in which one of each pair of homologous

chromosomes passes to each daughter cell, and amitotic division.

Melanin

Greekmelas- the color black, dark-in protein or derived from proteinDark brown pigment of many animals, givingbrown and yellow coloration to skin and/or hair.

Melanocyte

Greekmelas- the color black, dark-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidAn epidermal cell capable of synthesizing melanin.

Melanoderma

Greekmelas- the color black, dark-derma skinBlack or dark skin coloring (pigmentation); liter-ally, black skin.

Melanoma

Greekmelas- the color black, dark-oma communityA dark-pigmented, usually malignant tumor aris-ing from a melanocyte and occurring most com-monly in the skin.

Membrane

Latinmembrana thin skinThin layer of tissue composed of epithelial cellsand connective tissue that covers a surface.

Meningitis

Greekmening- meninx-itis inflammation, burning sensationInflammation of the meninges of the brain andthe spinal cord, most often caused by a bacterialor viral infection.

Meniscus

Greekmensikos moon, monthThe concave or convex upper surface of a nontur-bulent liquid in a container.

Meridian

Latinmedius- middle-die dayIn astronomy, a great circle passing through thetwo poles of the celestial sphere and the zenith ofa given observer.

Metalloid 125

Meristem

Greekmeristos- divided-en to make or causeThe undifferentiated plant tissue from which newcells are formed, as that at the tip of a stem or root.

Mesentery

Greekmesos- middle-enteron gutA membrane that suspends many of the organs ofvertebrates inside fluid-filled body cavities.

Mesoderm

Greekmesos- middle-derma skinThe germ layer formed between the ectoderm andthe endoderm of an embryo.

Mesoglea

Greekmesos- middle-gloia glueThe clear, inert, jellylike substance that makes upthe majority of the bodies of jellyfish, comb jel-lies, and certain other primitive sea creatures.

Mesomorphic

Greekmesos- middle-morph- shape, form, figure, or appearance-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofExisting in a state of matter intermediate betweenliquid and crystal; describes any individual havingthe characteristics of a stout, healthy physiquedeveloped from the embyronic mesomorphic layer.

Meson

Greekmesos- middle-on a particleThe class of elementary particles with massesbetween baryons and leptons.

Mesophyll

Greekmesos- middle-phullon leafThe ground tissue of a leaf, sandwiched betweenthe upper and lower epidermis and specialized forphotosynthesis.

Mesophyte

Greekmesos- middle-phyte plant

A plant that has adapted to grow in areas havingmoderate moisture conditions.

Mesosphere

Greekmesos- middle-sphaira a globe shape, ball, sphereThe zone of the earth’s interior that extends fromthe lithosphere to the core.

Mesozoic

Greekmesos- middle-zoikos- of animals-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofAn era of geologic time between the Paleozoicand the Cenozoic, occurring between 248 and 65million years ago.

Metabolism

Greekmeta- between, after, beyond, later-bol- (ballein) to put or throw-ism state or condition, qualityThe complex of physical and chemical processesinvolved in the maintenance of life.

Metacarpus

Greekmeta- between, after, beyond, later-karpos- wrist-us thingThe part of the human hand that includes the fivebones between the fingers and the wrist.

Metagalaxy

Greekmeta- between, after, beyond, later-galakt milkThe assemblage of all the galaxies.

Metal

Greekmetallon- mine, ore, quarry, any of a category of electropositive elements from metallum Any member of the class of substances repre-sented by gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin.

Metallic

Latin/Greekmetallon- mine, ore, quarry, any of a category of electropositive elements from metallum -ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofHaving characteristics of metals.

Metalloid

Latin/Greekmetallon- mine, ore, quarry, any of a category of electropositive elements from metallum -oid (oeides) resembling; having the appearance of

126 Metallurgy

A nonmetallic element, such as arsenic, that hassome of the chemical properties of a metal.

Metallurgy

Latin/Greekmetallon- mine, ore, quarry, any of a category of electropositive elements from metallum -ourgos workerThe science and technology involving the studyof metals.

Metamere

Greekmeta- between, after, beyond, later-meros partCondition of being made up of serially repeatedparts; serial segmentation.

Metamorphic

Latin/Greekmeta- between, after, beyond, later-morph- shape, form, figure, or appearance-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRefers to a change of physical form, structure, orsubstance, especially rock that has changed fromits original form through the application of heatand pressure.

Metamorphosis

Greekmeta- between, after, beyond, later-morph- shape, form, figure, or appearance-osis action, process, state, conditionA change in the form of an animal during normaldevelopment after the embryonic stage.

Metaphase

Greekmeta- between, after, beyond, later-phaseis appearanceThe stage of mitosis and meiosis where chromo-somes align along the metaphase plate.

Metapopulation

Greek/Latinmeta- between, after, beyond, later-populus- the people-ion state, process, or quality of A population subdivided into several small and iso-lated populations as a result of habitat fragmentation.

Metatarsus

Greekmeta- between, after, beyond, later-tarsos- instep-us thingThe middle part of the human foot that forms theinstep and includes the five bones between thetoes and the ankle.

Metatheria

Greekmeta- between, after, beyond, later-ther- wild animal-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsInfraclass of marsupial mammals.

Metathesis

Greekmeta- between, after, beyond, later-tithenai to transpose, to placeA chemical reaction in which a double decompo-sition occurs, causing parts of two reacting struc-tures to swap places.

Meteor

Greekmeteoron things in airThe luminous phenomenon observed when ameteor enters the atmosphere.

Meteorite

Greekmeteoron- things in air-ite minerals and fossilsA metallic or mineral mass that has fallen to earthfrom space.

Meteorologist

Latin/Greekmeteoron- things in air-ologist one who deals with a specific topicA person who is a specialist in the study of theweather, the atmosphere, and forecasting.

Meteorology

Latin/Greekmeteoron- things in air-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of earth’s atmosphere, weather, andclimate.

Meter

Greekmeter (metron) instrument or means of measur-ing; to measureA metric unit used in the measurement of lengthequivalent to 39.37 inches.

Methanogens

Greekmethano- methane-gen to give birth, kind, produceOrganisms that require anaerobic conditions andthat produce methane gas.

Microtubules 127

Methionine

Greekmeth- containing a methyl group-thio- compound containing sulfur-ine in a chemical substanceA sulfur-containing amino acid.

Micaceous

Latinmica- grain-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toPertaining to or containing mica; a laminar rockstructure much like mica.

Micelle

Latinmica- grain, crumb-elle diminutiveA unit in colloids composed of complex mole-cules that can alter size without chemical change.

Microbiologist

Greekmikros- small-bios- life, living organisms, or tissue-ologist one who deals with a specific topicOne who specializes in the science of microbiology.

Microbiophagy

Greekmikros- small-bios- life, living organisms, or tissue-phagia eat, eating; consume, ingestDestruction or lysis of microorganisms by a phage.

Microcephalic

Greekmikros- small-cephalo- (kephalikos) head-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofHaving a small head or a small cranial cavity.

Microfilaments

Greek/Latinmikros- small-filum- thread-ent causing an action, being in a specific state, withinAny of the minute fibers throughout the cyto-plasm of a cell that function primarily in main-taining its structural integrity.

Microfilaria

Greekmikros- small-filum- thread-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsThe minute larval form of the slender, threadlikefilarial worm.

Micrometer

Greekmicro- denotes one-millionth of a part-meter (metron) instrument or means of measuring; to measureOne-millionth of a meter, symbol µm; used inmany types of microscopic science, such as cellu-lar biology.

Microneme

Greekmikros- small-nema threadOne of the types of structures composing the apicalcomplex in the phylum Apicomplexa; these struc-ture are slender and elongate, leading to the ante-rior, and thought to function in host cell penetration.

Microorganism

Greekmikros- small-organ- complex structure; tool-ism state or condition, qualityA very small living thing.

Microprocessor

Greek/Latinmikros- small-processus- setting out, series of steps-or a condition or property of things or personsAn integrated circuit that contains the entire cen-tral processing unit of a computer on a single chip.

Micropyle

Greekmikros- small-pyle gateSmall opening at one end of an embryo sac.

Microscope

Greekmikros- small-skopein to view, examineAn optical instrument that uses a lens or a combina-tion of lenses to produce magnified images of smallobjects.

Microspheres

Greekmikros- small-sphaera ballStructures composed only of protein that havemany properties of a cell.

Microtubules

Greek/Latinmikros- small-tubus- pipe-ule little, small

128 Microvilli

Small hollow cylinders about 25 nm in diameterand 0.2–25 m in length.

Microvilli

Latin/Greekmikros- small-villus shaggy hairTiny hairlike folds in the plasma membrane thatextend from the surface of many absorptive orsecretory cells.

Microvolt

Greekmikros- small-volt electric potentialSmall electric potential (one millionth of a volt).

Microwave

Greek/Englishmikros- small-waven undulating, wavyElectromagnetic radiation of frequency 1010–1012 Hz.

Micturation

Latinmictum- to make water-ion state, process, or quality of The act or process of urinating.

Migration

Latinmigrans- to roam, wander, change places-ion state, process, or quality of The process of moving from one place toanother.

Mimicry

Greekmimikos- imitator or mimic-y place for an activity; condition, stateA method of camouflage used in nature by anorganism that involves the blending and conceal-ment of one’s identity by the effective use of coloror shading.

Mineral

Frenchminiere- mine-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofA naturally occurring, homogeneous inorganicsolid substance having a definite chemical com-position and characteristic crystalline structure,color, and hardness.

Mimicry in Nature

The process of natural selection has cre-ated some incredible relationships innature. Members of all species seek thesurvival of their kind. Both prey and pred-ator are subjected to environmentalstresses on their numbers that can limittheir growth and ultimately threaten theirsurvival. This is a constant. Their abilitiesto adapt to changes, to modify theirbehaviors, and to compete with others forcommon resources such as food and waterare continuously challenged in nature.But the amazing story is the process andrandomness of natural selection. Thisselective process is not a willful or prede-termined direction of genetic change, butrather the result of chance mutations overextended periods of time. It is the forcesof nature that choose certain sets of phe-notypes and eliminate others.

Consider the use of mimicry as aselective process. There are several vari-eties of mimicry, and all of them capital-ize on characteristics that have sustaineda population’s growth in a given area.Batesian mimicry is the best known. Thisstrategy is defined by a model speciesthat possesses some sort of protectivefeature, such as a stinger, spines, or atoxin, and a species mimicking the modelthat does not. Batesian mimicry is exem-plified by the American coral snake andthe common milk or king snake. Thecoral snake is a venomous species with avery powerful poison, whereas the milksnake or king snake is not at all venom-ous. Yet the physical resemblance—thephenotype—is so striking that predators,including most humans, avoid the harm-less snake. These snakes are marked withalternating yellow, red, and black bands.It is the arrangement of the bands that isthe giveaway. The saying “Red againstyellow: kill a fellow. Red against black:friend to Jack” is well known among BoyScouts and outdoorsmen. There is littledoubt that Batesian mimicry has allowedking snakes to flourish in the UnitedStates.

Monoamine 129

Miocene

Greekmeion- less-kainos recentAn epoch of the Upper Tertiary period, spanningthe time between 23.8 and 5.3 million years ago.

Miscible

Latinmiscere- to mix-ible capableCapable of undergoing mixing or blending.

Miticide

Latinmiti- mite-cide (caedere) to cut, kill, hack at, or strikeA type of pesticide that kills mites that live onplants, livestock, and people.

Mitochondrion

Greekmitos- warp thread-khondro- granule, cartilage-ion state, process, or quality of Membranous organelle in which aerobic respira-tion continues and produces ATP molecules.

Mitogen

Greekmit(os)- a thread-gen- to give birth, kind, produceAny substance or agent that stimulates mitoticcell division.

Mitosis

Greek/Latinmitos- warp thread-osis action, process, state, conditionThe process in cell division by which the nucleusdivides.

Mixture

Latinmiscere- to mix-ure act, process, conditionThe act of combining; any combination of materialsthat can be separated by ordinary physical means.

Mode

Latinmodus mannerIn statistics, the average representing the samplevalue that occurs the most times; that whichoccurs most frequently in a series of observations.

Model

Latinmodulus small measure

A simplified version of a physical system thatwould be too complicated to analyze in full detail.

Molarity

Germanmole- the amount of a substance containing Avogadro’s number of units-ar- relating to or resembling-ity state of, quality ofThe molar concentration of a solution.

Mole

Germanmolekulargewient molecular weightQuantity of a substance that has a mass in gramsnumerically equal to its formula mass.

Molecule

Latinmoles- mass-ule little, smallThe smallest particle of a substance that retainsall the properties of the substance and is com-posed of one or more atoms.

Molluscicide

Latinmollusca- soft-bodied and prominent shell-cide (caedere) to cut, kill, hack at, or strikeA type of pesticide that kills snails and slugs.

Mollusk

Latinmollis- softmolluscus thin-shelledPhylum of animals having a soft, unsegmentedbody.

Moment

Latinmovere to moveThe product of a quantity and its perpendiculardistance from a reference point.

Momentum

Latinmovimentum to moveA measure of the motion of a body equal to theproduct of its mass and velocity.

Monoacid

Latinmono- one, single, alone-acere to be sourAn acid having one replaceable hydrogen atom.

Monoamine

Middle Englishmono- one, single, alone-amine any of a group of organic compounds

130 Monobasic

derived from ammonia by the replacement of one or more hydrogen atoms by a hydrocarbon radicalAn amine compound containing one amino group.

Monobasic

Latinmono- one, single, alone-base- basis-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofHaving only one hydrogen ion to donate to a basein an acid-base reaction.

Monocotyledon

Greekmono- one, alone, single-kotuledon a kind of plant, a seed leaf, a hollow or cup-shaped object Any of a class or subclass (Liliopsida or Mono-cotyledoneae) of chiefly herbaceous seed plantshaving an embryo with a single cotyledon, usu-ally parallel-veined leaves, and floral organsarranged in cycles of three.

Monocular

Greek/Latinmono- one, single, alone-oculus eyeOf or pertaining to a single eye.

Monoecious

Greekmono- one, single, alone-oikos houseHaving male and female sex organs on the sameorganism.

Monogamy

Greekmono- one, single, alone-gamos marriageThe condition of having a single mate at any onetime.

Monohybrid

Greekmono- one, single, alone-hybrida mixed offspringPertaining to or describing an individual, organ-ism, or strain that is heterozygous for the singletrait or gene locus under consideration.

Monohydrate

Middle Englishmono- one, single, alone-hydr- water-ate characterized by havingA crystalline compound that contains one mole-cule of water.

Monolayer

Middle Englishmono- one, single, alone-lay- to place in or bring to a particular state or position-er one that performs an actionA film or layer of a compound one molecule thick.

Monomer

Greekmono- one, single, alone-meros a part, divisionSmall, individual molecule that forms a polymer.

Mononucleosis

Latinmono- one, single, alone-nucula- little nut, nucleus-osis abnormal conditionA disease marked by extreme fatigue, high fever,and swollen lymph nodes, caused by an abnor-mally large number of white blood cells with sin-gle nuclei in the bloodstream.

Monothermia

Greekmono- one, single, alone-thermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsA condition in which the temperature of the bodyremains the same throughout the day.

Monothetic

Greekmono- one, single, alone-thetikos- fit for placing-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofDenotes a taxonomic group classified on the basisof a single character, as opposed to polythetic.

Monotocous

Greekmono- one, single, alone-toco- childbirth, delivery, labor-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toGiving birth to but one offspring at a time.

Monotreme

Greekmono- one, single, alone-trema hole, perforation The order of egg-laying (oviparous) mammals,including the duck-billed platypus and spinyanteater.

Monotropic 131

Monotrichous

Greekmono- one, single, alone-trich- hair-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toHaving a single polar flagellum; said of a bacte-rial cell.

Monotropic

Greekmono- one, single, alone-trope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to stimulus-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic of

The Great Library of Alexandria

It can be said the Great Library of Alexandria(Egypt) was the best-known and one of the fore-most libraries of the ancient world. Build by KingPtolemy II (309–246 BC) near where the temple ofMuses (i.e., museum, from the word musaeum)once stood, this structure is now little more than aruinous sublevel. But imagine an edifice so largethat it contained an ornate main hall and ten greathalls, each with armaria (i.e., wooden chests) con-taining thousands of handwritten papyrus scrollsfrom all points of the known world. Every one ofthe great halls was dedicated to a specific academicdiscipline. Scholars met, taught, and studied in anenlightened environment where knowledge andlearning flourished.

Following the conquest of Egypt by Alexanderthe Great, the Greeks along with the Egyptians builtthis library as a seat where quite possibly all knowl-edge from the beginning of the world to the currenttime was archived and used by many of the mostinfluential scientists, mathematicians, philoso-phers and artists. This massive repository housed

the compositions of philosophers Aristotle andPlato; the ancient Greek playwrights Sophocles andEuripides; the father of medicine, Hippocrates; thefather of geometry, Euclid; and many other brilliantmen, such as the legendary astronomer Aristarchusof Samos, who, in a missing manuscript, hypothe-sized a heliocentric solar system—that is, with thesun at the center and the planets, including earth,revolving around it. The manuscripts of one of thegreatest mathematicians in history, Archimedes—“On the Equilibrium of Planes,” explaining thelaws of levers, and “On Floating Bodies,” explain-ing the law of equilibrium of fluids—were alsostored in the great library.

Men were sent to distant shores to copy manu-scripts for the library. Ships were stopped at theport of Alexandria and searched for written worksthat could be borrowed and copied. The originalswere kept in the library and copies were returnedto the owners. We can only guess at how much sci-entific and mathematical knowledge had to berediscovered because of the destruction of thelibrary.

Historians dispute the who and when of thedestruction of the Library of Alexandria. JuliusCaesar had the port of Alexandria burned ca. 48 BC

when he occupied the city. Scholars contend thatthat was a significant, but not a fatal, blow to thelibrary. It is estimated that over 70,000 scrolls weredestroyed by Caesar that day. However, many thou-sands of scrolls had been moved in anticipation ofCaesar’s conquest.

Some argue that Christian zealots in the fourthcentury destroyed the manuscripts, but not thelibrary, because of the pagan teaching and learningthat took place within its walls. Others say that thecomplete destruction of the library occurred at thehands of Muslims under the command of the CaliphOmar ca. AD 683, but this theory is discounted bymost.

An inscription dedicated to Tiberius ClaudiusBabillus of Rome (d. AD 56) found at the Library ofAlexandria supports the existence of the libraryafter the time of Julius Caesar.

132 Monsoon

Affecting only one particular kind of bacterium,virus, or tissue; a narrowing of attention where anindividual focuses on one entity.

Monsoon

Dutch (from Portugese)/Arabicmawsim seasonA wind system that influences large climaticregions and reverses direction seasonally.

Morainic

Frenchmorena- mound of earth-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf or relating to an accumulation of boulders, stones,or other debris carried and deposited by a glacier.

Morphine

Latinmorph- shape, form, figure, or appearance-ine a chemical substanceAn opiate extract used in medicine to alleviatesevere pain.

Morphogen

Greekmorph- shape, form, figure, or appearance-gen to give birth, kind, produceA class of substances that is said to be present inthe embryo and that controls growth patterns.

Morphogenesis

Greekmorph- shape, form, figure, or appearance-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-sis action, process, state, conditionFormation of the structure of an organism or part;differentiation and growth of tissues and organsduring development.

Morphology

Greekmorph- shape, form, figure, or appearance-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of the physical structures of organisms,in particular the soft tissues.

Mosaic

Greekmouseion- shrine of the musesAn organism or part that is composed of two ormore genetically distinct tissues, owing to exper-imental manipulation or to a faulty distribution ofgenetic material during mitosis.

Motion

Latinmovere- to move-ion state, process, or quality of

An act, process, or instance of changing position.

Mucus

Latinmucus mucusA protective lubricant consisting of mucin, water,salts, and cells. This viscous fluid is secreted to pro-tect cells, membranes, and various internal linings.

Multicellular

Latinmultus- much, many-cella- chamber-ar relating to or resemblingConsisting of many cells.

Muscle

Latinmus mouseContractile tissue used to propel, move, and pro-tect the body.

Museum

Greekmouseion shrine of musesAn edifice or institution where cultural, scientific,historical, and contemporary artifacts, documents,and exhibits are retained for study and enjoyment.

Mutation

Latinmut- change, changeable-ion state, process, or quality ofA relatively permanent change in hereditarymaterial, involving either a physical change inchromosome relations or a biochemical change inthe codons that make up genes.

Mutualism

Latinmutuus- borrowed or exchanged-ism state or condition, qualityAssociation between organisms of two differentspecies in which each member benefits.

Myalgia

Greekmyo- muscle-algia pain, sense of pain; painful; hurtingMuscle pain.

Mycelium

Latin/Greekmyco- fungus-helos- wart, nail, stud, corn-ium quality or relationshipA mass of interwoven filamentous “threads” thatmake up the vegetative part of a fungus.

Myotome 133

Mycology

Greekmyco- fungus-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe branch of botany that deals with fungi.

Mycorrhiza

Greekmyco- (mukes) fungi-rhiza rootMutualistic relationship between fungi and plants.

Myelin

Greekmyel- (muelos) bone marrow-in protein or derived from a proteinA white fatty (lipid and lipoprotein) substancethat is found in the medulla of long bones and alsoforms the insular layer of axons.

Myelodysplasia

Greekmyel- (muelos) bone marrow-dys- painful, difficult, disordered, impaired, defective, ill-plasia (plassein) something molded; to moldAbnormal or defective (poor or bad) formation ofthe spinal cord.

Myocardium

Greekmyo- muscle-kard- heart, pertaining to the heart-ium quality or relationshipSpecialized muscular tissue of the heart.

Myocyte

Greekmyo- muscle-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidContractile cell (pinacocyte) in sponges.

Myofibril

Greekmyo- muscle-fibrilla small fiberSmall part of a muscle fiber.

Myoglobin

Greekmyo- muscle-globus- globular mass-in protein or derived from a proteinGlobular protein closely related to hemoglobinand located in the vertebrate muscle.

Myomere

Greekmyo- muscle-meros partA muscle segment of successive segmental trunkmusculature.

Myometrium

Greekmyo- muscle-metra- uterus-ium quality or relationshipThe smooth muscular layer lining the female uterus.

Myonecrosis

Greekmyo- muscle-necro- death-sis action, process, state, conditionDeath of muscle tissue.

Myopia

Greekmuein- close to the eyes-ops eye, opticThe condition of nearsightedness, where distantobjects appear blurred.

Myosin

Greekmyo- muscle-in protein or derived from a proteinProtein made up of a chain of polypeptides thatforms filaments in smooth muscle fibrils.

Myotome

Greekmyo- muscle-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionA voluntary muscle segment in cephalochordatesand vertebrates; that part of a somite destined toform muscles; the muscle group innervated by asingle spinal nerve.

Nadir

Arabicnazara to watch or seeThe point of the celestial sphere directly underthe observer; the opposite of zenith.

Naphtha

Greeknaphtha a flammable liquid issuing from the earthA class of several volatile and flammable liquidmixtures of hydrocarbons that are distilled frompetroleum, coal tar, and/or natural gases.

Nasal

Latinnas- nose-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf, in, or relating to the nose.

Nascent

Latinnasc- born-escent becomingIn the act of being formed, coming into existence,forming.

Nasopharynx

Latinnasus- nose-pharunx throatThe part of the pharynx above the soft palate thatis continuous with the nasal passages.

Natural

Latinnatura- nature-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf or pertaining to nature; that which occurs bychance or within the framework of natural design.

Nausea

Greeknausie seasicknessA feeling of sickness in the stomach character-ized by an urge to vomit.

Navel

Old Englishnafela central pointThe notch on the surface of the abdomen wherethe umbilical cord is attached during gestation.

Nebula

Latinnebula cloud or mistA diffuse mass of interstellar dust or gas or both,visible as luminous patches or areas of darknessdepending on the way the mass absorbs orreflects incident radiation.

Necrobiosis

Greeknecro- death-bios- life, living organisms, or tissue-sis action, process, state, conditionThe degeneration and death of the body’s cellsfrom natural processes.

Nephric 135

Necrocoenosis

Greeknecro- death-koinos- shared-sis action, process, state, conditionAn assemblage of dead organisms

Necrophagia

Greeknecro- death-phagos (phagein) to eat, eatingFeeding on the flesh of dead animals.

Nectobenthos

Greeknecto- swim-benthos deep; the fauna and flora of the bottom of the seaSwimming off the seabed.

Nektonic

Greeknekto- swimming-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofDescribes numerous groups of marine and freshwa-ter organisms capable of swimming against strongcurrents; these groups range from plankton to whales.

Nematic

Greeknemat- thread, that which is spun-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRefers to liquid crystals that have moleculesarranged in loosely parallel lines.

Nematicide

Greeknemat- thread, that which is spun-cide (caedere) to cut, kill, hack at, or strikeA type of pesticide that kills nematodes (micro-scopic wormlike organisms that live in soil andcause damage to food crops).

Nematocyst

Greeknemat- thread, that which is spun-cyst (kustis) sac or bladder that contains fluidBarbed harpoon within a cnidocyte of a cnidarianthat is used to spear prey.

Nematoda

Greeknemat- thread, that which is spun-oeid shape, form, resemblingAn order of worms having long, round, and gen-erally smooth bodies.

Neon

Greekneon new

A rare element that is a colorless, odorless, inertgas and that forms a very small part of the air.

Neoplasia

Greekneos- new, recent-plas- something made, molded, or formed-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsThe transformation of a cell into a cancer cell.

Neoplasm

Greekneos- new, recent-plastos (plassein) something molded; to moldAn abnormal growth of new tissue in plants oranimals; a tumor.

Neopterygian

Greekneos- new, recent-pteryx- fin-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsAny of a large group of bony fishes that includesmost modern species.

Neoteny

Greekneos- new, recent-teinein to extendAn evolutionary process by which an organismproduces a descendant that reaches sexual matu-rity while retaining a morphology characteristicof the pre-adult or larval stage of an ancestor.

Neotropical

Greekneos- new, recent-tropikos the tropicsOf, pertaining to, or designating a zoogeographi-cal realm that includes Central and South Amer-ica and the adjacent islands.

Nephelometer

Greeknephele- cloud-meter (metron) instrument or means of measuring; to measureAn instrument that determines the concentrationof suspended matter in a liquid dispersion bymeasuring the amount of light that is scattered bythe dispersion.

Nephric

Greeknephros- kidney-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRelating to or connected with a kidney.

136 Nephridium

Nephridium

Greeknephros- kidney-id state, condition; having, being, pertaining to-ium quality or relationshipA tubular, glandular excretory organ characteris-tic of various coelomate invertebrates.

Nephritis

Greeknephros- kidney-itis inflammation, burning sensationA variety of diseases causing chronic or acuteinflammation of the kidneys.

Nephrolithotomy

Greeknephros- kidney-lithso- stone, rock-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionIncision made into the kidney for removal of stones.

Nephrology

Greeknephros- kidney-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe science that deals with the kidneys, espe-cially their functions or diseases.

Nephropexy

Greeknephros- kidney-pexy fixing of a specified part; attaching to, a fasteningSurgical fixation of a floating or mobile kidney.

Nephrosis

Greeknephros- kidney-sis action, process, state, conditionA noninflammatory disease of the kidneys thatchiefly affects the function of the nephrons.

Nephrostome

Greeknephros- kidney-stoma mouthCiliated, funnel-shaped opening of a nephridium.

Neuralgia

Greekneur- nerve, cordnervus- sinew, tendon-algia pain, sense of pain; painful, hurtingAcute pain radiating along the course of one ormore nerves.

Neurilemma

Greekneur- nerve, cordnervus- sinew, tendon-eilema veil, sheathA very delicate sheathlike covering of a nerve fiber.

Neurilemmitis

Greekneur- nerve, cordnervus- sinew, tendon-eilema- veil, sheath-itis inflammation, burning sensationInflammation of the neurilemma.

Neurilemmoma

Greekneur- nerve, cordnervus- sinew, tendon-eilema- veil, sheath-oma tumorTumor of the peripheral nerve.

Neurilemmosarcoma

Greekneur- nerve, cordnervus- sinew, tendon-eilema- veil, sheath-sarko- flesh, meat-oma tumorA malignant neurilemma.

Neuroglia

Greekneur- nerve, cordnervus- sinew, tendon-glia glueTissue supporting and filling the spaces betweenthe nerve cells of the central nervous system.

Neurology

Greekneur- nerve, cordnervus- sinew, tendon-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeBranch of science that deals with the study of thenervous system.

Neuromast

Greekneur- nerve, cordnervus- sinew, tendon-mastos knoll, breastCluster of sense cells on or near the surface of afish or amphibian that is sensitive to vibratorystimuli and to water current.

Nodule 137

Neuron

Greek/Latinneur- nerve, cordnervus- sinew, tendon-on a particleA cell in the nervous system that is specialized toconduct nerve impulses, allowing different partsof the body to communicate.

Neuropeptide

Greekneur- nerve, cordnervus- sinew, tendon-peptos- digestion, able to digest-ide group of related chemical compoundsAny of various short-chain peptides found inbrain tissue, such as endorphins.

Neuropodium

Greekneur- nerve, cordnervus- sinew, tendon-podos footLobe of the parapodium nearer the ventral side inpolychaete annelids.

Neuroptera

Greekneur- nerve, cordnervus- sinew, tendon-ptera feather, wingInsect order for dobsonflies, ant lions, and lace-wings, having four net-veined wings.

Neurotoxin

Greekneur- nerve, cordnervus- sinew, tendon-tox- poison-in protein or derived from a proteinA toxin that can damage nerve tissue.

Neurotransmitter

Greek/Latinneur- nerve, cordnervus- sinew, tendon-trans- across-mittere to sendChemical substance released from the end of a neu-ron during the propagation of a nerve impulse, inorder to transmit or pass a signal to another nerve cell.

Neurotrophic

Greekneur- nerve, cordnervus- sinew, tendon-trophos- (trophein) to nourish, food, nutrition; development-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic of

Relating to the nutrition and metabolism of tis-sues under the influence of nerves.

Neutral

Greekneutr- neither one nor the other-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofIn chemistry, a solution that is neither acidic norbasic, having a pH of 7.0.

Neutralization

Greekneutr- neither one nor the other-ation state, process, or quality of In chemistry, the process of combining an acidand a base, thus canceling the properties of bothand producing a salt and water.

Neutron

Greekneutr- neither one nor the other-on a particleAn uncharged elementary particle that has a massnearly equal to that of the proton and is present in allknown atomic nuclei except for the hydrogen nucleus.

Neutrophil

Greekneutr- neither one nor the other-phile one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference forAn abundant type of granular white blood cellthat is highly destructive of microorganisms; itcan be stained readily by neutral dyes.

Niche

Middle Frenchnicher to nestThe ecological role of an organism in a commu-nity, especially in regard to food consumption.

Nimbus

Latinnimbus cloud Low, gray rain clouds.

Nocturnal

Latinnocturnes- night-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofRelating to, pertaining to, or occurring at night.

Nodule

Latinnodus knot-ulus small oneA small, knoblike outgrowth, such as those foundon the roots of many leguminous plants.

138 Nomenclature

Nomenclature

Latinnom- (nemein) to dictate the laws of; knowledge; usage; order-calator servant, crierA system of names used in an art or science; theprocedure of assigning names to kinds and groupsof organisms in a taxonomic classification.

Nondisjunction

Latinnon- not, lack of-jungere to joinThe failure of paired chromosomes to separateduring cell mitosis.

Nonideal

Greeknon- not, lack ofidea- a plan, scheme, notion, or method-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofPertains to a gas described by an equation of stateof the form pV � znRT, where z is the gas devia-tion factor, which depends on pressure, tempera-ture, and gas composition.

Nonpolar

Greeknon- not, lack of-polos- either of two oppositely charged termi-nals, axis, sky-ar relating to or resemblingRefers to a substance that does not ionize whencombined with water.

Nonvascular

Latinnon- not, lack of-vasculum- vessel-ar relating to or resemblingLacking a vascular system for the transport ofnutrients throughout a plant.

Nonvolatile

Latinnon- not, lack of-volare- to fly-ile changing, ability, suitable, tending toPertains to that which does not readily evaporateat room temperature and pressure.

Noradrenaline

Latinnor- anti or notad- to, a direction toward, addition to, near-ren- the kidneys-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form

or character of-ine a chemical substanceA hormone that acts directly on specific receptorsto stimulate the sympathetic nervous system.

Norepinephrine

Greeknor- anti or notepi- above, over, on, upon-nephros- kidneys-ine a chemical substanceAn endogenous adrenal hormone and syntheticadrenergic vasoconstrictor; this hormone con-stricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure.

Normal

Latinnorma- carpenter’s square-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofA perpendicular, especially a perpendicular to aline tangent, to a plane curve, to a plane tangent,or to a space curve.

Notochord

Greeknoton- back-khorde gut, string of a musical instrumentA flexible rodlike structure that forms the mainsupport of the body in the lowest chordates, suchas the lancelet; a primitive backbone.

Notopodium

Greeknoton- back-podos- foot-ium quality or relationshipLobe of a parapodium nearest the dorsal side inpolychaete annelids.

Nucleic (acids)

Latinnucula- kernel, little nut-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofA group of very large organic compounds impor-tant to the synthesis of protein molecules withincells. DNA and RNA are the two most widelyknown nucleic acids.

Nucleolus

Latinnucula- kernel, little nut-lus thingA small, typically round granular body composedof protein and RNA, and found in the nucleus of acell. It is usually associated with a specific chro-mosomal site and involved in ribosomal RNAsynthesis and in the formation of ribosomes.

Nucleotide 139

Nucleonics

Latinnucula- kernel, little nut-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofThe science that deals with the study of thenucleus of atoms.

Nucleophile

Latinnucula- kernel, little nut-phile one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference forA chemical compound or group that tends todonate or share electrons.

Nucleoplasm

Latin/Greeknucula- kernel, little nut-plasm (plassein) to mold or form cells or tissues

Protoplasm of a nucleus, as distinguished fromcytoplasm.

Nucleosome

Latin/Greeknucula- kernel, little nut-soma (somatiko) bodyAny one of the repeating nucleoprotein unitsconsisting of histones forming a complex withDNA.

Nucleotide

Latinnucula- kernel, little nut-ide nonmetal radicalChemical compounds consisting of a heterocy-clic base combined with a sugar and one or morephosphate groups to form the basic structuralunits of DNA and RNA.

The Einstein-Szilard Letter

Months after the discovery of uranium fission in1939, a Hungarian-born Jewish American physicistnamed Leo Szilard grew very concerned about theskepticism of American scientists that atomicenergy from fission could be used for much of any-thing, let alone an atomic bomb. His fear was com-pounded by the fact that he and others believedNazi Germany was working on a program todevelop atomic weaponry. His suspicions werearoused by the discontinuation of uranium ore salesfrom Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia.

If he was to persuade the Americans to begin aprogram of their own before it was too late, he hadto convince President Roosevelt himself. Szilardsought the help of perhaps the best-known scien-tist in the world, Albert Einstein. Szilard, like Ein-stein, had fled Nazi Germany and come toAmerica.

Szilard drafted a letter and took it to Einstein,who signed it and agreed to have it delivered to thepresident. Einstein was a pacifist, but he knew thatif the Nazis had sole possession of such a weapon,it would mean defeat for the Allies in the comingwar.

In the Einstein-Szilard letter, the scientists con-tended

This new phenomenon would also lead tothe construction of bombs, and it is conceiv-able—though much less certain—that extremelypowerful bombs of a new type may thus beconstructed. A single bomb of this type, car-ried by boat and exploded in a port, might verywell destroy the whole port together withsome of the surrounding territory. However,

such bombs might very well prove to be tooheavy for transportation by air. In the letter reprinted below, President

Roosevelt gives his response.

This newly appointed “Uranium Board” had alimited scope of action and an extremely limitedbudget. Little to no action was taken toward thedevelopment of the atomic bomb until December 6,1941, the day before the attack on Pearl Harbor bythe Japanese. It was then that a large-scale researcheffort called the Manhattan Project began the pro-cess ultimately leading to the development of theatomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, inAugust 1945.

THE WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON

October 19, 1939

My dear Professor:

I want to thank you for your recent letter and the most interesting and important enclosure.

I found this data of such import that I have convened a Board consisting of the head of the

Bureau of Standards and a chosen representative of the Army and Navy to thoroughly

investigate the possibilities of your suggestion regarding the element of uranium.

I am glad to say that Dr. Sachs will cooperate and work with this Committee and I feel this is

the most practical and effective method of dealing with the subject.

Please accept my sincere thanks.

Dr. Albert Einstein,

Old Grove Road,

Nassau Point,

Poconic, Long Island,

New York

140 Nucleus

Nucleus

Latinnucula- kernel, little nut-us thingIn biology, a large, membrane-bound structurewithin a living cell, containing the cell’s hereditarymaterial and controlling its metabolism, growth,and reproduction. In chemistry, the positivelycharged central portion of an atom that comprisesnearly all of the atomic mass and that consists ofprotons and neutrons—except in hydrogen, whichconsists of one proton only. In astronomy, the com-pact central core of a galaxy, often containing pow-erful radio, x-ray, and infrared sources.

Nutrient

Latinnutrire- to suckle, nourish-ent causing an action, being in a specific state, withinA source of nourishment or food.

Nyctalopia

Greeknukt- night-alaos- blind-opia sight, eyeNight blindness.

Nyctanthous

Greeknukt- night-anthous flowerDescribes plants that bloom or flower in theevening, such as jasmine.

Observation

Latinob- toward, against, before-serv- to serve-ation action, process, state, or conditionAny use of the senses to gather information.

Obstetrics

Latin/Greekob- toward, against, before-statos- standing, stay; make firm, fixed, balanced-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofThe branch of medicine that deals with the care ofwomen during pregnancy, childbirth, and therecuperative period following delivery.

Occipital

Latinob- toward, against, before-caput- head-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf or pertaining to the back part of the skull; theoccipital bone.

Occlude

Latinoccludere up closeTo absorb and retain gases or other substances.

Occult

Latinocculere to cover overIn medicine, a substance detectable only by micro-scopic examination.

Octahedron

Greekocta- eight-hedron faceA Platonic solid with eight faces.

Octet

Italianoct- eight-(du)et groupA set of eight valence electrons forming a stableconfiguration.

Octomerous

Greekoct- eight-meros partHaving eight parts; specifically, eightfold symmetry.

Oculomotor

Latinoculus- eye, sight-movere moveMoving or tending to move the eyeball.

Odometer

Greekhodos- journey, way-meter (metron) instrument or means of measuring; to measureA mechanical or digital device used to record dis-tance traveled.

142 Odonata

Odonata

Greekodontas toothedAn order of medium-to-large insects with elon-gated, slender abdomens; dragonflies and damsel-flies. Dragonflies hold wings horizontally when atrest, have thick bodies, and are active fliers. Dam-selflies hold wings vertically when at rest, haveslender bodies, and are less agile in flight.

Odontoid

Greekodontas- toothed-oid (oeides) resembling, having the appearance ofResembling a tooth; the odontoid process of theaxis bone.

Oestrus

Greekoistros having strong desire; anything that drives one mad; frenzyThe period during which the sexual desire andattractions of the female may be heightened, lead-ing to copulation.

Olefin

Frencholeum- oil-fier form, cause to becomeAny of a class of unsaturated open-chain hydro-carbons having the general formula CnH2n.

Olein

Latinoleum- oil-in natural chemical compoundAn oily, yellow liquid occurring in animal andvegetable oil.

Olfaction

Latinolfacere- smell-ion state, process, or quality of The process of smelling.

Oligocene

Greekoligos- little, few-kainos recentAn epoch of the Early Tertiary period, spanningthe time between 33.7 and 23.8 million years ago.

Oligochaeta

Greekoligos- little, few-chaite long hairAny of a class of hermaphrodite terrestrial oraquatic annelids (such as earthworms) that lack aspecialized head.

Oligoclase

Greekoligos- little, few-klastos- break, break in pieces-sis action, process, state, conditionAny of a class of common rocks forming series oftriclinic feldspars.

Oligomer

Greekoligos- little, few-mer segmentA polymer that consists of two, three, or fourmonomers.

Oligosaccharide

Greekoligos- little or few-sakkhar- sugar-ide nonmetal radicalA carbohydrate that consists of a relatively smallnumber of monosaccharides.

Olivine

Latin (from Greek)oliva- (Latin) color olive greenelaia- (Greek) olive green-ine made of, resemblingA mineral silicate of iron and magnesium foundin igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Ommatidium

Greekomma- eye-idium smallOne of the optical units of the compound eye ofarthropods and mollusks.

Omnivore

Latinomnis- all-vorare to devourAn organism that consumes a variety of plant andanimal material.

Oncogene

Greekonco- mass, bulk, swelling-gen to give birth, kind, produceA gene in which mutation induces neoplasia(cancer).

Oncosphere

Greekonkinos- a hook-sphaira ballRounded larva that is common to all cestodes andthat bears hooks.

Opisthaptor 143

Ontogeny

Greekonto- a being, individual; being, existence-geny birth, descent, origin, creation, inception, beginning; race, sort, kind, classThe course of development of an individualorganism. The history or science of the develop-ment of the individual being; embryology.

Oocyst

Greekoion- egg-cyst (kustis) sac or bladder that contains fluidCyst that forms around a zyogote of malaria andrelated organisms.

Oocyte

Greekoion- egg-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidStage in the formation of an ovum, just preceding thefirst meiotic division (primary oocyte) or just follow-ing the first meiotic division (secondary oocyte).

Oogenesis

Greekoion- egg-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-sis action, process, state, conditionThe formation, development, and maturation of anovum.

Ookinete

Greekoion- egg-kinein to moveThe motile zygote of malaria organisms.

Oolemma

Greekoion- egg-eilema veil, sheathThe plasma membrane of the oocyte.

Oology

Greekoion- egg-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe branch of biology that deals with the study ofeggs.

Oophoritis

Greekoophor- ovary, egg-itis inflammation, burning sensationInflammation of an ovary.

Ooze

Middle English

wose muddy groundSoft mud or slime.

Opacity

Latinopacus- shady-ity state of, quality ofThe quality or state of being opaque.

Opaque

Latinopacus shadyImpenetrable by light; neither transparent ortranslucent.

Operator

Latinoperare- to work-or a condition or property of things or personsA genetic unit that regulates the transcription ofstructural genes in its operon.

Operculum

Latinoperire to coverA lid or flap covering an aperture, such as the gillcovers in some fish.

Operon

Latinoper- operator-on heredity unitA unit of genetic material that functions in a coor-dinated manner by means of an operator, a pro-moter, and one or more structural genes that aretranscribed together.

Ophthalmology

Greekophthalmos- eye; sight-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe branch of medicine that deals with the anat-omy, functions, pathology, and treatment of the eye.

Ophthalmopathy

Greekophthalmos- eye; sight-patheia disease; feeling, sensation, perceptionThe study of the diseases of the eye and associ-ated tissue.

Opisthaptor

Greekopistho- backward, behind, at the back, after, posterior-haptein- to fasten-or a condition or property of things or personsThe posterior attachment organ of a monogenetictrematode.

144 Opisthognathous

Opisthognathous

Greekopistho- backward, behind, at the back, after, posterior-gnathos jawWith the head deflexed such that the mouthpartsare directed posteriorly, as in the insect orderHemiptera.

Opsonin

Greekopson- a relish-in protein or derived from a proteinType of antibody in blood serum that weakensbacteria and other foreign cells so that the phago-cytes can destroy them more easily.

Optic

Greekoptikos- visable-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofReferring to vision or the science of optics or lenses.

Orbital

Latinorbita- orbit-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofRefers to the wave function of an electron in anatom or molecule.

Organ

Greekorganon- organized structure; pertaining to a par-ticular body part with a specific function(s); tool, implementThe aggregation of various tissues into a specificstructure designed to carry out some biologicalfunction within a multicellular organism.

Organelle

Greek/Latinorganon- organized structure; pertaining to a par-ticular body part with a specific function(s); tool, implement-elle diminutiveSpecialized part of a cell; literally, a small organthat performs functions analogous to those oforgans of multicellular animals.

Organic

Greekorganon- organized structure; pertaining to a par-ticular body part with a specific function(s); tool, implement-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf or pertaining to compounds containing carbon.

Johannes Kepler

It had been well over 1500 years sincethe first and perhaps only major para-digm in science had swept the Westernworld. Now the paradigm was about toshift. A bold new group of thinkers hademerged in Europe to challenge theaccepted theories and to lay the founda-tion for a more progressive approach toscience (a newly coined word) andexperimentation. The scientific revolu-tion was about to begin.

Johannes Kepler, born in Germany onDecember 27, 1571, was one of the firstto question contemporary thinking. Hewrote, “Geometry existed before theCreation. It is co-eternal with the mind ofGod. . . . Geometry is God himself.”

Even as a child, Kepler was gifted andoutspoken. He studied religion, mathe-matics, and philosophy at a Protestantseminary school. In his relatively seques-tered life, he pondered the relationshipbetween God and the natural world. Helooked for mathematical evidence of har-mony between the eternal and the natu-ral. One might even describe him as apatron of Pythagoras. For a time hebelieved in the Platonic solids as a frame-work for the orbits of the planets.

The number of known planets inKepler’s time was six. To Kepler, thenagging question was, why only six?Why not more? He struggled with theexplanation of the distances between theplanets according to Copernicus. Hespent years trying to formulate a reason-able explanation of the data on planetarypositions that he had obtained fromTycho Brahe. He wanted to develop anexperimental approach to studying plan-etary design, but he needed baseline data.He brilliantly determined that by usingthe sun and the orbital period of Mars, hecould produce data establishing that theorbital path of Mars was not circular. ToKepler, such disharmony was very unset-tling, but he clearly demonstrated thatthe order and perfection of the heavens,as described by the Greeks, was moremyth than fact.

Orthoptera 145

Organism

Greekorganon- organized structure; pertaining to a par-ticular body part with a specific function(s); tool, implement-ism state or condition, qualityAn individual living animal or plant able to carryon life functions through mutually dependentsystems and organs.

Organogenesis

Greek/Latinorganon- organized structure; pertaining to a par-ticular body part with a specific function(s); tool, implement-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-sis action, process, state, conditionThe formation and development of the organs ofliving things.

Organosol

Greekorganon- organized structure; pertaining to a par-ticular body part with a specific function(s); tool, implement-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic of-ol chemical additiveA colloidal dispersion in which an organic disper-sion medium is used.

Orientation

Latinorient- to adjust-ion state, process, or quality of Change of position by organs, organelles, ororganisms in response to external stimulus.

Orifice

Latinor- mouth-ficium a making, doingAn opening to a cavity or to a body; mouth.

Ornithodelphia

Greekornis- bird-delphys- womb-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsInfraclass of monotreme mammals.

Ornithology

Greekornis- bird-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe branch of zoology dealing with the scientificstudy of birds and their structure, classification,habits, songs, and flight.

Orogeny

Greek/Frenchoros- mountain-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-y place for an activity; condition, stateThe formation of mountains through plate tectonics.

Oropharynx

Greekor- mouth-pharynx cavity leading from the mouth and nasal passages to the larynxThe part of the pharynx that extends from themouth to the larynx.

Orpiment

Latinaurum- gold or yellow -pigmentum pigmentA bright yellow mineral, arsenic trisulfide, that isused as a pigment.

Orthoclase

Greekortho- straight, true, correct, right-klasis to breakA variety of feldspar, essentially potassium alu-minum silicate, or KAlSi3O8, characterized by amonoclinic crystalline structure and found inigneous or granitic rock.

Orthogenesis

Greekortho- straight, true, correct, right-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-sis action, process, state, conditionThe idea that the evolutionary path of a lineagecan acquire a trend that carries it in a continuousdirection; directional selection.

Orthopedics

Greekortho- straight, true, correct, right-paideia- child rearing-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofThe branch of medicine that deals with the pre-vention or correction of injuries or disorders ofthe skeletal system and associated muscles,joints, and ligaments.

Orthoptera

Greekortho- straight, true, correct, right-ptera feather, wingAn order of mandibulate insects including grass-hoppers, locusts, and cockroaches; insects withgreatly enlarged hind legs with forewings modi-fied into a tegmen.

146 Oscillate

Oscillate

Latinos- mouth-cillum to swingTo vary between alternate extremes, usuallywithin a definable period of time.

Osculum

Latinos- mouth-culum diminutive, littleExcurrent opening in a sponge.

Osmiridium

Englishosme- from the smell of osmium tetroxide-irid- rainbow-ium quality or relationshipA mineral that is a natural alloy of osmium andiridium, with small inclusions of platinum, rhod-ium, and other metals.

Osmium

Greekosme- smell from the smell of osmium tetroxide-ium quality or relationshipA hard metallic element found in small amountsin osmiridium and platinum ores.

Osmosis

Greekosmos- thrust, push-osis action, process, state, conditionDiffusion of fluid through a semipermeablemembrane from a solution with a low solute con-centration to a solution with a higher solute con-centration, until there is an equal concentration offluid on both sides of the membrane.

Osmotic

Greekosmos- thrust, push-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRelating to the diffusion of a fluid through asemipermeable member until there is equal con-centration on both sides of the membrane.

Osmotroph

Greekosmos- thrust, push-trophos (trophein) to nourish, food, nutrition; developmentA heterotrophic organism that absorbs dissolvednutrients.

Ossification

Latinoss- bone-ify- (ficus) make, or cause to become

-ion state, process, or quality of The natural process of forming bone from soft tis-sue, including cartilage and membranous tissue.

Osteichthyes

Greekosteon- bone-ichthus fishA class of fish having a skeleton composed ofbone in addition to cartilage.

Osteoarthropathy

Greekosteon- bone-arthr- joint-patheia disease, feeling, sensation, perceptionA disorder affecting bones and joints.

Osteoblast

Greekosteon- bone-blastos bud, germ cellCells that help create bone by facilitating thedeposit of minerals.

Osteoclast

Greekosteon- bone-klastos break, break in piecesA large, multinucleate cell found in growing bonethat reabsorbs bony tissue, as in the formation ofcanals and cavities.

Osteocyte

Greekosteon- bone-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidA cell embedded in a bone.

Osteology

Greekosteon- bone-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgePart of anatomy dealing with the study of thestructure, development, and function of bones.

Osteopathy

Greekosteon- bone-patheia disease, feeling, sensation, perceptionDisease involving the bones.

Osteoporosis

Greekosteon- bone-poros- a passage-sis action, process, state, conditionA disease in which the bones become porous.

Oviger 147

Ostium

Latinos- mouth-ium quality or relationshipName given to any small opening in an organism;mouthlike opening in organisms; one of the smallporelike openings in sponges.

Otodynia

Greekot- ear; relationship to the ear-dynia painPain in the ear; earache.

Otolith

Greekot- ear; relationship to the ear-lithos stone, rockCalcerous concretions in the membranous laby-rinth of the inner ear of lower vertebrates or in theauditory organ of certain vertebrates.

Outcrop

Old English

ut- away from the center or middle-crop to appear on the surfaceA portion of bedrock or other stratum protrudingthrough the soil level.

Ovary

Latinovum- egg-ary of, relating to, or connected with The ovule-bearing lower part of a pistil that rip-ens into a fruit.

Ovicide

Latinovum-egg-cide (caedere) to cut, kill, hack at, or strikeA type of pesticide that controls insect eggsthrough the application of low-sulfur petroleumoils to plants and animals.

Oviger

Greekovum- egg-gerere to bearLeg that carries eggs in pycnogonids.

Antoine Lavoisier

Antoine Lavoisier is considered by many to be thefather of modern chemistry. That title, however,was not enough to save him from the guillotine in1794. He was born in Paris, France, on August 26,1743, to a family of wealth and privilege. Lavoisiernever endeared himself to the public. He workedfor a time as a tax collector in Paris. Clearly, he wasin the wrong profession at the wrong time. Nothinghe did scientifically could make up for the aristo-cratic persona Lavoisier projected in the earlieryears of his life. Thus, when he made his finalappeal to the judge in the French court, the judge’sresponse was simply “the Revolution has no needof scientists.” He was taken out and executed alongwith many others, including his father-in-law, whowas executed right before him.

Antoine Lavoisier was a remarkable chemist. Hewas one of the first to quantify chemistry, that is, toassign numbers to chemicals and to chemical reac-tions. The law of conservation of matter was a directresult of Lavoisier’s experiments. By carefullyweighing both reactants and products, he demon-strated that the mass of the end products of a chem-ical reaction is equal to the mass of the reactants.

Prior to the work of Lavoisier, there had onlybeen discussion of the possibility of the existence ofcompounds. By his clever quantification of chemicalreactions, Lavoisier was able to prove that elements

do, in fact, combine to form compounds. Lavoisierwas the first to prove that water was a compoundcomposed of the elements hydrogen and oxygen. Healso demonstrated that the ratio of hydrogen to oxy-gen is 2 to 1. Lavoisier’s Elementary Treatise ofChemistry, published in 1789, was considered bymany to be the first chemistry textbook. It encapsu-lated in an integrated perspective a modern approachto chemistry and chemical analysis. In addition tocreating a chemical nomenclature and discountingpreviously accepted chemical theories, such as thephlogiston theory of matter, he introduced in hiswritings a significant group of chemicals that couldnot be broken down further. Those chemicals aremany of the elements we are familiar with today.

All this and more could not save him. His countrywas in turmoil, and the French Revolution turnedeven more violent in its latter stages. When Lavoisierwas arrested and brought to court, no one stood in hisdefense. His peers and closest friends, who knew hewas innocent of the serious charges brought againsthim, did nothing and said nothing. Everyone fearedfor their own lives. The terror that was the FrenchRevolution struck such fear in the hearts of men thatthey allowed the innocent to go down with the guilty.

A very short year and a half later, the Frenchgovernment exonerated Lavoisier of all guilt. Toolittle and far too late.

148 Ovine

Ovine

Latinov- sheep-ine of or relating toRefers to sheep.

Ovipositor

Latinovum- egg-pos- to place-or a condition or property of things or persons, person who does somethingOrgan of female insects through which eggs are laid.

Ovoviviparity

Latinovum- egg-vivi- life, alive-parity to bring forth, to bear, producing viable offspring, giving birth toRetention of the developing fertilized egg withinthe mother; a form of viviparity in which there isno nutrition of hatched young.

Ovulation

Latinovum- egg-ation action, process, state, or conditionThe process of releasing the ovum from the ovary.

Ovule

Latinovum- egg-ule little, small

A minute structure in seed plants that developsinto a seed after fertilization.

Ovum

Latinov- egg-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structurePlural ova; female gamete before fertilization.

Oxalate

French/Latinoxal- a derivative of oxalic acid, found in plants-ate meaning the salt or ester of the root acidC2O4, the ion of oxalic acid Na2C2O4, salt ofoxalic acid.

Oxidation

Frenchoxide- a binary compound of an element or a rad-ical with oxygen-ion state, process, or quality ofA reaction in which the atoms in an element lose elec-trons and the valence of the element is correspond-ingly increased (originally, this was considered tobe the combination of a substance with oxygen).

Oxygen

Latin/Greekoxus- acid, sharp-gen to give birth, kind, produceA nonmetallic element constituting 21% of the atmo-sphere by volume that occurs as a diatomic gas, O2,and in many compounds such as water and iron ore.

Palate

Greek/Latinpal- flat-ate characterized by havingIn mammals, the roof of the mouth. The bonyfront part is the hard palate, and the muscular rearpart is the soft palate.

Paleoanthropology

Greekpalaois- ancient, old-anthropo- human-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of fossils belonging to the genus Homo(e.g., Homo erectus).

Paleocene

Greek/Latinpalaois- ancient, old-recens recentThe earliest epoch of the Tertiary period, spanningthe time between 65 and 55.5 million years ago.

Paleontology

Greekpalaois- ancient, old-ontos- having existed-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of the forms of life existing in prehis-toric or geologic times, as represented by the fos-sils of plants, animals, and other organisms.

Paleozoic

Greekpalaois- ancient, old-zoikos- of animals-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofThe second oldest division of geologic time; anera of geologic time from the end of the Precam-brian to the beginning of the Mesozoic.

Palpitate

Latinpalpare- to feel-ate characterized by havingTo beat rapidly, as the heart.

Pandemic

Greekpan- all-demos- the people-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofAn epidemic over a large region.

Paracentesis

Greekpara- beyond-cente- puncture-sis action, process, state, conditionThe process of aspirating a cavity.

Paradox

Greekpara- beyond-doxa explanationA seemingly contradictory statement that maynonetheless be true.

150 Paraffin

Paraffin

Latinparum- little, not very-affinis associated withA member of the alkane series.

Parallax

Greekpara- beside; near; alongside-allos otherThe apparent change in the position of an objectresulting from the change in the direction or posi-tion from which it is viewed.

Parallel

Greekpara- beside; near; alongside-allos one anotherExtending in the same direction; everywhere equi-distant and not meeting.

Paralysis

Greekpara- beside; near; alongside-luein- to release-sis action, process, state, conditionThe loss of either sensation or movement or bothon a part of the body, usually as a result of injury.

Paramagnetic

Greekpara- beside; near; alongside-magnes- stone from Magnesia (city in Asia Minor)-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRelating to or being a substance in which aninduced magnetic field is parallel and propor-tional to the magnetizing field, but is muchweaker than in ferromagnetic materials.

Paramecium

Greekpara- beside; near; alongside-mekos- length-ium quality or relationship Freshwater species of the genus Paramecium thatis typically long and narrow, with an oral grooveon the side.

Parasite

Greekpara- beside; near; alongside-sitos- grain, food-ite residentAn organism that grows, feeds, and is shelteredon or in a different organism while contributingnothing to the survival of its host.

Parasitism

Greek

para- beside; near; alongside-sitos- grain, food-ism state or condition, qualityThe condition of an organism living in or on anotherorganism at whose expense the parasite is maintained.

Parasitology

Greekpara- beside; near; alongside-sitos- grain, food-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeA branch of science that deals with parasites andparasitism.

Parathyroid

Greekpara- beside; near; alongside-thureos- oblong shield; door-oid (oeides) resembling, having the appearance ofFour small kidney-shaped glands located later-ally and posteriorly to the thyroid glands in theneck; they secrete the parathyroid hormone.

Parenchyma

Greekpara- beside; near; alongside-enchyma infusionLeast specialized of all plant cell or tissue types.

Parietal

Latinpariet- wall-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofIn biology, refers to either the parietal bone of theskull or the forming of a wall of a body part ororgan.

Parity

Latinpar- equal-ity state of, quality ofAn intrinsic symmetry property of subatomic par-ticles that is characterized by the behavior of thewave function of such particles under reflectionthrough the origin of spatial coordinates.

Parotid

Greekpar- by the side of, beside; associated, near-id state, condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, inclined toPertaining to the salivary glands located on theside of the head near the ears.

Parotitis

Greek

Penicillin 151

par- by the side of, beside; associated, near-itis inflammationInflammation of the parotid glands, as in mumps.

Parsec (Parallax- second)

Greekpara- beside; near; alongside-allos- other-sec (secundus) secondA distance at which an object will have a parallaxof one second of arc; 3.258 light years or 1.918 Þ1023 miles.

Parthenogenesis

Greekparthenos- virgin-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-sis action, process, state, conditionA form of reproduction in which an unfertilized eggdevelops into a new individual, occurring com-monly among insects and certain other arthropods.

Particle

Latinparticula partAny of the basic units of matter and energy.

Pathogenic

Greekpathos- suffering, disease-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRefers to an agent, typically a microbe that causesdisease or suffering.

Pathology

Greekpathos- suffering, disease-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe science of disease formation, processes,causes, and effects.

Pediatrics

Greekpaideia- child rearing-iasthai to healThe branch of medicine that deals with the careof infants and children and the treatment of theirdiseases.

Pedigree

Frenchped- foot-de grue of crane (resembling a crane’s foot)A diagram that traces a trait through several fam-ily generations.

Pedipalp

Latinped- foot-palp, -palpi, -palpo to touch, strokeOne of the second pair of appendages near the mouthof a spider or other arachnid that are modified for var-ious reproductive, predatory, or sensory functions.

Peduncle

Latinped- foot-uncle littleA primary flower stalk, supporting either a clus-ter or a solitary flower.

Pelagic

Greekpelagikos- (pelagos) sea-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf, relating to, or living in open oceans or seas ratherthan in waters adjacent to land or in inland waters.

Pellicle

Latinpellicula huskThin, protective membrane in some protozoa.

Pelvis

Latinpelvis basinA basin-shaped cavity at the base of the axialskeleton formed by the fusion of six bones, theileum, pubis, and the ischium.

Penetrometer

Latinpenetr- inner or inside-meter (metron) instrument or means of measur-ing; to measureAn instrument designed to measure the density,compactness, and penetrability of a substance.

Penguin

Old Welshpen- white-gwyn headAny of various erect, short-legged, flightlessaquatic birds (family Spheniscidae) of the South-ern Hemisphere.

Penicillin

Latinpenicillus- brush-in protein or derived from proteinAny of a group of broad-spectrum antibiotic drugsobtained from penicillium molds or produced syn-thetically; most active against gram-positive bac-teria and used in the treatment of variousinfections and diseases.

152 Pentahedron

Pentahedron

Greekpenta- five-hedron faceA three-dimensional solid having five (plane) faces.

Pentamer

Greekpenta- five-meros a partA polymer consisting of five molecules.

Penumbra

Latinpaene- almost-umbra shadowThe outer, almost darkened part of a shadow castduring an eclipse that lies between the completelydarkened area and the fully lit area.

Peptide

Englishpept(one)- digested-ide group of related chemical compoundsAny of various natural compounds containingtwo or more amino acids linked by the carboxylgroup of one amino acid and the amino group ofanother.

Peptize

Greekpept(one)- digested-ize to make, to treat, to do something withTo change a gel into a colloid solution form.

Percolate

Latinper- through, across-co- together, with-late bear, carryTo cause a liquid to pass through spaces of aporous material.

Perennial

Latinper- through, across-annus- year-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofRefers to that which lasts year after year; a peren-nial plant.

Pericardia

Greekperi- around, about, enclosing-kard- heart, pertaining to the heart-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing plurals

Thin, membranous, fluid-secreting sac in the areaaround the heart.

Pericarditis

Greekperi- around, about, enclosing-kard- heart, pertaining to the heart-itis inflammation, burning sensationInflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart.

Pericycle

Greekperi- around, about, enclosing-kyklos circle, wheel, cycleThin tissue layer found in vascular plants; canproduce lateral roots.

Peridotite

Frenchperidot- a yellowish green variety of olivine used as a gem-ite minerals and fossilsAny of a group of igneous rocks composedmainly of olivine and various pyroxenes and hav-ing a granitelike texture.

Perigee

French (from Greek)peri- around, about, enclosing-ge earth, worldThe point nearest the earth’s center in the orbit ofa moon or satellite.

Perihelion

Greekperi- around, about, enclosing-helios- sun-ion state, process, or quality of The point along an orbit of a planet at which theplanet is closest to the sun.

Perimorph

Greekperi- around, about, enclosing-morph shape, form, figure, or appearanceA mineral that encloses a different mineral.

Perineum

Greekperi- around, about, enclosing-inan to excreteIn females, the area between the anus and the vagina.

Period

Greekperi- around, about, enclosing-hodos journey, wayThe geological length of time.

Phagocytosis 153

Periodic

Greekperi- around, about, enclosing-hodos- journey, way-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofHaving or marked by repeated cycles.

Perissodactyla

Greekperissos- odd-dactylos toeOrder of odd-toed mammals (horses, zebras).

Peristalsis

Greekperi- around, about, enclosing-stellein- to place-sis action, process, state, conditionMuscular contractions of esophagus.

Peritoneum

Greekperi- around, about, enclosing-teinein to stretchThe membrane that lines the walls of the abdom-inal cavity.

Peritrichous

Greekperi- around, about, enclosing-tricho- made of hair-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toPertains to having flagella all over a cell.

Permafrost

Latin/Middle Englishpermanere- to endure-frost freeze; frozenPermanently frozen subsoil continuous through-out the polar region.

Permeable

Latinper- through-meare- to glide-able capable, be inclined to, tending to, given toCapable of being penetrated by liquids or gases.

Peroxide

Latinper- large or largest portion of an element-oxy(s)- sharp, acid-ide group of related chemical compoundsAn oxide of an element or a radical that containsthe greatest possible amount of oxygen, especiallywhen there are oxygen atoms joined to each other.

Peroxisome

Latin/Greekper- large or largest portion of an element

-oxy(s)- sharp, acid-soma (somatiko) bodyA cell organelle containing enzymes such as cat-alase and oxidase that catalyze the productionand breakdown of hydrogen peroxide.

Pesticide

Latinpesti- plague, contagion-cide (caedere) to cut, kill, hack at, or strikeA chemical agent used to destroy pests.

Petal

Greekpetalon leafOne of the often brightly colored parts of a flowerimmediately surrounding the reproductive organs.

Petrochemical

Greekpetros- a rock, fossil, or stone-chemeia- alchemy-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofA chemical derived from fossil fuels.

Petroleum

Latinpetros- a rock, fossil, or stone-oleum oilOily, flammable liquid that occurs naturally indeposits, usually beneath the surface of the earth.

Petrology

Greekpetros- a rock, fossil, or stone-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeBranch of geology that deals with the study ofrocks, their mineral compositions, their textures,and their origins.

Phagocyte

Greekphagos- (phagein) to eat, eating-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidWhite blood cells that destroy pathogens by sur-rounding and engulfing them.

Phagocytosis

Greekphagos- (phagein) to eat, eating-cyte- (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluid-sis action, process, state, conditionThe process by which a cell absorbs or eats wastematerials.

154 Phanerozoic

Phanerozoic

Greekphainein- visible-zoion living beingThe most recent past geologic eon that includesthe Cenozoic, Mesozoic, and Paleozoic eras.

Pharmacology

Greekpharmac- drug, medicine, or poison-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of the properties of drugs and theireffects on the body.

Pharyngotomy

Greekpharyng- throat-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectionAn operation in which an incision is made intothe pharynx to remove a tumor.

Pharynx

Greekpharyng- throatPassage between the esophagus and the cavitiesof the nose and mouth.

Phenocryst

Greekphaino- showing, displaying-krustallos ice, crystal, freeze, icelikeA conspicuous, usually large, crystal that isembedded in porphyritic igneous rock.

Phenol

Greekphen- related to or derived from benzene-ol chemical derivativeA caustic, poisonous, white crystalline com-pound derived from benzene and used in resins,plastics, and pharmaceuticals, as well as in diluteform as a disinfectant and antiseptic.

Phenology

Greekphainein- to show, appear, display; making evi-dent; literally, “to come”-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe seasonal life history of an insect population.

Phenomenon

Greekphainomenon to appearAn observable event.

Phenotype

Greekphainein- to show, appear, display; making evident; literally, “to come”-typos markThe complete observable characteristics of anorganism or group including anatomic, physio-logic, biochemical, and behavioral traits as deter-mined by the interaction of genetic makeup andenvironmental factors.

Pheromone

Greekpherein- to carry, bear, support; go-(hor)mone to rouse, or set in motionA chemical secreted by an animal, especially aninsect, that influences the behavior or develop-ment of others of the same species and often func-tions as an attractant of the opposite sex.

Philodendrist

Greekphilos- love, fondness for, loving-dendron- tree-ist one who is engaged inOne who has a special fondness for trees.

Phlebitis

Greekphleb- blood vessel, vein-itis inflammation, burning sensationThe inflammation of a vein.

Phlebosclerosis

Greekphleb- blood vessel, vein-skleros- hard-sis action, process, state, conditionThickening or hardening of the walls of the veins.

Phloem

Greekphloios barkThe food-conducting tissue of vascular plants.

Phosphorus

Greekphos- light-pherein to carry, bear, support; goA highly reactive, poisonous, nonmetallic ele-ment found in safety matches and pyrotechnics.

Photochemical

Latinphotos- light, radiant energy-alchymia- action of chemicals-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character of

Physical 155

Refers to chemicals and other pollutants reactingin the presence of sunlight.

Photoelectric

Greekphotos- light, radiant energy-elector- beaming sun-ic relating to or having some characteristic ofPertains to the ejection of an electron from a sur-face exposed to light.

Photometry

Greekphotos- light, radiant energy-metria (metron) the process of measuring; to measureThe branch of science that deals with the mea-surement of light output.

Photon

Greekphotos- light, radiant energy-on a particleThe smallest physical particle; it has no mass andno charge, and is electromagnetic energy.

Photopsin

Greekphotos- light, radiant energy-opsis- sight, appearance-in neutral chemical. protein derivativeThe photoreceptor pigments found in the conecells of the retina that are the basis of colorvision.

Photoreceptor

Greekphotos- light, radiant energy-recept- receiver-or a condition or property of things or persons, person who does somethingA group of nerve cells that are sensitive to lightenergy.

Photosensitive

Greekphotos- light, radiant energy-sensus- senses-ive performing an actionRefers to something that is easily irritated bylight.

Photosphere

Greekphotos- light, radiant energy-sphaira a globe shape, ball, sphereThe intensely bright gaseous outer layer of a star,especially of the sun.

Photosynthesis

Greekphotos- light, radiant energy-synthe- formation by combination-sis action, process, state, condition The process by which carbon dioxide is con-verted into organic matter in the presence of thechlorophyll in plants and under the influence oflight.

Phototropism

Greekphotos- light, radiant energy-trope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to stimulus-ism state or condition, qualityAdjustment in the direction and rate of plantgrowth in response to light.

Phycoerythrin

Greekphukos- seaweed-erythros redA red phycobilin occurring especially in the cellsof red algae.

Phyllotaxy

Greekphullon- leaf-taxi arrangement, orderThe manner in which leaves are arranged withregard to the axis.

Phylogeny

Greekphulon- race, class, tribe-genes to give birth, kind, produceDevelopment and history of a species or highertaxonomic grouping of organisms.

Phylum

Greekphulon- race, class, tribeThe chief category of taxonomic classifications,between kingdom and class, into which organ-isms of common descent that share a fundamentalpattern of organization are grouped.

Physical

Greekphysica- physics-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofIn physics, a term used to refer to or identifymaterial things. In biology, a term used to refer toor denote the body as opposed to the mind orspirit.

156 Physics

Physics

Greekphusis- nature-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofThe science of matter and energy and of the inter-actions between the two, grouped into traditionalfields such as acoustics, optics, mechanics, ther-modynamics, and electromagnetism, as well asmodern extensions including atomic and nuclearphysics, cryogenics, solid-state physics, particlephysics, and plasma physics.

Physiology

Greekphysio- form, origin-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe branch of biology dealing with the structureand functions of living organisms and their parts.

Phytobenthos

Greekphuton- plant-benthos deep; the fauna and flora of the bottom of the seaThe aquatic flora of the region at or near the bot-tom of the sea.

Phytochrome

Greekphuton- plant-chrome pigmentA substance that produces a color in plant tissue.

Phytoplankton

Greekphuton- plant-planktos wanderingMinute, free-floating aquatic plants.

Pigment

Latinpingere to paintA coloring matter in animals and plants, espe-cially in a cell or tissue.

Pineal

Frenchpomme de pin pineconeAn endocrine gland found in the middle of thebrain; it secretes melatonin and is named for itspinecone shape.

Pinniped

Latinpinnas- feather, wing-ped foot

Ernest Rutherford

Ernest Rutherford is considered by many to be thefather of nuclear physics. He was born EarnestRutherford, the first Baron Rutherford of Nelson,in New Zealand on August 30, 1871. He died onAugust 19, 1937.

Rutherford became known for developing anexperimental design demonstrating the scatteringof nuclear (alpha) particles using gold foil. For atime, he studied at the University of Cambridge inEngland, where, during his investigations of wirelesswave energy and radioactivity, he coined the termsalpha, beta, and gamma rays.

Rutherford moved to Canada and took a profes-sorship in and chaired the Department of Physics atMcGill University. There he developed an explana-tion for the constant rate of disintegration of radioac-tive atoms, ultimately leading to the term half-life.He went on to associate this process of atomicdecay with a precise, clocklike action. By examin-ing the half-life of radium and knowing that radiumultimately came from the degradation of uranium,Rutherford was able to speculate about the age ofthe earth. He placed the age at hundreds of millionsof years—not exactly accurate or narrow in its

scope, but it was a starting point that was picked upby scientists later on. For this work, he wasawarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1908.

Rutherford began to feel left out of mainstreamscience at McGill, so he moved to Great Britain andwas given the chair of the Department of Physics atthe University of Manchester. Here he ultimatelydiscovered the nature of the nuclei of atoms. Hetheorized about “neutrons” in the nuclei as beingparticles capable of countering the effects of posi-tively charged protons and thus preventing thenucleus from breaking apart.

His pioneering work in nuclear physics was instru-mental in the establishment of the Manhattan Project.During his work in nuclear science, Rutherford wasquoted as saying, “The energy produced by breakingdown the atom is a very poor kind of thing. Anyonewho expects a source of power from the transforma-tions of these atoms is talking moonshine.”

He desperately wanted to avoid the developmentof nuclear energy for use in weaponry until all thenations of the world were at peace. Rutherford diedin 1937, well before the destructive power ofatomic energy was unleashed in 1945.

Pleistocene 157

Any of a suborder (Pinnipedia) of aquatic carniv-orous mammals (such as a seal or walrus) with allfour limbs modified into flippers.

Pinocytosis

Greekpinein- to drink-kutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-sis action, process, state, conditionIntroduction of fluids into a cell.

Pistil

Latinpestle club-shapedThe female reproductive organ of a floweringplant; it contains the stigma, style, and ovary.

Pitch

Anglo Normanpiche pitchThe auditory effect of sound frequency; the sapthat gathers from evergreen trees; any of the resin-ous materials from the bitumens, such as asphalt.

Pituitary

Greekpituitarius- of phlegmptuo- to spit-ary of, relating to, or connected withA small oval endocrine gland attached to the baseof the vertebrate brain, the secretions of whichcontrol the other endocrine glands and influencegrowth, metabolism, and maturation.

Placenta

Greekplakoenta flat land, surfaceA flat, membranous, highly vascular organ thatdevelops in the female mammal during preg-nancy; it supplies nutrients and removes wastesfrom the developing fetus.

Planet

Greekplanasthai to wonderA heavenly body seeming to have a motion of itsown among the fixed stars.

Plankton

Greekplanktos wanderingThe passively floating or weakly swimming, usu-ally minute animal and plant life in a body of water.

Plasma

Greekplastos (plassein) something molded (to mold)Straw-colored fluid part of the lymph and bloodcomposed of water, electrolytes, proteins, glu-cose, fats, and gases. Essential for carrying cellu-

lar elements of the blood and maintaining acid-base balance.

Plasmalemma

Greekplastos- (plassein) something molded (to mold)-eilema veil, sheathThe thin membrane immediately surrounding thecytoplasm of a cell that restricts the passage ofmolecules into the cell.

Plasmodesmata

Greekplastos- (plassein) something molded; to mold-desma bond, adhesionA strand of cytoplasm that passes through anopening in the cell walls and connects the proto-plasts of adjacent living plant cells.

Plasmolysis

Greekplastos- (plassein) something molded (to mold)-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve, dissolution, break-sis action, process, state, conditionContraction of a cell caused by loss of water.

Platyhelminthes

Greekplatus- flat-helminth wormAny of various parasitic and nonparasitic wormsof the phylum Platyhelminthes, such as a tape-worm or a planarian, characteristically having asoft, flat, bilaterally symmetrical body and nobody cavity.

Platypus

Latinplatus- flat-pous footA flat-tailed, semiaquatic mammal, resembling aduck and having webbed feet and a snout; egglaying.

Pleiades

Greekpeleiades flock of dovesThe cluster of seven stars also known as the SevenSisters, located in the constellation Taurus theBull.

Pleistocene

Greekpleistos- most-kainos recent, newAn epoch of the Quaternary period, between 1.8million years ago and the beginning of theHolocene epoch.

158 Pleomorphic

Pleomorphic

Greekple- many, more-morph- shape, form, figure, or appearance-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRefers to the occurrence of two or more structuralforms during a lifespan.

Pleura

Greekpleura rib, sideThin membrane that covers a lung and lines thechest cavity in mammals.

Plexus

Greekplectere to plait, braidIn biology, a network-like structure formed bynerves, blood vessels, or lymphatic vessels.

Pliocene

Greekpleion- more-kainos recent, newFinal epoch of the Tertiary period, spanning thetime between 5.3 and 1.8 million years ago.

Plutonic

Greekpluto- the god of the lower world in classical mythology-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRefers to intrusive rocks that form under theearth’s surface.

Pneumonia

Greekpneumon- lung, breath-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsAn acute or chronic disease marked by inflamma-tion of the lungs; caused by viruses, bacteria, orother microorganisms and sometimes by physicaland chemical irritants.

Pneumonocentesis

Greekpneumon- lung, breath-kentesis- pricking-sis action, process, state, conditionSurgical perforation or puncture of a lung toremove fluid, pus, or blood.

Poikilotherm

Greekpoik- varied-thermos combining form of “hot” (heat)An animal that can fluctuate its temperature.

Polar

Greekpolos either of two oppositely charged terminals; axis, skyRelating to or characterized by a dipole.

Polarity

Greekpolos- either of two oppositely charged terminals; axis, sky-ity state of, quality ofIntrinsic polar orientation; having two oppositeattributes.

Polarization

Greekpolos- either of two oppositely charged terminals, axis, sky-ar- relating to or resembling-ize- to cause-ation act or processThe partial or complete polar separation of posi-tive and negative charges in a nuclear, atomic, orchemical system.

Pollen

Latinpollen fine flourTiny, grainlike structures containing the spermcells of an angiosperm; they are produced by theanthers of flowers.

Pollination

Latinpollen- fine flour-ation act or processThe transfer of pollen to the female cone in coni-fers or to the stigma in angiosperms.

Polyatomic

Latinpoly- many or much-atomos- indivisible-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofConsisting of many atoms.

Polycythemia

Latin/Greekpoly- many or much-cyte- (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluid-haima bloodA condition marked by an abnormally large num-ber of red blood cells in the circulatory system.

Polygenic

Greekpoly- many or much-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic of

Polythetic 159

Of or relating to more than one gene.

Polyhalophilic

Greekpoly- many or much-hal- salt-phile- one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference for-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofDescribes marine organisms that thrive in a widerange of salinities.

Polyhedron

Greekpoly- many or much-hedron headA three-dimensional, symmetrical shape made upof many faces.

Polyhybrid

Greekpoly- many or much-hybrida offspring of mixed parentsIn genetics, the offspring of parents differing inmore than three specific gene pairs.

Polymer

Greekpoly- many or much-meros a partA large molecule assembled from small, individ-ual molecules.

Polymerase

Greekpoly- many or much-meros- parts-ase enzymeAn enzyme used to convert two or more mole-cules into a polymer.

Polymorphism

Greekpoly- many or much-morph- shape, form, figure, or appearance-ism state or condition, qualityThe ability to appear in more than one form.

Polymyalgia

Greekpoly- many or much-myo- muscle-algia pain, sense of pain; painful, hurtingPain affecting several muscles.

Polyp

Greekpoly- many or much-pous foot

A hydra or coral, having a cylindrical body with asingle opening; a nonmalignant tumor or growthextending from the mucosa into the lumen of anorgan, such as in the large intestine.

Polypathia

Greekpoly- many or much-pathos- suffering from-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsThe presence of several diseases at once.

Polyploidy

Greekpoly- many or much-ploid- having a number of chromosomes that has a specified relationship to the basic number of chromosomes-y place for an activity; condition, stateHaving one or more extra sets of chromosomes.

Polyprotic

Greekpoly- many or much-pro-, prot- before, forward; for, in favor of; in front of-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf or relating to an acid that can donate more thanone proton to a base, or relating to a base that canaccept more than one proton.

Polysyndactyl

Greekpoly- many or much-daktulos toe, finger, digitHaving two or more instances in the same indi-vidual of side-to-side fusion of digits.

Polytene

Greekpoly- many or much-tainia ribbon, tapewormRelating to or having large multistranded chro-mosomes whose corresponding chromomeres arein contact.

Polythetic

Greekpoly- many or much-thetos- placed-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofPertains to a category or class that is defined interms of a broad set of criteria that are neither nec-essary nor sufficient. Each member of the categorymust possess a certain minimal number of definingcharacteristics, but none of the features must nec-essarily be found in each member of the category.

160 Polyuria

Polyuria

Greekpoly- many or much-urea urineExcessive excretion of urine because of a diseasesuch as diabetes.

Pons

Latinpons bridgeA bundle of nervous tissue located on the ventralsurface of the spinal cord at the base of the brain;it connects the medulla oblongata to higherregions in the brain.

Population

Latinpopulus- the people-ion state, process, or quality of A group of organisms of the same species livingin the same area at the same time.

Porcine

Latinporc- pig or hog-ine of or relating toOf or consisting of swine; related to or resem-bling swine (pigs and hogs).

Porifera

Latinporus- pore-ferre to bearA pore-bearing organism.

Positron

Greekposi- positive charge-tron a particleThe particle having the same mass and spin as anelectron but having a +1 charge caused by theinteraction of cosmic rays with matter.

Posterior

Latinpost- after, behind-or a condition or property of things or persons, person who does somethingLocated behind a part or toward the rear of astructure.

Potential

Latinpoten- power, strength, ability-ial relating to or characterized byDescribes the energy that an object possesses buthas not yet used because of its position or condition.

Pound

Latinpondo by weightA unit of weight equal to 16 ounces.

Power

Latinpotis able, powerfulThe amount of energy consumed per unit of time.

Precession

Latinprae- earlier, before, prior to-cedere- to go-ion state, process, or quality of The term used to denote a globe spinning on its axisand describing the wobble as the globe slows down.

Precipitate

Latinprae- earlier, before, prior to-capit- to throw headlong, the head-ate of or having to do withTo cause a solid substance to be separated from asolution.

Precipitation

Latinprae- earlier, before, prior to-capit- to throw headlong, the head-ion state, process, or quality ofWater droplets or ice particles condensed fromatmospheric water vapor.

Precocial

Latinprae- earlier, before, prior to-coquere- to cook, ripen-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofRefers to a chick that leaves the nest immediatelyafter hatching.

Predator

Latinpraedari- to prey upon-or condition or activityA predatory person, animal, or thing thing thatpreys upon, devours, or destroys another.

Prehensile

Latinprehensus to clasp or seize Refers to appendages that are adapted for clasp-ing or grasping.

Prenatal

Latinprae- earlier, before, prior to-nasci be born

Prokaryotic 161

-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofExisting or occurring before birth.

Pressure

Latinpremere- to exert steady weight or force against; bear down on-ura act; process; conditionForce applied uniformly over a surface, measuredas force per unit of area.

Prey

Latinpraeda booty, preyAn animal taken by a predator as food.

Primary

Medieval Latinprimus- leader-ary of, relating to, or connected withIn geology, the term used to describe the charac-teristics of any rock at the time of its formation.In chemistry, relating to the replacement of oneor more atoms by other atoms in a chemicalreaction.

Primate

Medieval Latinprimus- leader-ate characterized by havingA member of the order of mammals that includesmonkeys, apes, and humans.

Prism

Greekprizein to saw offA piece of glass that is usually cut into a triangu-lar shape so that light can travel through, and sothat the colors of the visible light are separated.

Probability

Latinpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of-abilis- to do something, specific action-ity state of, quality ofThe chance that a given event will occur; a logi-cal relation between statements such that evi-dence confirming one confirms the other to somedegree.

Probiotics

Latin/Greekpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of-bios- life, living organisms or tissue-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofBeneficial bacteria used to ease digestive ailments.

Proboscidea

Greekpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of -boskein to feedMammalian order that includes elephants.

Prodromal

Greekpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of -dromos- race course, running-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofRefers to the time following incubation periodwhen the first signs of illness appear.

Producer

Latinpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of -duct- lead, take, bring-er one that performs an actionAn organism that has the capacity to make its ownfood either by photosynthesis or by chemosynthesis.

Product

Latinpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of -duct lead, take, bringThat which results from the operation of a cause;a consequence, effect.

Prognathous

Greekpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of-gnathos jawHaving the head horizontal and the mouthpartsdirected anteriorly.

Prognosis

Greekpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of-gnos- know, learn, discern-sis action, process, state, conditionA prediction of the probable course and outcomeof a disease.

Program

Greekpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of-gramma something written or drawn; a recordData instructions fed into a computer to controlthe actions of the computer.

Prokaryotic

Greekpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of-karyon- kernel, nucleus-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofLacking a membrane-bound nucleus and mem-branous organelles, as in bacteria and archaea.

162 Prominence

Prominence

Greek/Latinpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of-minere- to jut or threaten-ence the condition ofThe incredibly huge masses of gases that burstforth from the chromosphere of the sun.

Pronotum

Greekpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of-noton- the back-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structureThe upper, often shieldlike, hardened body-wallplate located just behind the head of an insect.

Propagation

Latinpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of-pangere- to fasten-ate- of or having to do with-ion state, process, or quality ofThe multiplication or natural increase in a popu-lation; the dissemination of something to a largerarea or greater number.

Propellent

Latinpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of-pellere- to drive-ant a person who, the thing whichThe fuel and oxidizer of a rocket that provides thethrust needed for the rocket to escape earth’s gravity.

Prophase

Greekpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of-phainein to showThe stage of cell division in which the chromo-somes condense and become visible.

Prosencephalon

Greekpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of-enkephalos in the headThe anterior portion of the forebrain, includingthe frontal lobe and the olfactory bulbs.

Prosimians

Latinpro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of-simia- ape, monkey-an one that is of or relating to or belonging toOf or belonging to Prosimii, a suborder of primatesthat includes the lemurs, lorises, and tarsiers.

Prostate

Greek

pro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of-histanai to set, placeA gland that wraps around the urethra in males. Itis responsible for releasing urine from the urinarybladder to the exterior, and it produces seminalfluid, a principal component of semen.

Protactinium

Englishpro-, prot- before, forward; for, in favor of; in front of-actinium element actiniumA rare, extremely toxic radioactive element, whichdecays into actinium.

Protandrous

Greekpro-, prot- before, forward; for, in favor of; in front of-andr- man, male, men, masculine-us thingOf or relating to a flower in which the anthersrelease their pollen before the stigma of the sameflower is receptive.

Protection

Latinpro-, prot- before, forward; for, in favor of; in front of-tegere- to cover, ward off, guard, defend-ion state, process, or quality ofThe act of safeguarding, preserving, or shielding.

Protective

Latinpro-, prot- before, forward; for, in favor of; in front of-tegere- to cover, ward off, guard, defend-ive performing an actionDescribes the act of guarding another person fromdanger or injury and providing a safe environment.

Protein

Frenchproteine of the first qualityAny group of complex organic macromoleculescontaining carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen,and usually sulfur. Proteins are composed of oneor more chains of amino acids and include manysubstances, such as enzymes, hormones, and anti-bodies, that are necessary for the proper function-ing of an organism.

Proteolysis

Greekprote- protein-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve; dissolution, break-sis action, process, state, conditionA reaction sequence of the noncyclic pathway ofphotosynthesis, triggered by photon energy, in whichwater is split into oxygen, hydrogen, and electrons.

Pseudopodia 163

Proterozoic

Greekproteros- earlier-zoikos- of animals-ic (ikos) relating to or having ome characteristic ofRelating to the geologic era characterized by thefirst signs of single-celled organisms, plant algae.

Protist

Latinprotos- first formed, original, earliest-ist performs an actionUnicellular organism belonging to kingdom Protista.

Protium

Greekprotos- first formed, original, earliest-ium chemical elementThe most abundant isotope of hydrogen, withatomic mass of 1.

Protocell

Greek/Latinprotos- first formed, original, earliest-cella chamberA structure that has a lipid protein membrane andcarries on energy metabolism it existed before thefirst true cell.

Protogynous

Greekprotos- first formed, original, earliest-gune woman, women, femaleReferring to animals that are sequential hermaph-rodites, where that animal is first biologicallyfemale, having only female sexual organs, andthen changes to become biologically male.

Protolithic

Greekprotos- first formed, original, earliest-lith- rock, stone-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf, relating to, or characteristic of the very begin-ning of the Stone Age; Eolithic.

Proton

Greekprotos- first formed, original, earliest-on a particleAn elementary particle that is identical to thenucleus of the hydrogen atom, that along withneutrons is a constituent of all other atomicnuclei, that carries a positive charge numericallyequal to the charge of an electron, and that has amass of 1.673 Þ 10–27 kg.

Protoplast

Greekprotos- first formed, original, earliest-plastos (plassein) something molded (to mold)Plant cell from which the cell wall has beenremoved.

Protostome

Greekprotos- first formed, original, earliest-stoma mouthAn animal whose mouth develops from or nearthe blastopore; an opening in the early embryo.

Prototheria

Greekprotos- first formed, original, earliest-theria wild animal, monotremesSubclass of Cretaceous and early Cenozoic mam-mals; extinct except for egg-laying monotremes.

Prototype

Greekprotos- first formed, original, earliest-tupos impressionAn original type, form, or instance serving as abasis or standard for later stages.

Protozoa

Greekprotos- first formed, original, earliest-zoan animal, living being; lifeSingle-celled microorganisms of the sub-kingdomProtozoa; lowest form of animal life.

Proximity

Latinproximus- nearest, next-ity state of, quality ofThe state, quality, sense, or fact of being near ornext to; closeness.

Pseudocoelom

Greekpseudes- false-koiloma cavityBody cavity lying between the digestive tract andbody wall.

Pseudopodia

Greekpseudes- false-podion base, footA fingerlike projection on the body of an amoebaused for movement.

164 Psychokinesis

Psychokinesis

Greekpsych- mind, consciousness, mental process-kinetikos- to move; set in motion-sis action, process, state, conditionThe production or control of motion by a subjectwithout any intermediate physical energy.

Psychosomatic

Greekpsych- mind, consciousness, mental process-soma- (somatiko) body-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf or relating to a disorder having physical symptomsbut originating from mental or emotional causes.

Psychrometer

Greekpsychros- cold-meter (metron) instrument or means of measuring; to measureInstrument that measures humidity.

Pterodactyl

Greekpteron- feather, wing-daktulos toe, finger, digitSmall, typically tail-less winged reptile existingin the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

Pterygoid

Greekpterug- wing-oid (oeides) resembling, having the appearance ofRelating to the region of the sphenoid bone of theskull; winglike muscle.

Pulmonary

Latinpulmo- lung-ary of, relating to, or connected withRelating to or involving the lung.

Pulsar

Latinpullere- to beat-ar relating to or resemblingA relatively small star composed of neutrons thatemit radiant energy in regular pulses.

Pupil

Latinpupilla little doll; pupil of the eye (named for the tiny reflections on the eye)The hole in the center of the iris that light travelsthrough in order to be focused on the retina.

Purine

Latin

purus- clean-ine of or relating toThe nitrogenous bases, adenine and guanine,found in DNA.

Putrefaction

Latinputrefacere- to make rotten-ion state, process, or quality of The process of creating a strong, foul odor byemitting gases from the decomposition of organicmaterial.

Pylorus

Latinpule- gate-ouros guardThe lower section of the stomach that includes thepassageway into the duodenum of the small intestine.

Pyrimidine

Latinpur- fire-ide- group of related chemicals-ine of or relating toThe nitrogenous bases, cytosine and thymine,found in DNA.

Pyroclastic

Greekpur- fire-klastos brokenComposed chiefly of rock fragments of volcanicorigin.

Pyroxenes

Greekpur- fire-xenos strangerAny of a group of crystalline silicate mineralscommon in igneous and metamorphic rocks andcontaining two metallic oxides.

Pyrrole

Greekpyre- red-ole a heterocyclic chemical with a five-mem-bered ringA five-membered heterocyclic ring compound,C4H5N, that has an odor similar to chloroformand is the parent compound of hemoglobin.

Pyuria

Greekpuo- pus-uria urinePus found in the urine; usually an indication of aninfection.

Quadriceps

Latinquadi- four-caput headA very large muscle on the anterior surface of thethigh; it contains four heads (cusps).

Quadruped

Latinquadi- four-ped footA four-footed animal that uses all four feet forwalking and running.

Quantum

Latinquantus how greatThe smallest amount of a physical quantity thatcan exist independently, especially a discretequantity of electromagnetic radiation.

Quartz

Germanquarz mineral quartzA very hard mineral composed of silica.

Quasar

English

quasi- having a likeness to something-(stell)ar starA starlike object that has a large red shift andemits powerful blue light and often radio waves.

Quaternary

Latinquartern- four-ary of, relating to, or connected withThe second period of the Cenozoic era, spanning thetime between 1.8 million years ago and the present.

Quiescence

Latinquies- still, quiet-ence the condition ofA state in which a seed or other plant will not ger-minate or grow until the requisite environmentalconditions occur.

Quintessence

Latinquinta- fifth-essentia essenceThe fifth or last and highest essence in ancientand medieval philosophy, above fire, air, water,and earth, that permeates all nature and is the sub-stance composing the heavenly bodies.

Rabies

Latinrabere to raveA fatal disease caused by a virus that is transmit-ted by a mammal; the symptoms include hydro-phobia, convulsions, heightened excitability, andmuscular spasms in the throat.

Radial

Latinray- spoke of a wheel-ial relating to or characterized byOf or characterized as being arranged in a raylikefashion.

Radiant

Latinradiare to radiateOf or referring to energy traveling by means ofelectromagnetic waves.

Radioactivity

Englishradi- radiant or radiation energy; wireless trans-mitter-agere- drive, do-ity state of, quality ofThe emission of radiation, either spontaneouslyfrom unstable atomic nuclei or as a consequenceof a nuclear reaction.

Radionuclide

English/Latinradi- radiant or radiation energy; wireless transmitter-nucula- kernel, little nut-ide nonmetal radical

A radioisotope; a nuclide that exhibits a certainamount of radioactivity.

Radiosonde

English/Frenchradi- radiant or radiation energy; wireless transmitter-sonde a sounding lead/lineA measurement device that is carried aloft by aballoon to relay temperature, pressure, andhumidity data from the upper atmosphere.

Radius

Latinray- spoke of a wheel-ius singularA line segment that connects the center of a circleor sphere to any point on its outer edge.

Radula

Latinradere to scrapeFlexible, tonguelike organ in certain mollusks,having rows of horny teeth on the surface.

Range

Germanreng to put in a row, lineThe difference between the smallest and largestvalues in a distribution.

Raptor

Latinrapere to seizeA bird of prey; carnivorous bird that hunts itsprey.

Raptor 167

Joseph Meister Had Rabies

On a sunny day in the summer of 1885 at Meissen-gott, in Alsace, a boy named Joseph Meister wasattacked by a neighborhood dog. The 9-year-oldJoseph was thrown to the ground, and as he tried toprotect his face he was savagely bitten about thearms. The dog was finally driven off the boy, but thedamage was done. His skin had been pierced by arabid dog.

The local physician did all he could. He cauter-ized and cleaned the wounds, but he knew whatwould soon happen to the child. He advised themother to take him to Louis Pasteur, a scientist whowas experimenting on rabies in Paris. Though Pas-teur was not a physician, he was the boy’s best andonly hope.

Once bitten by a rabid animal, the human victimexperiences a brief period of fever and restlessnessbefore becoming wildly excitable. The infectedindividual salivates excessively and a white, frothyfoam appears around the mouth. The muscles of thethroat become highly irritated, with uncontrollablespasms causing great pain. All the while the victimexperiences an uncontrollable thirst for water but isunable to drink. This torture continues relentlesslyfor up to five days before the victim falls dead as aresult of exhaustion, asphyxia, and paralysis.

What could cause such horrible symptoms?Rabies was a disease known to the ancients.Although it was never the blight that the plaguesthat ravaged Europe and Asia were, it brought fearto those who witnessed the agonizing death of itsvictims. The Greeks attributed rabies to the wrathof the gods. Sirius, the Dog Star, in the constella-tion Canis Major, was believed to be the cause ofthe disease. The days during summer in the North-ern Hemisphere when Sirius rises immediatelybefore or sets immediately after the sun, referred toas the “dog days,” were believed to be a time whennormally docile animals would run wild andbecome viciously aggressive. Shortly thereafter,they would convulse, become paralyzed, and die.

In the fifth century BC, the Greek physicianDemocritus described the symptoms of rabies, asdid Aristotle two hundred years later. The Romansin the first century AD cauterized or placed theashes of seahorses on the wounds to treat the condi-tion, but, of course, these treatments were futile.

Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist who lived inthe first century AD, wrote on the treatment ofrabies:

It is universally agreed, too, that when aperson has been bitten by a dog and manifests

a dread of water and of all kinds of drink, itwill be sufficient to put under his cup a strip ofcloth that has been dipped in menstrual fluid;the result being that the hydrophobia willimmediately disappear. This arises, no doubt,from that powerful sympathy which has beenso much spoken of by the Greeks, and theexistence of which is proved by the fact,already mentioned, that dogs become madupon tasting this fluid.When Joseph Meister and his mother arrived in

Paris on July 6, Joseph was in very bad shape. Hispain was such that he could barely walk. Pasteurknew what he had to do, but he needed to consultwith colleagues. According to Pasteur, the numer-ous trials of his rabies vaccine on animals hadproven to be a resounding success. Later we wouldfind out otherwise, but nonetheless, this wasJoseph’s last and best chance at survival. A team ofgovernment scientists gave Pasteur their approvalto begin the procedure.

Over the next 11 days, Joseph was injected withsmall amounts of the vaccine, which Pasteur hadprepared using the spinal cords of infected rabbits.Pasteur wrote in his journal:

The death of this child appearing to beinevitable, I decided, not without lively andsore anxiety, as may well be believed, to tryupon Joseph Meister, the method which I hadfound constantly successful with dogs. Con-sequently, sixty hours after the bites, and inthe presence of Drs Vulpian and Grancher,young Meister was inoculated under a fold ofskin with half a syringeful of the spinal cordof a rabbit, which had died of rabies. It hadbeen preserved (for) fifteen days in a flask ofdry air. In the following days, fresh inocula-tions were made. I thus made thirteen inocula-tions. On the last days, I inoculated JosephMeister with the most virulent virus of rabies.There were side effects—Joseph experienced

bouts of anxiety and depression—but there were nolonger signs of the dreaded disease. And so, afterten more days of observation, Joseph was senthome. He had escaped death.

Years later, Joseph Meister would return to Parisand work as doorman for the Pasteur Institute. Heworked at the institute until the age of 64 in 1940,when the Nazis invaded Paris. The Germansordered Meister to open Pasteur’s crypt. Ratherthan obey that order, Joseph Meister put a gun to hishead and ended his own life.

168 Rarefaction

Rarefaction

Latinrarus- rare-facere- to make-ion state, process, or quality of That part of the sound wave where the particles ofthe sound medium are farthest apart.

Rate

Latinrata according to a fixed proportionA quantity, amount, or degree of something mea-sured per unit of time.

Ratiocination

Latinratio- reason-cinari- reckon-ion state, process, or quality ofTo reason using formal logic; to use deductivereasoning.

Rawinsonde

English/Frenchradi- radiant or radiation energy; wireless transmitter-wind- moving air-sonde a sounding lead/lineA radiosonde used to observe the velocity anddirection of upper-air winds and tracked by aradio direction-finding instrument.

Reactance

Latinre- to do something again; go against-agere to drive, doOpposition to the flow of alternating currentcaused by the inductance and capacitance in a cir-cuit rather than by resistance.

Reaction

Latinre- to do something again; go against-agec- to act-ion state, process, or quality ofA response in opposition to a substance, treat-ment, or other stimulus.

Reactive

English/Latinre- to do something again; go against-agec- to act-ive performing an actionTending to participate readily in reactions.

Reagent

English/Latinre- to do something again; go against-agere a force or substance that causes a changeA substance used in a chemical reaction to detect,analyze, or produce other substances.

Marie Curie

Eve Curie wrote of her mother, “She was a woman;she belonged to an oppressed nation; she was poor;she was beautiful. A powerful vocation summonedher from her motherland, Poland, to study in Paris,where she lived through years of poverty and soli-tude. There she met a man. . . . By the most desper-ate and avid effort they discovered a magic element,radium. This discovery not only gave birth to a newscience and new philosophy; it provided mankindwith the means of treating a dreadful disease.”

Marie Curie was born Marie Sklodovska in Poland onNovember 7, 1867. She had a rather distress-filledyouth. Her sister died of typhus and her motherpassed away four years later. After her high schoolyears Marie sunk into a depressive state.

Marie showed signs of brilliance at a young age.She possessed an amazing memory and an intellec-tual curiosity, but attending a university in Polandwas out of the question. She knew that to thrive, shewould have to leave Poland. Years later, in Paris,after studying physics and chemistry at the Univer-sity of Paris (Sorbonne), she became the firstwoman to teach at that highly prestigious institu-

tion. There she met Pierre Curie, whose title wasChief of the Laboratory of the School of Physicsand Chemistry of the City of Paris. They marriedand together studied radiation and subsequentlydiscovered the elements radium and polonium.

Her work led to the use of x-rays in World War I.This remarkable application of radiation allowedsurgeons to more easily find the bullets lodged insoldiers, giving them a greater chance of survivalthrough surgery. Her studies with radiation led toadditional research on the role of radiant energy inthe reduction of cancerous growths. Her accom-plishments led her to become the first person toreceive Nobel Prizes in two different fields ofstudy, physics and chemistry. This feat has beenmatched only by Linus Pauling, who won NobelPrizes for Chemistry and Peace.

Ironically, her isolation of the radioactive mate-rials from the ore pitchblende for the advancementof science and medicine ultimately led to her owndeath from leukemia in 1934. Albert Einstein saidof Madam Curie, “Marie Curie is, of all celebratedbeings, the only one whom fame has not corrupted.”

Reniform 169

Receptor

Latinreciepere to receiveA group of sensory nerve endings that respond tothreshold energy from a source point.

Recessive

Latinrecedere- to recede-ive performing an actionIn genetics, refers to an allele that does not dis-play its phenotype when paired with a dominantgene.

Reclamation

English/Latinre- to do something again; go against-clamare- to call or cry out-ion state, process, or quality ofThe act or process of reclaiming; restoration forthe purpose of productivity.

Rectifier

Latinrectus- straight, direct-er one that performs an actionA device, such as a diode, that converts alternat-ing current to direct current.

Rectoclysis

Latinrectus- straight, direct-clys, -clysis to wash, washingWashing or irrigation of the rectum.

Recycle

English/Greekre- to do something again; go against-kyklos circle, wheel, cycle, rotateTo make ready for reuse; to pass again through aseries of changes or treatments.

Reduction

English/Latinre- to do something again; go against-ducere- to lead-ion state, process, or quality of To decrease the valence of an atom by addingelectrons.

Reflectivity

English/Latinre- to do something again; go against-flectere- to throw or bend back -ity state of, quality ofThe ratio of the energy of a wave reflected from asurface to the energy possessed by the wave strik-ing the surface.

Reflux

Latinre- to do something again; go against-fluere to flow, waveA flowing back, ebb; the process by which a con-tainer with boiling liquid is attached to an appara-tus that continuously returns the vapor forreboiling.

Reform

English/Latinre- to do something again; go against-forma shape, figure, appearanceTo improve by alteration, correction of error, or re-moval of defects; put into a better form or condition.

Refraction

English/Latinre- to do something again; go against-fract- to break-ion state, quality, or process ofThe turning or bending of any wave, such as alight or sound wave, when it passes from onemedium into another of different optical density.

Regolith

Greekrhegos- blanket-lith rock, stoneThe layer of loose rock resting on bedrock, con-stituting the surface of most land.

Relay

English/Frenchre- to do something again; go against-laier to leaveAn electrical device used to control a switch or toallow a weak current to control a stronger electri-cal current.

Relief

Frenchrelever to relieveThe difference in height from the lowest to thehighest point.

Renal

Latinreno- kidney-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf or relating to the region of the kidneys.

Reniform

Latinrenes- kidney-forma having the form ofBeing in the shape of a kidney, such as a leaf.

170 Replicase

Replicase

English/Latinre- to do something again; go against-plicare- to fold-ase enzymeAn enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of a com-plementary RNA molecule from an RNA template.

Replicate

English/Latinre- to do something again; go against-plicare- to fold-ate characterized by havingTo reproduce or make an exact copy or copies ofgenetic material.

Repressor

Latinre- to do something again; go against-premere- to press back-or a condition or property of things or persons; person who does somethingA protein produced by the regulator gene; itblocks the transcription of the gene.

Reproduction

English/Latinre- to do something again; go against-pro- before; forward; for, in front of; in place of-ducere- to lead-ion state, process, or quality ofThe act of (re)producing something of the same kind.

Reside

Latinresidere to sit back, abide, remainTo dwell permanently or continuously.

Resistance

English/Latinre- to do something again; go against-sistere- to place-ance brilliance, appearanceA force that tends to oppose or retard motion.

Resistor

English/Latinre- to do something again; go against-sistere- to place-or a condition or property of things or persons; person who does somethingA component that resists the flow of current in anelectronic circuit.

Resolution

Latinresolvere- relax, untie-ion state, process, or quality of

The process of distinguishing the individual partsof an object.

Resonance

Latinre- to do something again; go against-sonare- to sound-ant performing, promoting, or causing a specified actionThe condition that causes a medium to vibrate inits natural frequency as a result of receiving soundwaves of the same frequency.

Respiration

English/Latinre- to do something again; go against-spire- to breathe-ion state, process, or quality of The molecular exchange of oxygen and carbondioxide within the body’s tissues, from the lungsto the cellular oxidation processes; the act ofinhaling and exhaling.

Response

Latinre- to do something again; go against-spondere to promiseThe reaction by a living organism to a stimulus.

Restitution

English/Latinre- to do something again; go against-statuere- to set up-ion state, process, or quality of The return to or restoration of a previous state orposition after a collision.

Resultant

English/Latinre- to do something again; go against-saltare to leapA vector generated through the sum of other vectors.

Retardant

Latinre- to do something again; go against-tardare- delay, impede-ant performing, promoting, or causing a speci-fied actionActing or intending to delay or impede. This term isoften used with another term, as in “flame retardant.”

Reticulum

Greek/Latinreticul- net or networklike-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structureSystem of membranous saccules and channels inthe cytoplasm, often with attached ribosomes.

Ribosome 171

Retina

Latinretis netInnermost layer of the eyeball.

Retrovirus

Latinretro- backward, behind-virus poisonA group of viruses each of which contains one strandof RNA. The group includes many viruses that maycause some cancers, as well as the HIV virus.

Revolution

Latinre- to do something again; go against-volvere- to turn or spin-ion state, process, or quality of The movement of one body (planet) aroundanother body (sun) or a fixed point.

Rex

Latinrex kingThe king; refers to or denotes size or dominanceof a given species (e.g., Tyrannosaurus rex).

Rheumatic

Greekrheum- flow, watery discharge from the body once thought to cause aches and pains in joints-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf, relating to, or having the characteristics ofrheumatism.

Rheumatism

Greekrheumat- flow, watery discharge from the body once thought to cause aches and pains in joints-ism state or condition, qualityAny of a number of pathological conditions lead-ing to mild to severe aches and pains in the joints.

Rhinencephalon

Greekrhin- nose-cephalo- (kephalikos) head-on a particleThat portion of the cerebrum concerned withreception and integration of olfactory (smelling)impulses.

Rhinitis

New Latinrhin- nose-itis inflammation, burning sensationInflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose.

Rhinoceros

Latin

rhin- nose-keras hornAny of a family (Rhinocerotidae) of large, heavy-set,herbivorous perissodactyl mammals of Africa andAsia that have one or two upright keratinous horns onthe snout and thick gray to brown skin with little hair.

Rhinomycosis

Greekrhin- nose-myco- (mukes) fungi-sis action, process, state, conditionFungal infection of the nasal mucous membranes.

Rhinorrhea

New Latinrhin- nose-rhea flow or dischargeSecretions or discharge from the nose.

Rhizobium

Greekrhiza- root-bios- life, living organisms or tissue-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structureAny of various nitrogen-fixing bacteria of thegenus Rhizobium that form nodules on the rootsof leguminous plants, such as clover and beans.

Rhizoid

Greekrhiza- root-oid (oeides) resembling, having the appearance ofRootlike hair that anchors a plant and absorbsminerals and water from the soil.

Rhodophyte

Greekrhodon- rose-phyte plantMarine algae with a reddish color or hue.

Ribonucleic acid

German/Latinribo(se)- a kind of sugar-nucula- kernel, little nut-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofA long, single-stranded polymer found in all liv-ing organisms and involved in genetic transcrip-tion and protein synthesis.

Ribosome

Greekribose- sugar-soma (somatiko) bodyA minute, round particle composed of RNA andprotein, found in the cytoplasm of living cells andactive in the synthesis of proteins.

172 Rigid

Rigid

Latinrigere to be stiffRefers to a system of particles whose positionsremain fixed relative to each other.

Riparian

Latinripa- river bank, stream-an one that is of, or relating to, or belonging toRelating to or living on or near the banks of astream or river.

Robot

Czechrobot workerA machine in the form of a human being that per-forms the mechanical functions of a human beingbut lacks emotions and sensitivity.

Rodent

Latinrodere to gnaw

Any member of the order Rodentia, a group ofanimals in the class Mammalia characterized byhaving fur, four legs, warm blood, and large inci-sors for gnawing.

Rodenticide

Latinrodere- to gnaw-cide (caedere) to cut, kill, hack at, or strikeA type of pesticide that controls mice, rats, andother rodents.

Rostrum

Latinrostrum beakA beaklike or snoutlike projection.

Rotation

Latinrota- wheel-ion state, process, or quality of The act or process of turning about a center or anaxis.

Saccharide

Sanskritsarkara- sugar-ide group of related chemical compoundsAnother name for a sugar.

Saccharolytic

Sanskrit/Greeksarkara- sugar-ly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve, dissolution, break-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofCapable of hydrolyzing or otherwise breakingdown a sugar molecule.

Sacrum

Latinsacr- sacred or holy-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structureCompound triangular bone at the base of thehuman spine.

Sagittal

Latinsagitta- arrow-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofRelates to the plane that is parallel to the sagittalsuture of the skull.

Salamander

Latinsalamandra slitheringAny member of the order Caudata, havingporous, smooth skin, weak legs, and a tail.

Salt

Old Englishsealt saltA compound created by the neutralization of anacid with a base or by a chemical reactionbetween a metal and a nonmetal.

Saponification

Latinsaponi- soap-fication to makeThe process of saponifying; the decomposition ofa fat by the addition of an alkali that combineswith its fatty acids to form a soap, with the remain-ing constituent, glycerin, consequently liberated.

Saprophagous

Greeksapro- rotten, putrid; decay-phagos (phagein) to eat, eatingFeeding on decaying matter; carrion beetles whofeed off of the rotting matter of dead organisms.

Saprophyte

Greeksapro- rotten, putrid; decay-phyton plantA plant living on dead or decaying organic matter.

Saprotroph

Greeksapro- rotten, putrid, decay-trophos (trophein) to nourish, food, nutrition; developmentOrganism that secretes digestive enzymes andabsorbs the resulting nutrients back across theplasma membrane.

174 Sarcolemma

Sarcolemma

Greeksarko- flesh, meat-eilema veil, sheathThe plasma membrane of a muscle cell.

Sarcoma

Greeksarko- flesh, meat-oma tumorCancerous tumor derived from connective tissue.

Sarcomere

Greeksarko- flesh, meat-mere part, segmentA segment of a striated muscle cell fibril boundedby Z-disks.

Satellite

French/Latinsatelles- to hang on-ite component of a part of a bodyA celestial body (moon) revolving aroundanother celestial body (planet).

Saturated

Latinsatur- full-ate characterized by havingIncapable of holding any more of a substance ormaterial.

Saurischia

Greeksauros- lizard-iskhion hip jointA dinosaur of the order Surischia characterized byhaving the pelvic girdle of a modern-day reptile.

Scapula

Latinscapulae shoulder bladeA triangular bone forming the dorsal part of theshoulder.

Schistosome

Greekskhizein- to cut, split-soma (somatiko) bodyAny of several chiefly tropical trematodes (wormsof the genus Schistosoma), many of which are par-asitic in the blood of humans and other mammals.

Schizocarp

Greekskhizein- to cut, split-karpos fruitFruit that splits into several closed, one-seededportions upon maturation.

Schizocoelus

Greekskhizein- to cut, split-koilos hollowThe type of development found in protosomes;initially solid masses of mesoderm split to formcoelomic cavities.

Science

Latinscire to know, knowledge The observation, identification, description,experimentation, investigation, and theoreticalexplanation of phenomena.

Scientific

Latinscire- to know, knowledge-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRelating to or employing the methodology of science.

Scintillation

Latinscintilla- spark-ion state, process, or quality of A flash of light produced in a phosphor byabsorption of an ionizing particle or photon.

Scion

Old Frenchcion descendantA grafted twig or bud.

Sclera

Greekskleros hardOuter, white, fibrous layer of the eye that sur-rounds the eye except for the transparent cornea.

Sclerenchyma

Greeksklero- hard-en- in-khein to pourA supportive plant tissue that consists of thick-walled, usually lignified cells.

Scoliosis

Greekskolios- crookedness-osis disease or abnormal conditionAbnormal lateral curvature of the vertebral column.

Scorpio

Greekskorpios scorpionThe constellation (also called the Scorpion) that liesnear Libra and contains the bright red star Antares.

Septum 175

Seamount

Middle English/Latinsee- sea-mons mountainA submarine mountain rising more than 500 fath-oms (3,000 feet) above the ocean floor.

Secretion

Latinsecernere- to set aside-ion state, process, or quality ofThe state or process of secreting a fluid. Typicallythese substances are not waste products; theyinclude hormones, mucus, and enzymes.

Sedative

Latinsedates- to calm-ive performing an actionA drug that reduces excitability and calms a person.

Sediment

Latinsed- sit-ment state or condition resulting from a (speci-fied) actionTo sit, sink down; the matter that settles to thebottom of a liquid.

Sedimentation

Latinsed- sit-ment- state or condition resulting from a (speci-fied) action-ation act or processThe act or process of depositing sediment orgravel as a result of some outside force.

Seismograph

Greekseismos- to shake-graphia (graphein) to write, record, draw, describeInstrument used to detect and record seismicwaves produced by earthquakes.

Seismologist

Greekseismos- to shake-logist a person who studiesA person who studies earthquakes.

Selenium

Greekselene- moon-ium quality or relationshipA nonmetallic element resembling sulfur andobtained primarily as a by-product of copperrefining; used in photocells.

Semipermeable

Latinsemi- half-per- through-meare- to glide-able capable, be inclined to, tending to, given toPartially permeable; refers specifically to a mem-brane that allows smaller objects to pass throughwhile prohibiting larger ones.

Senescence

Latinsen- old age-esce- beginning, becoming-ence the condition ofThe sum of processes involving aging, decline,and eventual death.

Sensitivity

Latin/Greeksensus- sense-ive- performing an action-ity state of, quality ofThe capacity of an organism to be aware of astimulus.

Sepsis

Greeksepein- to make rotten, putrefactive-sis action, process, state, conditionA poisoned condition resulting from pathologicalorganisms or their toxins in the circulatory system.

Septic

Greeksepein- to make rotten, putrefactive-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRelates to the process of living tissue becomingpoisoned or rotten as a result of a pathologicalorganism.

Septicemia

Greeksepein- to make rotten, putrefactive-haimo- relating to blood or blood vessels-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsA systemic disease caused by pathogenic organ-isms or their toxins in the bloodstream; alsocalled blood poisoning.

Septum

Latinsaepire- to enclose-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structureA partition or membrane that separates one cavityor hollow from another.

176 Sessile

Sessile

Latinsessus- to sit-ile changing, ability, suitable, tending toWithout petiole or pedicel—attached directly tothe base; fixed, nonmotile animal.

Setae

Latinseta bristleSlender, usually rigid or bristly, and springyorgan or part of animal or plant.

Sextant

Latinsextus sixthAn instrument so named because it is a sixth of acircle. It is used to determine latitude and longi-tude by measuring the altitude of a star or the sunabove the horizon.

Shadow zone

Old Englishsceadu shade, shadowThe region on the earth’s surface ranging fromabout 7,000 to 10,000 miles from an earthquakein which a seismograph detects no S waves andfew, weak P waves.

Sidereal

Latinsidereus- constellation, star-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf, relating to, or concerned with the stars or con-stellations; stellar.

Sideropenia

Greeksideros- iron-penia reduction, poverty, lack, deficiencyAn abnormally low concentration of serum ironin the blood.

Silicate

Latinsilex- hard stone flint-ate characterized by havingAny of a large group of minerals, forming over90% of the earth’s crust, that consist of SiO2 orSiO4 groupings combined with one or more met-als and sometimes hydrogen.

Silurian

Celticsilures- a tribe of Wales-an one that is of, or relating to, or belonging toGeologic period in the Paleozoic era that markedthe first appearance of air-breathing animals.

Silver

Middle English/Assyriansiolfor to smelt, refinesarapu refined silverThe metallic element with atomic number 47,highly valued for its luster.

Simultaneous

Latinsimul- at the same time-eous having the quality of, relating toHappening, existing, or done at the same time.

Sinoatrial node

Latinsinus- hollow-atri- open area, central court, hall, entrance, or main room of an ancient Roman house-ium quality or relationshipA small mass of cardiac tissue located in the pos-terior wall of the right atrium, sometimes referredto as the pacemaker.

Sinus

Latinsinus hollowA cavity or depression formed by a series ofcurved surfaces within a living organism, as in thehuman skull.

Siphonaptera

Latin/Greeksiphon- siphon-apteros winglessSmall, wingless, bloodsucking insects withmouthparts adapted for siphoning body fluidsfrom their victims; fleas.

Sirenia

Greeksiren- group of female, partly human creatures in Greek mythology that lured mariners to destruc-tion by their singing-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsHerbivorous marine mammals, including themanatee and the dugong.

Skeleton

Greekskeletos dried upThe bony framework of the body that providesstructure, protection, storage of minerals, and anenvironment for hematopoeisis.

Society

Latinsocius companion, fellowship

Speciation 177

An organized population or colony, sometimeshaving a division of labor.

Sociobiology

Latinsocius- companion or partner-bios- life, living organisms, or tissue-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe study of the biological basis of all socialbehavior.

Soil

Latinsolium seat, soilThe top layer of the earth’s surface, consisting ofrock and mineral particles mixed with organicmatter.

Sol

Latinsol one, alone, or onlyColloid of very small, solid particles dispersed in aliquid that retains the physical properties of a liquid.

Solar

Latinsol- the sun-ar relating to or resemblingOf, relating to, or proceeding from the sun.

Solenoid

Greeksolen- pipe-oid (oeides) resembling, having the appearance ofA coil of wire that acts like a magnet when a cur-rent passes through it.

Solid

Latinsolidus firm, unyielding, whole, entireMatter that has both a definite shape and a defi-nite volume.

Solstice

Latinsol- the sun-status to come to a stop, to standThe two points along the earth’s elliptical orbitwhere the sun’s distance from the equator is greatest.

Soluble

Latinsolvere- to loosen-able/-ible capable, be inclined to, tending to, given to/capable Describes the ability to be homogeneously mixedin another substance.

Solution

Latinsolvere- to loosen-ion state, process, or quality ofThe process of forming a homogeneous mixtureof any combination of solids, liquids, and gases.

Somatic

Greeksoma- (somatiko) body-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofHaving to do with the body or body cavities orcells other than reproductive cells.

Somatotropin

Greeksoma- (somatiko) body-trope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to stimulus-in protein or derived from a proteinHormone released by the anterior pituitary thatstimulates growth in humans.

Somnambulism

Latinsomnia- sleep; dream-ambulate- walk, take steps, move around-ism state or condition, qualitySleepwalking or the ability to perform activitiesnormally associated with being awake whileactually sleeping.

Sonoluminescence

Latinsonus- sound-lumen- light-ence the condition ofThe production of light as a result of the passingof sound waves through a liquid medium. Light isformed when bubbles in the liquid burst andrelease energy.

Sorus

Greeksoros a heapA cluster of sporangia borne on the underside of afern frond.

Spathe

Latinspatha a flat bladeA large, leaflike part enclosing a flower cluster.

Speciation

Latinspecies- particular kind-ation state, process, or quality of Emergence of a new species during evolutionaryhistory.

178 Species

Species

Latinspecies particular kindA taxonomic unit ranking below a genus and des-ignated by a binomen consisting of its genusname and the species name.

Specimen

Latinspecere to look at, appearanceA small sample of something intended to showthe nature of the whole.

Spectrochemical

Latin/Greekspecere- to look at, appearance-khemeia a substance with a distinct molecular compositionPertains to a series listing ligands based on theirenergy strengths; these differences cause differ-ent colors to be emitted.

Spectrophotometry

Greekspecere- to look at, appearance-photos- light, radiant energy-metria (metron) the process of measuringThe process of using an instrument to measure theintensity of various wavelengths of radiant energy.

Spectroscopy

Greekspecere- to look at, appearance-scopium to look at, examineMethods of studying substances exposed to somesort of exciting energy.

Spectrum

Latinspecere to look at, appearanceThe distribution of energy emitted by a radiantsource, as by an incandescent body, arranged inorder of wavelength.

Speed

Old Englishsped swiftnessThe scalar quantity used to measure displacementper unit time.

Speleothem

Greekspelaion caveGeneral name for any cave formation.

Sphenoid

Greeksphen- wedge, wedge shaped-oid (oeides) resembling; having the appearance of

The sphenoid bone or relating to the sphenoidbone; wedge shaped.

Sphincter

Greeksphingein to bind tightA ringlike muscle whose action resembles that ofthe drawstring of a bag. It normally serves to con-strict an opening (mouth, anus, or arteriole) or,when relaxed, to enable access to the passage.

Spiracle

Latinspir- breath of life, breath, breathing; mind, spirit, courage-cle smallThe external openings of the insect breathing (tra-cheal) system, found along the abdomen.

Spirochete

Greek/Latinspeira- coil-chaeta bristle hairAny of the various slender, spiral-shaped, motilebacteria.

Spirogyra

Greekspeira- coil-guros ringAny of various filamentous freshwater greenalgae of the genus Spirogyra, having chloroplastsin spirally twisted bands.

Spongocoel

Greekspongos- sponge-koilos hollowCentral cavity in sponges that opens to the exte-rior by an osculum.

Sporangium

Greeksporos- seed-angeion- vessel-ium quality or relationshipSpore-containing structure; a sac or case in whichspores are produced.

Sporophyte

Greekspora- seed-phuto plantA stage in a plant’s life cycle during which sporesare produced.

Sporozoan

Greekspora- seed-zoan animal, animal-like

Stenocrotaphia 179

Member of the class Sporozoa, consisting of non-motile, single-celled parasitic organisms.

Stability

Latinstabilis- to stand-ity state of, quality ofResistance to chemical change or to physicaldisintegration.

Stalactite

Greekstalaktos- dropping or trickling-ite minerals and fossilsAn icicle-shaped, secondary mineral deposit thathangs from the roof of a cave.

Stamen

Latinstamen threadReproductive, pollen-producing organ of a vascu-lar plant, composed of a filament and an anther.

Staphylococcus

Greekstaphylo- cluster-coccus of spherical or spheroidal shapeSpherical parasitic bacterium, usually occurringin grapelike clusters.

Static

Greekstatos- standing, stay, make firm, fixed-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf or relating to bodies at rest or forces that bal-ance each other.

Stationary

Greekstatos- standing, stay, make firm, fixed-ary of or relating to or connected withIncapable of being moved, fixed; nonmotileorganisms.

Statocyst

Greekstatos- standing, stay, make firm, fixed-cyst (kustis) sac or bladder that contains fluidA very small, fluid-filled organ found in manyinvertebrates that orients the body in relation togravity.

Stearoptene

Greeksteat- fat, tallow-ptenos volatile, wingedThe more solid component of a volatile oil; it sep-arates out as a whitish, crystalline solid as it coolsto room temperature.

Steatohepatitis

Greeksteat- fat, tallow-hepat- liver-itis inflammation, burning sensationDisease condition that is characterized by fattydeposits in the liver, that may or may not becaused by excessive alcohol use, and that has fewsymptoms that can be readily diagnosed.

Stegnosis

Greekstegn- constriction, obstruction-osis action, process, state, conditionA condition causing the stoppage of secretions;constriction, constipation.

Stegosaur

Greekstegos- roof-sauros lizardHerbivorous dinosaur existing in the Jurassic tothe Cretaceous periods and characterized by adouble row of boney plates along the dorsal side,long rear legs, and a small head and neck.

Stele

Greekstele pillarThe central core of tissue in the stem or root of avascular plant.

Stenobenthic

Greekstenos- narrow-benth- deep; the fauna and flora of the bottom of the sea-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofLiving within a narrow range at or near the bot-tom of the sea.

Stenocoriasis

Greekstenos- narrow-core- (corium) skin-iasis a process or a pathological conditionThe abnormal contraction of the pupil of the eye;a symptom of a pathological condition.

Stenocrotaphia

Greekstenos- narrow-crotaphion- pulse, beat-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsNarrowness of the temporal region.

180 Stenohaline

Stenohaline

Greekstenos- narrow-halo- salt-ine a chemical substanceRefers to organisms that are capable of toleratingonly slight variations in salinity.

Stenothermal

Greekstenos- narrow-thermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofDescribes an organism tolerant of only a narrowrange of temperatures.

Stenothorax

Greekstenos- narrow-thoraces chestAbnormal narrowness of the chest.

Stephanion

Greekstephanos- crown-ion state, process, or quality of The point on the side of the cranium at which thecoronal suture meets the superior temporal line.

Steradian

Greekster- solid-radi- ray, spoke of a wheel-an one that is of, relating to, or belonging toMeasurement of solid angles, equivalent to theangle subtended at the center of a sphere by anarea on its surface equal to the square of its radius.A full sphere subtends 4� steradians.

Stereocilium

Greekstereos- three-dimensional, solid, firm, hard-cili- a small hair-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structureA nonmotile protoplasmic filament on the freesurface of a cell; found on hair cells of the innerear and on pseudostratified epithelial cells of themale epididymis.

Stereopsis

Greekstereos- three-dimensional, solid, firm, hard-opisi visionStereoscopic vision allowing for depth percep-tion and visual acuity.

Stereoscopic

Greekstereos- three-dimensional, solid, firm, hard-skopein- to view, examine-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofPertaining to two images of the same scene, dif-fering slightly in point of view, that are each seenby one eye, giving the effect of solidity.

Sternum

Greeksternon- chest, breast, sternum, the breast bone-um (singular) structure-a (plural) structureA long, flat bone articulating with the cartilagesof the first seven ribs and with the clavicle, form-ing the middle part of the anterior wall of the tho-rax, and consisting of the corpus, manubrium,and xiphoid process.

Stethoscope

French/Greekstethos- chest-skopein to view, examineAny of a group of instruments designed toamplify the sounds of the chest, such as heartbeator respiration.

Stigma

Greekstizein tattoo mark; to prickA small pore, mark, or spot, such as the respira-tory spiracle of an insect.

Stipule

New Latinstipula trunkEither of a pair of appendages borne at the base ofthe leafstalk in many plants.

Stoichiometry

Greek /English stoicheious- element-metria (metron) the process of measuring; to measureA branch of science that deals with the applica-tion of the laws of definite proportions and of theconservation of matter and energy to chemicalactivity.

Stolon

Latinstolo shootA shoot that bends to the ground or that growshorizontally above the ground, and that producesroots and shoots at the nodes.

Sublimation 181

Stomach

Greekstomakhos gulletThe enlarged portion of the alimentary canal lyingbetween the esophagus and the small intestine.

Stomata

Greekstoma mouthOne of the minute pores in the epidermis of a leafor stem through which gases and water vapor pass.

Stratigraphy

Latinstratum- horizontal layer; stretched, spread out; layer, cloud layer-graphia (graphein) to write, record, draw, describeThe study of the arrangement, distribution, anddeposition of rocks in layers.

Stratosphere

Latinstratum- horizontal layer; stretched, spread out; layer, cloud layer-sphaire to surroundThe second lowest layer of earth’s atmosphere; theozone layer is located in the upper stratosphere.

Stratovolcano

Latinstratum- horizontal layer; stretched, spread out; layer, cloud layer-vol’nus fire, flames (named after the Roman god of fire)A volcano built up from alternating layers of rockand lava.

Stratus

Latinstratum- horizontal layer; stretched, spread out; layer, cloud layerFeatureless sheets of clouds; horizontal, spread-out layers of grayish-colored clouds.

Strepsirhini

Greekstreptos- twisted chain, turn-rhino nose, nasalSuborder containing seven families of arborealprimates, formerly called prosimians, concen-trated on Madagascar and having comma-shapednostrils, a long nonprehensile tail, and a secondtoe provided with a claw.

Streptococcus

Greekstreptos- twisted chain, turn-kokkos of spherical or spheroidal shape, grain, seedSpherical bacteria that occur in pairs or chains.

Striation

Latinstria- thin narrow groove or channels, bands-ion state, process, or quality of In biology, a group of protein bands found in skel-etal muscle that are involved in muscular contrac-tions. In earth science, one of a number of parallellines or scratches on the surface of a rock thatwere inscribed by rock fragments imbedded inthe base of a glacier as it moved across the rock.

Stromatolite

Greekstroma- living on a bed; spread out-lite combining form used in naming of mineralsLarge mats and mounds composed of billions ofphotosynthesizing cyanobacteria that dominatedthe Proterozoic’s shallow oceans.

Structure

Latinstructura partA part of the body, such as the heart, a bone, agland, a cell, or a limb.

Subcutaneous

Latinsub- under or below-cutis- skin-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toRefers to tissue or other object located just belowthe dermis or skin.

Subduction

Latinsub- under or below-ducere- to lead-ion state, process, or quality of Pertains to a long narrow zone associated withoceanic trenches, where one plate descendsbeneath another.

Sublimate

Latinsublimus- up to, elevate, uplifted-ate characterized by havingTo purify or refine by subliming; to change matterfrom the solid state to the gaseous state or fromthe gaseous state to the solid state without anintervening liquid state.

Sublimation

Latinsublimus- up to, elevate, uplifted-ion state, process, or quality ofThe process of changing a solid substancedirectly into a vapor without it first passingthrough the liquid state.

182 Sublime

Sublime

Latinsublimus up to, elevate, upliftedTo go directly from a solid to a gas without goingthrough the liquid phase.

Subscript

Greeksub- under or below-scribere writingA symbol written below another symbol or letter.

Substance

Latinsub- under or below-stantia- essence, material-ance state, qualityA material produced by or used in a chemical process.

Subterranean

Latinsub- under or below-terra- earth-an one that is of, relating to, or belonging toRefers to that which is found beneath the earth’ssurface.

Succession

Latinsuccedere- to follow after-ion state, process, or quality of The act of following in order; following consecutively.

Sugar

Middle Englishsugre sugarAny of various water-soluble compounds thatvary widely in sweetness and include theoligosaccharides.

Supercell

Latinsuper- superior in size, quality, number, or degree; exceeding the norm-cella small room, compact, chamberSelf-sustaining, extremely powerful storm char-acterized by intense rotating updrafts.

Superconductivity

Latinsuper- superior in size, quality, number, or degree; exceeding the norm-conducere- to bring together-ity state of, quality ofThe flow of electric current without resistance incertain metals, alloys, and ceramics at tempera-tures near absolute zero, and in some cases at tem-peratures hundreds of degrees above absolute zero.

Supercooling

Latinsuper- superior in size, quality, number, or degree; exceeding the norm-cole- becoming less warm-inde the act ofCooling a liquid to a temperature below that atwhich crystallization would normally occur butwithout the separation of a solid.

Supernova

Latinsuper- superior in size, quality, number, or degree; exceeding the norm-nova newA rare celestial phenomenon involving the explo-sion of most of the material in a star, resulting inan extremely bright, short-lived object that emitsvast amounts of energy.

Surfactant

Old Frenchsur- above-face- outward appearance-agere to doA surface-active substance designed to make a sur-face “wetter”; the fluid layer of the alveolar sacs ofthe lungs that makes the exchange of gases possible.

Susceptible

Latinsus- (sub) below, under, beneath-capere- catch, seize, take hold of, contain-able/-ible capable, be inclined to, tending to, given to/capable ofLikely to be affected; permitting an action to beperformed.

Suspension

Latinsuspendere- to cause to hang-ion state, process, or quality of A system consisting of a solid dispersed in asolid, liquid, or gas, usually in particles of largerthan colloidal size.

Sustainable

Latinsus- (sub) below, under, beneath-tenere- to hold, grasp, have-able capable, be inclined to, tending to, given toOf, relating to, or being a method of harvesting orusing a resource so that the resource is notdepleted or permanently damaged.

Systole 183

Symbiosis

Greeksym- with, together-bios- life, living organisms, or tissue-sis action, process, state, conditionThe living together of two different species in anintimate relationship. The symbiont always bene-fits; the host may benefit, may be unaffected, ormay be harmed (mutualism, commensalism, andparasitism, respectively).

Symmetrical

Greeksym- with, together-meter- (metron) instrument or means of measur-ing; to measure-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofRegular as to the number of its parts; correspond-ing units of similar structure that exist on eitherside of a central axis.

Synapse

Greeksyn- together, united-haptein- to fasten-sis action, process, state, conditionJunction between two nerve cells, allowing thetransfer of nerve impulses from the axon terminalof one neuron to another neuron or cell.

Synchronous

Greeksyn- together, united-khronos- time-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toOccurring or existing at the same time; moving oroperating at the same time.

Syncline

Greeksyn- together, united-klinein to leanA fold in rocks in which the rock layers dipinward from both sides toward the axis.

Syncytial

Latinsyn- together, united-kutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofPertaining to a cytoplasmic mass that is multinu-cleated and lacks intercellular boundaries.

Syndiotactic

Greeksyndio- two together-taktos orderedRefers to the type of orientation of the methylgroups on a polypropylene chain in plastics—inthis case alternating orientation.

Syndrome

Greeksyn- together, united-dramein (dromos) to runA group of signs and symptoms that occurtogether and characterize a particular abnormality.

Synecology

Greeksyn- together, united-oikos- house-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeEcology of communities as opposed to individualspecies.

Synovial joint

Greeksyn- together, united-ovo- egg-ial (variation of -ia) relating to or characterized byFreely moving joint in which two bones are sepa-rated by a cavity.

Synthesis

Greeksyn- together, united-tithen- to put-sis action, process, state, conditionThe combining of separate elements or sub-stances to form a coherent whole.

Systematics

Greeksyn- together, united-histanai- set up-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofThe systematic classification of organisms and theevolutionary relationships among them; taxonomy.

Systole

Greeksustellein to contractThe rhythmic contractions of the ventricles of theheart that cause blood to be pumped from theheart into the aorta and the pulmonary arteries.

Tachycardia

New Latintakhus- fast, swift-kard- heart, pertaining to the heart-ia names of diseases, place names, or Latinizing pluralsFaster than normal heart rate, usually calculatedover 100 beats per minute in the resting state foradults.

Tachyon

Englishtakhus- fast, swift-on a particleA hypothetical subatomic particle that travelsfaster than the speed of light.

Tachypnea

Greektakhus- fast, swift-pnein breathBreathing very rapidly.

Tarsal

Greektarsus- ankle-al of the kind of, pertainingto, having the form or character ofA bone of the ankle; of or relating to the ankle.

Taxon (taxa)

Greektaxis order, arrangementAny taxonomic group or entity: kingdom, phy-lum, class, order, family, genus, or species.

Taxonomy

Greektaxis- order, arrangement-nom (nemein) to dictate the laws of, knowledge, usage, orderThe classification of organisms in an ordered sys-tem that indicates natural relationships.

Technology

Greektekhne- skill, craft-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe application of science to situations usually,but not exclusively, associated with commerceand industry.

Tectonic

Greektekton- builder-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofIn geology, relating to, causing, or resulting fromstructural deformation of the earth’s crust. Studyof the earth’s structural features.

Telencephalon

Greektele- far off, distant-enkephalos in the headThe anterior portion of the prosencephalon, con-stituting the cerebral hemispheres and composingwith the diencephalon the prosencephalon.

Tephra 185

Telescope

Greektele- far off, distant-skopos watcherAn optical instrument used for viewing distantobjects by means of the refraction of light raysthrough a lens.

Telophase

Greektelos- end-phasis appearanceThe final of the four stages of nuclear division inmitosis and each of the two divisions in meiosis.

Telson

Greektelson limitThe rearmost segment of the body of certainarthropods; an extension of this segment, such asthe middle lobe of the tail fan of a lobster or thestinger of a scorpion.

Tendon

Greektenon- tendon, sinew, to stretchA band of tough, inelastic fibrous tissue that con-nects a muscle with its bony attachment.

Tenodesis

Greektenon- tendon, sinew, to stretch-desis binding, fixationThe surgical fixation of a tendon to a bone.

Tenoplasty

Latin/Greektenon- tendon, sinew-plastos (plassein) something molded (to mold)Reparative or plastic surgery of the tendons.

Tension

Latintension- an extension or length-ion state, process, or quality ofA force supplied by a rope or chain whose direc-tion is away from the load.

Tentacles

Latintentare to feel, tryA flexible extension, such as one of those sur-rounding the mouth or oral cavity of the squid,used for feeling, grasping, or locomotion.

Tephra

Greektephra ashThe solid substance ejected from a volcanic eruption.

Thomas Edison, the Great American Inventor

Few inventors in history were as prolific as ThomasEdison. When he was born, in 1847, the world wasilluminated by candle and fire. When he died, in1931, the world glowed in incandescent light.Though not his invention, he perfected the idea andcame upon the necessary elements that would givelight without burning out too soon.

Edison conducted most of his research at MenloPark in New Jersey. There he would devote his lifeto producing some of the most widely used technol-ogy in history. Edison did not work alone. He hadbrilliant assistants with a single overriding objec-tive: invent and produce. William Hammer, one ofEdison’s assistants, was the person in charge of per-fecting the light bulb, and he did a remarkable job.In the year after the development of Edison’s bulb,the Edison Lamp Works produced over 50,000lamps.

Edison held 1,093 patents. With a steady flow ofinventions, from his first patent (“ElectrographicVote-Recorder” in June 1869) to his last (“A Holderfor Articles to Be Electroplated,” submitted in May

1933), Edison and his assistants invented and pat-ented such gadgets as the printing telegraph, theelectric switch, electromagnetic telegraphic instru-ments, the typing wheel for telegraphs, the galvanicbattery, the speaking machine, the phonograph, thevacuum pump, the electric generator, the typewriter,the electric meter, the electric indicator, the electricrailway, the electrical transmission of power, pho-nogram blanks, the motion picture camera, railwaysignaling, the voltaic battery, the electric locomo-tive, the magnetic separator, the gas purifier, thecement kiln, an electronic system for automobiles, aprocess for constructing concrete buildings,improvements to the telephone, and on and on.

Thomas Edison died in 1931. He, along with afew other men in his lab, changed American societyforever. Through his inventions and his strong busi-ness sense, he managed to get his inventions manu-factured at a cost that was affordable to many. In atribute to his passing, the lights were dimmed forone minute on October 21, 1931, a few days afterhis death.

186 Teratological

Teratological

Greekterat- marvel, omen, monster-logo- talk, speak-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofMonstrous, relating to monstrosity; the biologicalstudy of birth defects.

Terrain

Latinterrenus of the earthA series of related rock formations.

Tertiary

Latintertius- third-ary of, relating to, or connected withFirst period of the Cenozoic era, extending fromthe beginning of the Paleocene epoch over 58million years ago to the end of the Pliocene epoch2 million years ago.

Tetrad

Greektetras fourA group or set of four homologous chromosomes.

Tetrahedron

Greektetra- four faced-hedron headA polyhedron with four faces; a Platonic solid P5.

Thallophytes

Greekthallos- young green shoot-phyte a plantA major group of organisms formerly belongingto the plant kingdom. They lack true roots, stems,and leaves. Representative samples include algae,fungi, and mosses.

Thallus

Greekthallos- young green shoot-us thingA plant that possesses an undifferentiated stemand lacks true vascular tissue.

Thermoacidophile

Greekthermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-acido- of or related to an acid-phile one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference forAn organism that thrives in a strongly acidic envi-ronment at high temperatures.

Thermocline

Greekthermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-klinein to lean, slopingThe transitional layer between warm surface watersand the cold bottom water of oceans or lakes.

Thermodynamic

Greekthermos- combing form of “hot” (heat)-dynamique- powerful-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofCharacteristic of or resulting from the conversionof heat into other forms of energy.

Thermograph

Greekthermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-graphia (graphein) to write, record, draw, describeA thermometer that records temperatures inde-pendently of humans by graphing the data onpaper or recording the data electronically.

Thermometer

Greekthermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-meter (metron) instrument or means of measur-ing; to measureA device usually consisting of a graduated glasstube filled with either alcohol or mercury that isused to measure temperature.

Thermophile

Greekthermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-phile one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference forAny group of organisms that have adapted to andthrive in environments of extreme heat, usuallyover 45 degrees Celsius.

Thermosphere

Greekthermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-sphaira a globe shape, ball, sphereThe outermost layer of the earth’s atmosphere.

Thermostat

Greekthermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)-statos standing, stay, make firm, fixed, balancedAn automatic device for regulating temperature.

Thigmotropism

Greekthigma- to touch-trope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to stimulus-ism state or condition, quality

Titrate 187

The turning or bending response of an organismupon direct contact with a solid surface or object.

Thoracic

Greekthorakikos- thorax, chest-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf, pertaining to, or situated in or near the chest.

Thoracocentesis

Latinthorakikos- thorax, chest-cente- puncture-sis action, process, state, conditionAspiration of the pleural cavity. A surgical proce-dure where the chest wall is punctured to allowfor the drainage of fluids from the chest.

Thorax

Greekthorakikos thorax, chestThe cage of bone and cartilage where the primaryorgans of the respiratory system reside. Formedventrally by the sternum and costal cartilages anddorsally by the twelve thoracic vertebrae con-nected to the dorsal parts of the twelve ribs.

Thrombocyte

Greekthrombo- clot, blood clot-cyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluidA cell, specifically platelets responsible for initi-ating the clotting of blood.

Thrombocytopenia

Greekthrombo- clot, blood clot-kutos- (cyto) sac or bladder that contains fluid-penia reduction, poverty, lack, deficiencyA reduced number of platelets in the blood.

Thrombosis

New Latinthrombo- clot, blood clot-sis action, process, state, conditionFormation of a clot in a blood vessel.

Thrust

Old Norsethrysta to tireThe force provided to drive an object through amedium, such as an airplane through air.

Thylakoids

Greekthylakos- sack-oid (oeides) resembling, having the appearance ofFattened sac within a granum whose membranecontains chlorophyll and where the light-depen-dent reactions of photosynthesis occur.

Thymine

Greekthym(ic) acid- acid from the thymus-ine of or relating toAn essential nitrogenous base found in DNA.

Thymus

Greekthumos wartlike outgrowthA tiny lymphatic gland located behind the ster-num. It is active in young people and is mostlyinvolved with T cell differentiation. It diminishesin size and becomes vestigial in adults.

Thyroid

Latinthureos- oblong shield, door-oid (oeides) resembling; having the appearance ofAn endocrine gland located laterally to the tra-chea in mammals; it produces various hormones,including triiodothyronine and calcitonin.

Thysanoptera

Greekthysanos- fringe-pteron feather, wingAn insect order classified as being minute tosmall, with long, narrow bodies and broadlyfringed wings (also know as thrips).

Thysanura

Greekthysanos- fringe-ura tailSilverfish; wingless, quick-moving, flattenedinsects that lack metamorphosis and are consid-ered by humans to be a pest species.

Tide

Old Englishtima division of timeThe periodic variation in the surface level of theoceans caused by the gravitational attraction ofthe moon and the sun.

Time

Anglo Saxontima time, hour, or seasonThe period between two events.

Tinnitus

Latintinnire to ringA ringing sound in the ears, the cause of which isunknown.

Titrate

Frenchtitre- concentration of a substance-ate characterized by having

188 Titration

To determine the concentration of a substance bytitration.

Titration

Latintitre- concentration of a substance-ion state, process, or quality ofThe process of determining the concentration of asubstance in solution by adding to it a standardreagent of known concentration in carefully mea-sured amounts until a reaction of definite propor-tion is completed.

Tongue

Latintunge tongueA muscular organ that is usually attached to the floor of the mouth.

Tonsil

Latintoles tonsilMass of lymphoid tissue in the back of the mouthand the throat and on the rear of the tongue.

Topography

Greektopos- place-graphia (graphein) to write, record, draw, describeThe configuration of a surface, including its relief andthe position of its natural and man-made features.

Torque

Latintorquere to twistThe moment of a force or the measurement of aforce’s tendency to produce torsion or rotationaround an axis.

Toxic

Greektoxikos- poison-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofHaving to do with poison or something harmful tothe body.

Toxicity

Greektoxikos- poison-ity state of, quality ofOf, relating to, or caused by a poison or toxin.

Toxicomania

Greek/Englishtoxikos- poison-mania obsessive preoccupation with something; madness, frenzy; obsession, or abnormal desire forAn intense craving for poisons; an urge to poisononeself.

Trachea

Greek/Latintrakheia roughMain trunk of the system of tubes by which airpasses to and from the lungs.

Trait

Latintractus drag, drawing out, lineA distinguishing quality; an inherited characteristic.

Trajectory

Latintraicere- to cause to cross.-ory of or pertaining toThe path followed by a projectile.

Transcription

Latintrans- across or through-scribere to write downA process in which DNA serves as a template forRNA formation.

Transduction

Latintransducere- transfer-ion state, process, or quality ofThe transfer of genetic material from one micro-organism to another by a viral agent.

Transfer

Latintrans- across or through-ferre to carryTo convey or cause to pass from one place, per-son, or thing to another.

Transformation

Latintrans- across or through-forma- shape-ion state, process, or quality ofThe alteration of a bacterial cell caused by thetransfer of DNA from another bacterial cell.

Transfusion

Latintrans- across or through-fundere- to pour-ion state, process, or quality of The act of instilling, moving, or transferring asubstance from one vessel to another.

Transgenesis

Latintrans- across or through-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-sis action, process, state, condition

Triceps 189

Integration into a living organism of a foreigngene that confers upon the organism a new prop-erty that it will transmit to its descendants.

Transgenic

Latintrans- across or through-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRefers to an organism that contains genes fromanother species, where the genes contain foreignDNA.

Translation

Latintrans- across or through-latus- brought-ion state, process, or quality ofThe process by which mRNA directs the aminoacid sequence of a growing polypeptide duringprotein synthesis.

Translocation

Latintrans- across or through-locus- place-ion state, process, or quality of The rearrangement of genetic material within thesame chromosome, or the transfer of a segment ofone chromosome to another, nonhomologous one.

Translucent

Latintrans- across or through-lucere- to shine-ent causing an action, being in a specific state, withinTransmitting light but causing sufficient diffusionto prevent the perception of distinct images.

Translunar

Latintrans- across or through-luna- moon-ar relating to or resemblingExtending beyond the moon or its orbit aroundthe earth.

Transmission

Latintrans- across or through-miss- to let go or to send-ion state, process, or quality ofThe process of causing to pass through, be con-veyed, or be sent out.

Transpiration

Latintrans- across or through

-spir- to breathe-ion state, process, or quality of The evaporative loss of water from a plant.

Transplant

Latintrans- across or through-plantare to plantTo uproot a plant from one area to another, or toremove an organ or tissue from an animal andplace it in another.

Transport

Latintrans- across or through-portare carryThe movement or transference of biochemicalsubstances from one site to another.

Transverse

Latintrans- across or through-vertere to turnSituated or lying across; crosswise.

Trematode

Greektremat- perforation-hodos waveA class of parasitic flatworms that attach them-selves to hosts by hooks or suckers.

Triassic

Latintrias- three-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf or belonging to the geologic time, system ofrocks, or sedimentary deposits of the first periodof the Mesozoic era, characterized by the diversi-fication of land life, the rise of dinosaurs, and theappearance of the earliest mammals.

Triboluminescence

Greek/Latintribein- to rub-lumen- light-ence the condition ofThe production of light taking the appearance oftiny sparks that are observed in the dark in someminerals when a hard point is dragged across thesurface of the mineral.

Triceps

Latintri- three-caput headA muscle with three points of origin.

190 Triceratops

Triceratops

Greektri- three-keras- horn-ops eye, faceA herbivorous dinosaur of the genus Triceratops,of the Cretaceous period, having a bony platecovering the neck, a large horn above either eye,and a small horn on the nose.

Trichinella

Greektrichinos- made of hair-ella littleOne of the group of parasitic nematodes that are slen-der and hairlike; roundworms that cause trichinosis.

Trichocyst

Greektrichinos- made of hair-cyst (kustis) sac or bladder that contains fluidA threadlike stinging or grasping structure pos-sessed by some ciliates and other protists that isused for capturing prey.

Trichoptera

Greektrichino- made of hair-pteron feather, wingThe four-winged insect order whose species arefound near lakes and streams; caddisflies.

Trichroism

Greektri- three-khros- color-ism state or condition, qualityThe property possessed by certain minerals inwhich three different colors are displayed whenthe mineral is viewed from three different direc-tions under white lights.

Triclinic

Greektri- three-klinein to lean, slopingHaving three unequal axes intersecting at obliqueangles.

Tricuspid

Greektri- three-cuspis- sharp point, cusp-id state, condition; having, being, pertaining to, tending to, inclined toStructure having three cusps; the molars (teeth)and the tricuspid valve of the human heart.

Trigeminal

Greektri- three-gemin- twin, double-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofThe main sensory nerve of the face and motornerve for the muscles of mastication.

Trisomy

Greektri- three-soma- (somatiko) body-y place for an activity, condition, stateAbnormal condition of having three copies of achromosome rather than the normal two in asomatic cell.

Trophozoite

Greektrophos- (trophein) to nourish, food, nutrition; development-zoion animal, living beingThe adult, active feeding stage of unicellularorganisms in the class Sporozoa.

Tropism

Greektrope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to stimulus-ism state or condition, qualityThe turning or bending movement of an organismtoward or away from an external stimulus.

Tropopause

Greektrope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to stimulus-pausis stopAtmospheric region between the troposphere andthe stratosphere.

Troposphere

Greektrope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to stimulus-sphaira a globe shape, ball, sphereThe lowest region of the atmosphere between theearth’s surface and the tropopause, characterized bydecreasing temperature with increasing altitude.

Trough

Middle Englishtrog wooden vesselThe minimum point in a wave or alternating signal.

Tsunami

Japanese

Tyrannosaur 191

tsu- port-nami waveA large ocean wave caused by an underwaterearthquake or volcanic eruption.

Tubule

Latintubus- pipe-ule little, smallA very small tube or tubelike structure.

Tufa

Latintufos tuffCalcareous lime deposits usually formed as pre-cipitates from springs with high concentrations ofcalcium; unusual formations of lime deposits.

Tumor

Latintumere to swellAn abnormal growth of tissue characterized by aproliferation of cells serving no useful purpose.

Tympanic

Greektumpanon- drum-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRelating to the membrane, a diaphragm-likestructure that is external on some insects andinternal in mammals.

Tyrannosaur

Greekturannos- tyrant-sauros lizardA large dinosaur with small forelimbs, a largehead, and a strong tail that existed during theUpper Cretaceous period in North America.

Ulcer

Latinulcus open soreLesion of the skin or mucous membrane in whichbleeding usually occurs and necrosis of the sur-rounding tissue often occurs.

Ultraviolet

Latinultra- beyond, to an extreme degree-violet shortest ray on the visible spectrumLying just beyond the violet end of the visiblespectrum.

Umbra

Latinumbra shadowThe completely dark portion of the shadow cast bythe earth, moon, or other body during an eclipse.

Undifferentiated

Latinun- not-differens differentRefers to cells during embryonic growth thathave not yet developed into organs and tissueswith specialized functions.

Ungulate

Latinunguis- hoofed, clawed, nail-ate characterized by havingOf or belonging to the former order Ungulata;hooved mammals such as horses, cattle, deer, andswine.

Unicellular

Latinuni- same, one-cellul- cell, small room-ar relating to or resemblingPlant and animal-like organisms that have or con-sist of one cell; to be one-celled.

Uniform

Latinuni- same, one-forma shapeBeing always the same, as in character or degree;unvarying.

Uniparous

Latinuni- same, one-para- to bring forth, to bear-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toRefers to animals that produce one offspring at atime or to plants that form a single axis at eachbranching.

Unit

Latinunus oneA determinate quantity adopted as a standard ofmeasurement.

Unsaturated

Latinun- not-satur- full-ate characterized by havingContaining less of a solute required for equilibrium.

Uvula 193

Uracil

Latinurina- (ur)ea urine-acetum- (ac)ectic acetic acid, vinegar-il substance relating toAn essential chemical of RNA.

Urease

Latinurea- urine-ase enzymeAn enzyme that promotes the hydrolysis of urea.

Ureter

Greekouron- water, rain, wet; urine-ter denoting the instrumentA thick-walled tube that conveys urine from thekidney to the urinary bladder.

Urethra

Greekourethra urinateA canal extending from the bladder to the exteriorof the body; it carries urine in both sexes andsemen in males of the species.

Urinary

Greekouron- water, rain, wet; urine-ary of, relating to, or connected withOf or relating to the organs involved in the forma-tion and excretion of urine.

Uropod

Greekuro- tail-pod footOne of the abdominal appendages of a crusta-cean, which are used chiefly in locomotion.

Uterine

Latinuterus- womb-ine of or relating toOf, pertaining to, or in the region of the uterus.

Uterus

Latinuterus wombA hollow muscular organ of the female mammal forthe gestation of fetuses, located in the pelvic region.

Utilization

Latinutilize- to use-ion state, process, or quality ofThe act or process of putting something to use fora productive purpose.

Uvula

Latinuva- grape (swollen)-ula little, smallA small, pendant/grape-shaped, fleshy mass oftissue suspended from the center of the posteriorborder of the soft palate.

Vaccine

Latinvacc- cow -ine a chemical substanceA substance prepared from pathogens that isinjected into the body in order to build antibodiesand create immunity from diseases caused bythose pathogens.

Vacuole

Latin/Frenchvacuus- empty-ole littleA membrane-enclosed cavity that contains water,food, or wastes from cellular activity.

Vagina

Latinvagina sheathA tube or canal that extends from the uterus to theexterior of the body.

Valence

Latinvalere to be strongAny number given to an element or ion as an indi-cator of combining sites; also used to determinewhether electrons will be gained or lost as a resultof a chemical reaction.

Vapor

Latinvapor diffuse matter in airSuspended liquid, particulate matter, or smokewithin a gas, such as steam or fog.

Vaporization

Latinvapor- diffuse matter in air -ize to make, to treat, to do something with-ion state, process, or quality ofThe process of converting a liquid into a gas.

Vaporize

Latinvapor- diffuse matter in air-ize to make, to treat, to do something withTo convert or be converted into vapor.

Variation

Latinvariare- different, diversity, change-ion state, process, or quality ofDivergence in the characteristics of an organismfrom the species or population norm or average.

Varicose

Latinvaric- swollen vein-ose full of, containing, having the qualities of, likeDescribes the abnormal condition of swollen ortwisted superficial veins.

Variegation

Latinvarius- various-agere- to do, drive-ion state, process, or quality ofIrregular variation in the color of plant organs,such as leaves or flowers.

Venule 195

Vas deferens

Latinvas- vessel, duct-de- reverse the action of, undo, from, apart, away-ferre to carryThe duct or tubule by which semen is carriedfrom the epididymis to the ejaculatory duct.

Vascular

Latinvas- vessel, duct-cul- small, tiny-ar relating to or resemblingCharacterized by containing vessels that carry orcirculate fluids through plants and animals.

Vasodilation

Latinvas- vessel, duct-di- apart, away, from-latus- wide-ion state, process or quality of The act or process of increasing the diameter of asmall blood vessel.

Vasopressin

Latinvas- vessel, duct-premere- to press, curtail, prohibit-in protein or derived from a proteinAntidiuretic hormone (ADH) secreted by theanterior lobe of the pituitary gland. This hormonesimultaneously constricts small blood vessels,raises blood pressure, and reduces urinary output.

Vasospasm

Latin/Greekvas- vessel, duct-spasmos involuntary contraction, pullConstriction of a blood vessel.

Vastus

Latinvastus broad, largeTerm suggesting “large” or “broad,” in referenceto muscle size.

Vector

Latinvehere to carryIn physics, a quantity with both magnitude anddirection. In biology, an organism that carriespathological organisms and delivers them fromone host to another. In genetics, a plasmid orother agent that carries genetic material from onecell to another.

Vegetation

Latinvegetat- to enliven-ion state, process, or quality ofThe act or process of vegetating; plants growingin a given area.

Vein

Latinvena vessel, tubeLarge blood vessel that conducts blood towardthe heart.

Velocity

Latinvelox- quick-ity state of, quality ofThe vector quantity used to measure speed.

Vena cava

Latinvena- vein-cava empty, hollowVery large veins, both superior and inferior, thatempty blood into the right atrium of the heart.

Vent

Latinventus windThe opening of a volcano in the earth’s crust.

Ventifact

Latinventus- wind-(arti)fact product or resultA stone that has been shaped by wind-driven sand.

Ventral

Latinventer- belly-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf or close to the abdomen, on the front of thehuman body or on the lower side of an animal orfish.

Ventricle

Latinventricul- belly-us thingOne of the small chambers or cavities usuallyassociated with the heart or brain.

Venule

Latinvena- vessel, tube-ule little, smallSmaller blood vessel that conducts blood toward alarger vein that ultimately returns blood to the heart.

196 Vermiculite

Vermiculite

Latinvermis- worm-lithos- stone, rock-ite minerals and fossilsAny of a group of micaceous hydrated silicateminerals related to the chlorites and used in heat-expanded form as insulation and as a plantingmedium.

Vermiform

Latinverm- worm-forma having the form ofA legless, wormlike larva without a well-developedhead.

Vertebrate

Latinvertebratus- jointed-ate characterized by havingHaving a backbone or spinal column; an animalin the phylum Chordata, subdivision Vertebrata.

Vertex

Latinvertere to turnThe point at which the sides of an angle intersect;the highest peak of a mountain.

Vertical

Latinvertic- highest point-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofThe axis perpendicular to the horizon (up anddown); positioned at the highest point.

Vertigo

Latinvertere to turnThe sensation of a whirling or spinning motionassociated with oneself or with external objects;confused or disoriented.

Vesicle

Latinvesic- little bladder-ula little, smallWithin the cytoplasm of cells, one of a variety ofsmall, membrane-bound sacs that function in thetransport, storage, or digestion of substances or insome other activity.

Vestigial

Latinvestigium- no sign of any return-ial relating to or characterized by

Refers to an indication, either by structural featureor some other minute piece of evidence, of theexistence of a body part that no longer is present inthe modern species (i.e., the forelimbs of ostriches).

Vibration

Latinvibrare- to move back and forth-ion state, process, or quality ofThe act or process of rapidly moving back and forth.

Vibrissae

Latinvibro- to quiver, to oscillate-ae pluralStiff hairs or feathers, usually projecting from theface (i.e., whiskers).

Villus

Latinvill- tuft of hair or fleece-us thingSmall, fingerlike projections extending into theinterior of the small intestine and increasing theabsorptive area of the intestinal wall.

Viper

Latinvipera snakeAny of several venomous Old World snakes ofthe family Viperidae, having a single pair of long,hollow fangs and a thick, heavy body.

Viremia

Latinvirus- poison-emia the condition of having (a specific thing) in the bloodViruses found moving within the bloodstream;they may be pathogenic.

Virus

Latinvirus poisonAny of various simple submicroscopic parasitesof plants, animals, and bacteria that often causedisease.

Visceral

Latinviscidus- sticky-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character ofOf the internal organs of the body, such as theheart, lungs, and intestines.

Viscosity

Latinviscosus- sticky-ity state or quality

Vulva 197

Numerical measure of the degree to which a fluidresists flow under an applied force.

Vision

Latinvidere- to see-ion state, process, or quality of Eyesight; the ability to see.

Vitamin

Latinvita- live-ammonia- a colorless pungent gas, NH3-ine a chemical substanceVarious water- or oil-soluble organic substancesthat are ingested in small amounts and are essen-tial for growth and development.

Vitreous

Latinvitrium- glass-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toOf or resembling glass; clear substance.

Viviparity

Latinviva- life, alive-para- to bring forth, to bear-ity state of, quality ofReproduction in animals whose embryos developwithin the female parent and derive nourishmentfrom her tissues (i.e., the placenta).

Volatile

Latinvolare- to fly-ile changing, ability, suitable, tending toRefers to that which readily evaporates at roomtemperature and pressure.

Volcanic

Latinvol’nus- fire, flames (named after the Roman god of fire)-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofPertains to extrusive rocks that cool above thesurface.

Volcano

Latinvol’nus fire, flames (named after the Roman god of fire)A mountain formed of lava, ash, and larger frag-ments ejected during numerous eruptions.

Volume

Latinvolumen to rollThe amount of space occupied by a three-dimen-sional object or region of space, expressed incubic units.

Volvox

Latinvolvere to rollHollow, spherical, multicellular green algae ofthe genus Volox that are found in freshwater.

Vulva

Latinvulva womb, coveringThe external genitalia of the female, including thelabia, hymen, perineum, and clitoris.

Water

Old Englishwæter waterOdorless, colorless, tasteless fluid vital to allplants and animals.

Wattle

Old Englishwatel hurdleA fleshy, wrinkled, often brightly colored processhanging from the neck or throat, common in cer-tain birds, such as chickens.

Wax

Old Englishweax waxOils and greases composed of hydrocarbons andesters that are quite sensitive to heat and insolublein water.

Weather

Old Englishweder weatherThe regional condition of the atmosphere withrespect to temperature, humidity, precipitation,and wind.

Weight

Old Englishwegan to weighThe force on an object as a result of gravitation.

Work

Greekergon activityThe amount of energy required to exert a forceover a given distance.

Henry Cavendish

Perhaps Henry Cavendish lost his chance at fameand glory because of his odd, quirky personality.Henry was painfully shy toward strangers andwomen. He was, however, respected and admiredby his colleagues. According to accounts from hiscontemporaries, Henry would refrain from makingeye contact with anyone but those closest to him.

Henry Cavendish was born in Nice, France, onOctober 10, 1731, and he died 78 years later, onFebruary 24, 1810. During his sequestered life,Henry discovered some of the most important prin-

ciples of chemistry but historically has been givenlittle credit for those discoveries. After his death,many of Cavendish’s discoveries were later madeby others. It wasn’t until James Clerk Maxwell, aScottish mathematician, went through Cavendish’swritings in the latter part of the nineteenth centurythat the outside world realized what Henry hadaccomplished in his life. Ohm’s law, Dalton’s lawof partial pressure, and Charles’ law of gases,though not so named, were among the principles ofchemistry included in Cavendish’s narratives.

Work 199

By experimentation, Cavendish was able toaccurately calculate the density of the earth relativeto water. The results of his experiments led to thecalculation of the actual mass of the earth. He wasaccurate to within 1 percent of the earth’s actualmass, which is estimated at 5.9725 billion trilliontons.

We associate Henry Cavendish with thediscovery of the composition of water. Cavendish isgiven credit for the discovery of hydrogen,although, again, he didn’t name it as such. That didnot happen until Antoine Lavoisier researchedCavendish’s experiments in 1777 and carried onwith them.

Henry Cavendish’s experiments with gases weremeticulously conducted. He repeated his trials withgases over and over as he attempted to successfullydifferentiate them by their specific gravity.

Cavendish accurately established thecomposition of earth’s atmosphere as being 79.167percent “phlogisticated” (inflammable) air and20.8333 percent “dephlogisticated” air. Today weknow that most of the phlogisticated air is nitrogenand the dephlogisticated air is oxygen.

dephlogisticated air + inflammable air →water

[Now: 2 H2 (g) + O2 (g) →H2O (l)]

Xanthic

Greekxanthos- yellow-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofIn botany, pertains to any plant or fruit that has atendency to be yellowish in color.

Xanthophyll

Greekxenos- stranger, different-phyll leafYellow pigment that is found in the leaves ofgreen plants and is masked by the green pigmentchlorophyll.

Xenobiotic

Greekxeno- guest-bios- life, living organisms, or tissue-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofPertains to a drug or other foreign substancecapable of harming another living thing.

Xenocrystal

Greekxenos- stranger, different-krustallos iceA crystal foreign to the igneous rock in which itoccurs.

Xenogenic

Greekxenos- stranger, different-gen- to give birth, kind, produce-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRefers to a trait originating from a genetically dif-ferent species and introduced into an organism.

Xenotransplantation

Greek/Latinxenos- stranger, different-trans- across or through-plantare- to plant-ion state, process, or quality ofThe surgical removal of an organ or tissue fromone species and the transplantation of it into amember of a different species.

Xerophyte

Greekxeros- dry, arid-phyte plantA plant that lives in dry ecosystems, such as deserts.

Xiphoid

Greekxiphos- sword-oid (oeides) resembling; having the appearance ofRefers to the pointed, cartilaginous tip attached tothe lower end of the breastbone or sternum; thesmallest and lowest division of the sternum.

Xylem

Greekxulon woodThe supporting and water-conducting tissue ofvascular plants, consisting primarily of woodytissue.

Xylophage

Greekxulon- wood-phage eat, eating, consume, ingestAn organism that eats wood, typically an insect.Certain mollusks and fungi also bore into wood.

Yeast

Old Englishgist yeastSingle-celled fungi belonging to the familiesAscomycetes and Basidiomycetes.

Yew

Old Englishiw yewA type of evergreen tree found mostly in temper-ate climates and thriving in acid soils.

Yield

Old Englishgelda to pay

In biology, the amount of food gathered from agiven crop. In chemistry, the amount of productobtained from a given chemical reaction.

Yolk

Old Englishgeolu yellowThe yellow substance of an egg, composed ofwater, protein, and lipids, that is surrounded by aclear, proteinatous layer of albumen.

Youze

East Indiayouze cheetahThe cheetah.

Zeatin

Greekzeia- wheat, barley, corn-in protein or derived from a proteinA plant hormone found in the endosperm of maizefruits.

Zein

Greekzeia wheat, barley, cornA protein found in corn that is used in plastics,coatings, and adhesives

Zenith

Latin/Arabicsemita path over the headThe point on the celestial sphere that is directlyabove the observer.

Zeolite

Greekzein- to boil-lithos rock, stoneAluminum silicate mineral whose moleculesenclose cations of sodium, potassium, calcium,strontium, or barium; used chiefly as molecularfilters and ion-exchange agents.

Zero

Arabicsifr nothing, cipherEmpty, nothing; the absence of any integer.

Zinc

Old Germanzinko spiked (because it became spiked or jagged in the oven)

A metal that is whitish in color and malleable atwarm temperatures; one of a group of metals usedin the making of alloys.

Zircon

Persianzargun- (Persian form zarg n) gold colored

c- (as in çiy diya) fire worship month-g n colorStable mineral found in granite and that providesevidence for the earth’s crust being at least 4.2billion years old; a brown to colorless mineral,ZrSiO4, which is heated, cut, and polished toform a brilliant, blue white gem.

Zoanthropy

Greekzoon- animal, animal-like-anthropo- man; human being, mankind-y place for an activity, condition, stateA mental disorder categorized as a monomania,where an individual believes he has transformedhimself into another animal.

Zone

Greekzone girdle, celestial zoneA distinctive region or area that is characterizedby a common set of features and relatively dis-tinct boundaries.

Zoobenthos

Greekzoon- animal, animal-like-benthos deep; the fauna and flora of the bottom of the seaThose fauna living in or on the seabed or lake floor.

a ua a a

u

Zygodactylous 203

Zoodomatia

Greekzoon- animal, animal-like-domatia commune, homePlant structures that act as shelters for animals.

Zooflagellates

zoon- animal, animal-like-flagell- a whip-ate characterized by havingA group of animal-like protists that are character-ized by having flagella.

Zoology

Greekzoon- animal, animal-like-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledgeThe branch of biology that deals with the study ofthe structure, physiology, development, and clas-sification of animals.

Zoonosis

Greekzoon- animal, animal-like-noso- disease-sis action, process, state, conditionAny infection of a human by a pathogen whosesource is a reservoir of a nonhuman animalpathogen.

Zooparasite

Greekzoon- animal, animal-like-para- beside; near; alongside-sitos- grain, food-ite residentAn animal that feeds off a host organism.

Zoophagous

Greekzoon- animal, animal-like-phagos- (phagein) to eat, eating-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toA broad term applied to animals that feed offother animals.

Zoophyte

Greekzoon- animal, animal-like-phyte a plantAny animal that resembles a plant more than ananimal in morphology or mode of life.

Zooplankton

Greekzoon- animal, animal-like-planktos- passively drifting, wandering, roaming-on a particle

Small animals that float or swim near the surfaceof water.

Zooplasty

Greekzoon- animal, animal-like-plastos- (plassein) something molded; to mold-y place for an activity, condition, stateThe surgical procedure whereby animal tissue isgrafted and implanted in humans.

Zoosmosis

Greekzoon- animal, animal-like-osmos- for thrust, push-sis action, process, state, conditionThe osmotic process occurring in living systems,specifically in animals.

Zoosporangium

Greekzoon- animal, animal-like-spora- seed-y place for an activity, condition, stateA vesicle in plants that holds zoospores.

Zoospore

Greekzoon- animal, animal-like-spora seedSpores possessing flagella that are capable oflocomotion.

Zootoxin

Greekzoon- animal, animal-like-toxicum poisonA poison produced by an animal.

Zooxanthella

Greekzoon- animal, animal-like-xanthos- yellow-ella dimunitiveMicroscopic yellow-green algae that live symbi-otically within the cells of coral.

Zwitterion

Germanzwitterion hybrid ionA molecule that has positive and negative chargeson opposite sides; a dipolar molecule.

Zygodactylous

Greekzugon- to yoke, pair-daktulos- toe, finger, digit-ous full of, having the quality of, relating toA term applied to yoke-toed birds such as wood-peckers, parrots, and cuckoos; the toes of these

204 Zygoma

birds are in sets of two, with one set lying anteriorto the leg and the other posterior.

Zygoma

Greekzugoun to join, boltThe slender bony arch that joins the cheek to thetemporal bone.

Zygomatic

Greekzugoun- to join, bolt-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofOf or relating to the area of the zygoma.

Zygomorphic

Greekzugon- to yoke, pair-morph- shape, form, figure, or appearance-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic ofRefers to an organism having a paired or bilateralsymmetry.

Zygospore

Greekzugon- to yoke, pair-spora seed, a sowingA thick-walled spore of some algae and fungiformed by the union of two similar sexual cells;usually serves as a resting spore and produces thesporophytic phase of the plant.

Zygote

Greekzugon to yoke, pairA cell formed by the union of two gametes.

Zymurgy

Greekzym- leaven-ourgos workThe branch of chemistry that deals with the pro-cess of fermentation.

Common Prefixes

a- no, absence of, without, lack of, notab- off, away fromacere- to be sourad- to, a direction toward, addition to, nearaden- lymph gland(s)aequi- equal, same, similar, evenaer- air, atmosphere, mist, windalgeis- painalkali- (Latin) basic, pH more than 7allos- other, differentalqili- (Arabic) ashes (originally from Arabic

word al-qali, which means “ashes,” and recalls the elements Na [sodium] and K [potassium] left in the ashes of burning wood or plants)

amnion- embryo, bowl, lambamphi- on both or all sides, aroundan- no, absence of, without, lack of, notana- anew, upandros- maleanemos- windangeion- vessel, usually a blood vesselante- before or prior toanth- flower; that which buds or sproutsanthropo- man; human being, mankindanti- opposing, opposite, againstapo- away from, off, separateaqua- waterarchae- original, beginning, origin, ancientart ri - windpipe, arteryarthr- jointastros- starathera- tumors full of pus, like a gruelatmos- vaporatri- open area, central court, hall, entrance, or main

room of an ancient Roman house

auto- self, same, spontaneous; directed from withinavis- birdbaktron- a staff; rodbaro- weight, heavy; combining form meaning

“pressure”bathy- deep, depthbi- two, twice, double, twofoldblastos- germ, budbrakh n- upper armbronkhos- windpipecenti- one hundredthcephalo- (kephalikos) headchaeto- spine, bristle; long, flowing haircheil- claw, lip, edge, or brimchemo-, khemeia- chemical/alchemychlor- the color green, yellow-green, or light greencircum- in a circle; around, about, surroundingco- to the same extent, degree; together, jointlycom- (con) together, with, jointly; compress, convergecyano- (kyanos) blue, dark bluedactylo- finger, toede- do or make the opposite of, reverse the action

of, undo; from, apart, awaydeinos- terrible, monstrousdendro- tree, resembling a treedermat- skindi- apart, away, from, twodia- through, across, apartdiploos- doubledis- apart, away from, utterly, completely, in all

directionsdys- painful, difficult, disordered, impaired, defective, ille- outektos- outer; external, out of, out, outside; away from

e a

io

206 Common Prefixes

lektron- charge, electricity, dealing with positive and negative charges

en- in, into, inward; withinendo- inside, withinenviron- round about; encircleepi- above, over, on, uponeu- good, well; trueex- outside/outward, out of, out; away fromferrum- iron; pertaining to or containing ironfibro-, fibr-, fibra- fiber; an elongated threadlike

structurefrangere- to breakgamet- husband or wife; to marrygastr- stomach, bellyge- earth, worldgen- origin, birthgermen- a bud, offshootgravis- heavy, weightyhaima- bloodh lio- sunhemi- halfhepta- liverherba- grass, green cropsheteros- differentholos- complete, whole, entire, all, fullhomeo- same, like, resembling, sharing, similar, equalhydr- of or having to do with waterhyper- above, highhypo- under, below, beneath, less than, too little,

deficientinfra- inferior to, below, or beneathinter- among, mutually, together, between, amongintra- within, insideisos- equal, uniform, same, similar, alikekard- heart, pertaining to the heartkary- nut, walnut, kernel, nucleuskata- down, downward; under, lower; against;

entirely, completelykentron- center, sharp pointkhondros- granule, cartilagekhromat- colorkinetikos- to move; set in motionklinein- to lean, slopingkoilos- hollow cavitykosmos- universe, orderkustis- (cyst) sac or bladder that contains fluidkyklos- circle, wheel, cycle, rotateleukos- white, clear, or colorlesslipos- fatlithos- stone or rockly- (luein) to loosen, dissolve, dissolution, breaklympha- clear water, water nymphmagn- greatmakros- long, large, greatmala- bad

medius- middlemegas- large, great, big, powerfulmelas- (melas) the color black, darkmesos- middlemeta- between, after, beyond, latermicro- denotes one-millionth of a partmono- one, single, alonemorph- shape, form, figure or appearancemyco- fungusmyel- (muelos) bone marrowmyo- musclenecro- deathnephros- kidneyneur- nerve, cordnervus- sinew, tendonnom- (nemein) to dictate the laws of, knowledge,

usage, ordernon- not, lack ofnucula- kernel, little nutoikos- home, houseoion- eggor- mouthortho- straight, true, correct, right

s- mouthosteon- boneovum- eggpan- allpara- beside, near, alongsidepathos- suffering, diseaseped- footper- through, acrossperi- around, about, enclosingpetros- a rock, fossil, or stonephagos- (phagein) to eat, eatingphainein- to show, appear, display; making evident;

literally, “to come”pherbein- to grazepherein- to carry, bear, support; gophilos- love, fondness for, lovingphotos- light, radiant energyphukos- rock lichen, seaweedphullon- leafphuton- plantpinein- to drinkplastos- (plassein) something molded; to moldplatus- flatpneumon- lung, breath poly- many or muchpro-, prot- before, forward; for, in favor of; in front ofproteros- earlierpseudes- falsepsych- mind, consciousness, mental processpteron- feather, wingquadi- fourradi- radiant or radiation energy, wireless transmitter

e

e

o

Common Prefixes 207

re- to do something again or go againstrodere- to gnawsapro- rotten, putrid, decaysed- sitsemi- halfs pein- to make rotten, putrefactivesinus- hollowsklero- hardsoma- (somatiko) bodyspecere- to look at, appearancespora- seedstaphylo- clusterstatos- standing, stay, make firm, fixedstereos- three dimensional, solid, firm, hardstratum- horizontal layer; stretched, spread out;

layer, cloud layersub- under or belowsuper- superior in size, quality, number, or

degree; exceeding the normsus- (sub) below, under, beneathsym- with, together

syn- joined together, together withtele- far off, distanttelos- endthallos- young green shootthermos- combining form of “hot” (heat)thrombo- clot, blood clottopos- placetrans- across or throughtri- threetrope- bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to

stimulustrophos- (trophein) to nourish, food, nutrition;

developmentultra- beyond, to an extreme degreeun- notuni- same, onevas- vessel, ductvena- veinviva- life, alivexenos- stranger, differentzoon- animal, animal-like

e

Common Roots

abdomen belly, venteraberrare deviation from the proper or expected courseabradere to scrape offaccipiter hawkaccuratus done with careacere to be souracerv re to heapactivus to drive, do

ctus to set in motionacus (acuere) to sharpen; needle, pointaden lymph gland(s)adip of or pertaining to fataera countersaerobe organism requiring oxygen to liveaesthe feeling, sensation, perceptionaestus tide, surgeagogos a leading, a guideagon conflict, contestagulum to condense, to driveaion indefinitely long period of timeaisthesis feelingaither upper airaitia causeakanthos thorn plantaktin ray (as of light), radiance, radiatingalbumo the color whitealbus the color whitealeiphein to anoint with oilalere to nourishalescere to come together or growalga seaweedalgesi pain, sense of pain; painful, hurtingalimentum nourishment, supplying foodalkali (Latin) basic, pH more than 7alkyl alcohol; a monovalent radical, such as ethyl or

propyl

alleion mutuallyalligare to bindallium onion, garlic bulbalqili (Arabic) ashes (originally from Arabic word

al-qali, which means “ashes,” and recalls the ele-ments Na [sodium] and K [potassium] left in the ashes of burning wood or plants)

alter otheraltus high, highest, tall, loftyalveus hollow, bellyam (ampere) named for Andre Marie Ampereamalgama mixtureameibein to changeamino relating to an amine or other compound con-

taining an NH2 groupammonia a colorless pungent gas, NH3amnion embryo, bowl, lambampho (amphoteros) both, each of twoamplus large, fullamygdale almondanalogos proportionateancon elbowane organic compound containing no multiple bondsangeion vessel, usually a blood vesselangulus angleankhon a stranglingannellus little ringantara interioranth flower, that which buds or sproutsanthrankitis name of a fiery gemanthropo man; human being, mankindaort lower extremity of the windpipe; by exten-

sion, extremity of the heart, the great arteryapat deceitaponeurousthai to become tendinousaptare fit, fitted, suited

a

a

e

e

210 Common Roots

aqua waterarakhn spiderarassein to strikearbor treearc bow, arch, or bendarchae original, beginning, origin, ancientargillos clayarithmos numberaroma smell (due to sweet smell of benzene and

related organic groups)arteria windpipe, arteryarthr jointarticulus small jointartificialis not natural, manmadeaskarizein to jump, throbaskos bagastros staräther etherlike acidatri open area, central court, hall, entrance, or main

room of an ancient Roman houseaudit hearing, listening, perception of soundsaugere to increaseauricula earaurora dawnaurum goldaustr south, south windauxein to growavis birdawariyah damaged merchandiseaxios worthyaxis centralax n axisbaktron a staff; rodbar weight, pressurebasid foundation or basebasis fundamental ingredient, foundationbenthos deep; the fauna and flora of the bottom of

the seabeta second letter of the Greek alphabetbio life, living organisms, or tissuebios life, living organisms, or tissue bit men a mineral pitch from the Near Eastblaedre bladderblastos bud, germ cellblepharon eyelidbl d to thrive or bloombol (ballein) to put or throwbombos booming soundboreios coming from the northbotah (body) the material frame of humans and animalsbotan fodder, plantsbotulus sausagebov cowbrakh n upper armbredan to breed

bresta to break asunderbrevis briefbronkhos windpipebruein to be full, burstingbruon mossbul place forbulla bubblebuoy to floatbussos bottombustus to burncadere to fall, diecaecus blindcaelum sky, heavencaldaria cooking potcalor heatcalve calfcambiare to exchangecamoufler to disguise can lis conduitcancer crabcandela candlecani dogcanthus rim of a wheel or vesselcap catch, seize, take hold of, contain, take, holdcapacitas spaciouscapill hairycappa cap or capecarbo coal, charcoalcarbonate to charge with carbon dioxide gascarota carrotcarpus wrist; that which turnscartilago cartilagecaud tailcaudex bookcaulis stemcauter heatcavare to make hollowc dere to gocella chambercellula little cellcentrum centercephalo (kephalikos) headcer waxcerebr of or relating to the brain or cerebrumcernre to separatec russa a white lead pigment, sometimes used in

cosmeticscervic stem of cervixcetu whalechemo, khemeia chemical; alchemychimaira she-goatchir hand; pertaining to the hand or handschore a central and often foundational part, usually

distinct from the enveloping part by a difference in nature

o

u

o

e

io

a

e

e

Common Roots 211

chylos juiceciere to set in motioncirculus to make circularcircum in a circle; around, about, surroundingcirro hair or wispycist to cutcl vis key (from its shape)cleave to split or separateclitellae packsaddlecloa’cae drainclupea herring, small fishco gulum coagulatorcod a code of laws, a writing tablet; an account bookcoelom, (koilomat) cavitycolere to tillcommodus to adjust, suitablecommunis commonscompose to form, createconch shellcopula bond or paircorneus hornycorniculum horn, hornlike structurecorolla small garlandcorona crowncortic bark, rind, that which is stripped offcosto ribcracian to break apartcremo, crem to hang; hung, hung upcreper darkcreta chalkcrevace crevicecropp crawcrum planted with treescrusta shell, hard surface of a bodycult to care for, to dwell, to inhabitcumaru tonka bean treecumul pile or heapcumul re to pile upcurrere to coincidecuspis sharp point, cuspcutis skincutten to separate into parts with or as if with a

sharp-edged instrumentcyano (kyanos) blue, dark bluecygnus swancyte (kutos) sac or bladder that contains fluiddaktulos toe, finger, digitdatum something givendecidu to fall offdegrade to impair physical structuredei god, deity, divine naturedeletes to erase, destroydeliquiscere melt by absorption of moisturedelo visible, clear, clearly seen; obviousdemos population, people

dendr tree, resembling a treedens to press close togetherdensi thick, thickly set, crowded, compactdenti teeth or toothdentis toothderm skindesiccare make quite drydeterere to lessen, wear awaydeuteros second, two in numberdiast dilation, spreadingdicho akin todidumos twins, testiclesdiffundere to spread outdigerere to break downdiploos doublediurnus daydiverse differing from anotherdold to dulldominae to ruledomo house, homedoopen to dipdormire to sleepdorsalis backdraga to draw, dragdramein/dromos to rundrum ridge, back; long, narrow hillducere to lead, bring, take; to draw or lead ductus to be hammered out into a tube or pipe;

leading or drawingdunamikos powerfulduodecum twelvedurare to harden; hard growthdygre dryeco environment, habitatefficere to effecteghe resembling an eye shapeeicere to throw outeisodios coming in besides, enteringekdusis to shed or moltekithos yolkelaunein to beat out

lektron charge, electricity, dealing with positive and negative charges

elementum rudiment, first principleeliminat to banishelleiptikos of a leaf shape; in the form of an ellipseelongate to make or grow longerelutron sheath

mittere to send outempeirikos doctor relying on experience aloneenchyma tissueenkephalos in the headenteron intestineentomos cut from two, segmentedequus horse

a

a

a

e

e

212 Common Roots

erbe herberem lonely, solitary; hermit; desertergon work erosio an eating awayestiv dormancy in the summeretymon true sense; earlier form of a wordeurus a widening; broad, wideevolut unrollingexperiri to tryexternus outwardfacere to do, carry, bear, bringfecere make, do, cause, produce, buildferre to carryfibre an elongated, threadlike structureflagrum whipfl oge flyflorere flower; to blossomfocus (fuel) hearth, fireplacefolium leafforis outsideformyl: form(ic) found in ants or relating to ants +

-yl suffix for organic acidfrangere to breakfugere to fleefungi performance, executionfurca a forkgaia earthgastr stomach, bellyge earth, worldgen to give birth, kind, producegenitus born, to beargerere to bearglene eyeballglotta tongueglutinare to gluegl t re to gulpgnatha jawgn to come to knowngnose to know or learngonos offspringgradus step or degreegradus walk, step, take steps, move around; walk-

ing or steppinggramma lettergraphia (graphein) to write, record, draw, describegynous in relation to a female organ of a planthaerere to stick together, cling tohaima bloodhal salthavour to havehedron facehelios sunheteros differenthistanai to place, to stophomolus even

hormo to rouse or to set in motionhudor waterhybrida mongrel offspringhydr waterjugare to join togetherkainos recentkairon nut; cell nucleuskalendae account bookkalyx cupkapnos smoke, carbon dioxide (CO2 )kard heart, pertaining to the heartkarkinos crab, cancerkaroun to put to sleep, plunge into sleep or stupor,

stupefykarpos fruitkata down, downward; under, lower; against;

entirely, completelykele hernia, tumorkentein to prick, puncturekentron center, sharp pointkeras hornkerkos tailkhartes map, chart, paperkheilos lipkhole bilekhorde gut, string of a musical instrumentkhorion afterbirthkhr ma colorkhronos timekhr sallid gold-colored pupa of a butterflykhumos juicekin’ dh to sting, nettlekine movement, motionkinein to movekirkos circlekirrhos tawny yellowklados branch or spoutklastos break, break in pieceskleitoris clitoriskleps to stealklime slopeklinein to lean, slopingklinikos pertaining to a bed or couchklisis inclinationkl n young shoot or twigkn kos safflowerkoiloma cavitykokhlias snailkokkos berry, grain, seedkolkhikon meadow saffronkolla gluekolon large intestinekometes long-hairedkoneion poison hemlockkonis dust

e

u i

o

o

u

oe

Common Roots 213

kope oarkosmos universe, orderkotuledon a kind of plant, a seed leaf, a hollow or

cup-shaped object kranion skullkrater bowl for mixing wine and waterkreat fleshkrinein to separatekroke pebblekrustallos ice, crystal, freeze, icelikekuhl essences obtained by distillationkustis (cyst) sac or bladder that contains fluidkyklos circle, wheel, cycle, rotatelapar the soft part of the body between the ribs, hip,

and flank; the loinl tus widelegein word, speechleipein to leavelekithos egg yolklibr balanced, level; make even; weightlig re to tie, bindligo bind, tielipo abandon, to leave (behind)lite (lith) stone or rocklocare to placeluere to wash, cleanlunar moon, light, shinely (luein) to loosen, dissolve, dissolution, breakmagnes figurative sense of something that attractsmalacia softening of tissuemalgama soft massm ter mothermaza mass, large, amountmbolon wedge, pegmegas large, big, greatmelas blackmensa tablemeros partmeta later in timemetallon mine, ore, quarry; any of a category of

electropositive elements from metallum meter (metron) instrument or means of measuring;

to measure(meth)ane an odorless, colorless gas, CH4metiri to measure outmetra wombmetria (metron) the process of measuringmigrare to movemiktos mixed or blendedminie mimic, mime; imitate, act; simulationmittere to putmixis mingling, intercoursemorph shape, form, figure, or appearancemorpheus god of dreamsmuk s fungus

mulg re to milk outmyo musclenasus nosenautes sailornecro deathnegare say no, to denynekros death, corpsenephros kidneysneur nervenervus sinew, tendonnimbus cloudnoct nightnom (nemein) to dictate the laws of, knowledge,

usage, ordernosia diseaseoch fixedocul of or relating to the eyeodontos toothoid ma a swellingoikos home, houseoptic eye, opticorexis appetiteotic state or condition of; condition of beingoxo oxygenoxus sharpoxy pungent, sharpparare to make readyparticula a very small piece or part; a tiny portion

or speckpathos feeling, sensation, perception; suffering,

diseasepectin combped footpendere to hangpeps digestionpestis (Latin) plague, pestilancepetere to strivephage to eatphagei to eatphagos (phagein) to eat, eatingphana speechpharynx throatphase a stagephatos speech, spokenphile one who loves or has a strong affinity or pref-

erence forphonos voicephore bearer, carrierphoreus bearerphoros being carried, bearingphotos light, radiant energyphragma fencephren diaphragm, midriff, heartphuein to growphullon leaf

a

a

a

e

e

e

214 Common Roots

phusan to blowphusis naturephuton plant having a (specified) characteristic or

habitatphyein to growphyte plantpithecus ape, apelike creaturesplasm (plassein) to mold or form cells or tissuesplassein to formplastos (plassein) something molded (to mold)plexus an embracepnea breathing or breathpneumon wind, breathpnion breathing or breathpod footpoiein production, formation; to makepole either of two oppositely charged terminalspollere to be powerfulponere to put togetherpotent power; to be ablepraktikos practicalpremere to pressproktos anuspteron feather, wingptilon plumep r firepyge rump or buttockspyle gateqalib shoemaker’s lastramus branchreciepere to receiveren the kidneysrhein to flow or runriche richrigare to wrinklerocca rock, stonerota wheel rube redsaccharon sugarsafira to be emptysauros lizardscire to knowscoli curvature, curved, twisted, crookedsectus to cutseminare to plant or propagate (from semen, semi-

nis meaning “seed”)sent re to feel sepein to decay, cause to rotsepsis putrefaction or decayser the watery part of fluidservare to preservesexus sexsicca dryingsimulare to make similar or alikeskeletos dried body

sklero (skl roun) to hardenskopein see, view, sight, look at, examinesociar to joinsolvere to loosensoma (somatiko) bodysorbere to suckspargere to scatter or strew; sprinklesperma seedsphaira a globe shape, ball, spheresphyzein to throb; pulse, heartbeatspir breath of life, breath, breathingspora seedstare to stand firmstatos standing, stay, make firm, fixed, balancedstele pillarstella starstereos solid, being of three dimensionssthenos strengthstigma a point, mark, spot, puncturestillare to drip or tricklestingere to pullstinguere to quenchstipare to press togetherstoma mouthsumere to takesummetros of like measuresumptotos intersectingsustellein to contractsylos a pillarsystema the universetaktos orderedtaxi arrangement, order; put in order teg touch, reach, handletekhne skill, systematic treatmenttemnein to cutten to move in a certain direction; to stretch, hold

outtenere to hold togethertenuis thinterr re to frightenthalpien to heatthele nippletherapeuein heal, cure; treatmentthermos combining form of “hot” (heat)thorax breastplate, chesttomos (temnein) to cut, incise, sectiontonos tone, stretching, firmtopos place, spottorn re to round off toxikos poisontrahere to drawtribuere to givetripsis a rubbing (so named by its first being

obtained by rubbing a pancreas with glycerin)

u

i

e

e

a

Common Roots 215

trope bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to stimulus

trophos (trophein) to nourish, food, nutrition; development

trudere thrusttundere to beattupos type, model, stampunus onevacare emptyvagina sheathvalere to be strongvalve leaf of a doorvaporatus steam, vaporvariare to vary

vascul small vesselvehere to carryvent comeventricul bellyverge to tend to move in a particular directionvertere to turn, turn aroundvextus to be vaultedvorare to devourvore eat, consume, ingest, devourweike pliantzein to boilzoe lifezoon animal, animal-likezuma leaven, yeast

Common Suffixes

-a (plural) structure-able capable, be inclined to, tending to, given to-able/-ible capable of-ac pertaining to-ad member of a botanical group-ae plural-age ( ticum) (Latin) condition or state-al of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or

character of-algia pain, sense of pain; painful, hurting-an one that is of or relating to or belonging to-ance brilliance, appearance, state, quality-ancy condition of or state of-androus man, men, male, masculine-angeion diminutive of “vessel”-ant having the quality of-ar relating to or resembling-ary of, relating to, or connected with-ase enzyme-ate of or having to do with-ate an organism having these characteristics; charac-

terized by having; a derivative of a specific chemi-cal compound or element

-baros weight, heavy, atmospheric pressure-benthos deep; the fauna and flora of the bottom of

the sea-blastos bud, germ cell-cephaly (kephalikos) head-chrome pigment-cide (caedere) to cut, kill, hack at, or strike-cy state, condition, quality-cyst (kustis) sac or bladder that contains fluid-dactylos finger, toe-derm skin-dynia pain-ectasis expansion, dilation-eilema veil, sheath

-ekt outside, external, beyond-ella little, dimunitive-emesis vomit-emia the condition of having (a specific thing) in the

blood-en to make or cause-ence the condition of-ent causing an action, being in a specific state, within-er one that performs an action-ferre to carry-ferrous bear, carry; produce-forma having the form of-fy (ficare) cause, to become; make, do, build, produce-gen to give birth, kind, produce-genus offspring, kind-geny birth, descent, origin, creation, inception,

beginning, race, sort, kind, class-gram something written or drawn; a record-graphia (graphein) to write, record, draw, describe-haima blood-haptien to fasten, join-ia names of diseases, place names, Latinizing plurals-ial (variation of -ia) relating to or characterized by-ic (ikos) relating to or having some characteristic of-id state, condition; having, being, pertaining to,

tending to, inclined to-ide binary compound; group of related chemical

compounds; nonmetal radical-ify (ficus) make, or cause to become-il substance relating to-ile changing, ability, suitable, tending to-in protein or derived from a protein; neutral chemical-ine of or relating to; a chemical substance-inferus below, low-ing the act of or action-ion state, process, or quality of -ion (ienai) to go, something that goes

a

218 Common Suffixes

-ious full of, having the quality of, relating to-ism state or condition, quality-ist one who is engaged in-ite minerals and fossils; component of a part of a

body; a part of or product of-itis inflammation, burning sensation-ity state of, quality of-ium quality or relationship; chemical element-ive performing or tending toward a specific action-ization action, process, or result of doing or making-ize to make, to treat, to do something with-klastos break, break in pieces-klinein to lean, sloping-lin small or little-lite combining form used in naming of minerals-lithos stone or rock-logic talk, speak; speech, word-logist one who speaks in a certain manner; one who

deals with a certain topic-logos word, proportion-logy (logos) used in the names of sciences or bodies

of knowledge-lus thing-ly like, likeness, resemblance-lympha clear water, water nymph-lyte substance capable of undergoing decomposition-mania obsessive preoccupation with something;

madness, frenzy; obsession or abnormal desire for-megaly large-ment state or condition resulting from a (specified)

action-meter (metron) instrument or means of measuring;

to measure-metria (metron) the process of measuring-morph shape, form, figure, or appearance-nom (nemein) to dictate the laws of, knowledge,

usage, order-nosis disease-odont having teeth-oid (oeid s) resembling; having the appearance of-ol alcohol, chemical derivative-ole little one-ologist one who deals with a specific topic-oma tumor, neoplasm, community

-on a particle-opsy examination-or a condition or property of things or persons, per-

son that does something -ory tending to, serving for-osis disease or abnormal condition-ous full of, having the quality of, relating to-patheia disease, feeling, sensation, perception-penia reduction, poverty, lack, deficiency-phagos (phagein) to eat, eating-pherein to carry-phile one who loves or has a strong affinity or pref-

erence for-phobos fear-phyte plant-plasia (plassein) something molded (to mold)-plasm (plassein) to mold or form cells or tissues-plastos (plassein) something molded (to mold)-plasy growth or development of-ploid having a number of chromosomes that has

specified relationship to the basic number of chromosomes

-pod, -poda, - podos, - pous foot-ptera feather, wing-pterux wing-sis action, process, state, condition-skopion for viewing with the eye-soma (somatiko) body-sphaira a globe shape, ball, sphere-spora seed, a sowing-statos standing, stay, make firm, fixed, balanced-status to come to a stop, to stand-stoma mouth, opening-superus higher, upper-tomos (temnein) to cut, incise, section-tonia, -tone tension, pressure-trope bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to stimulus-trophos (trophein) to nourish, food, nutrition;

development-ula diminutive, little, small-um (singular) structure-us singular, thing-y place for an activity, condition, state-zoan animal

e

Resources

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Lan-guage, 4th ed. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2004.

The American Heritage Stedman’s Medical Dictionary.New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2002.

Answers Corporation. Answers.com. Online encyclope-dia, thesaurus, dictionary definitions, 2006.

Bartlett, John, comp. Familiar Quotations, 10th ed., rev.enl. by Nathan Haskell Dole. Boston: Little, Brown,1919; Bartleby.com, 2000.

Biology-Online.org. Biology Online—Information inthe Life Sciences, 2006.

Bragg, Melvyn. On Giants’ Shoulders: Great Scientistsand Their Discoveries from Archimedes to DNA.London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1998.

Chabner, Davi-Ellen. The Language of Medicine, 3rded. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders, 1985.

Columbia University Press. The Columbia ElectronicEncyclopedia, 6th ed., 2003.

Dictionary of Latin and Greek Words Used in EnglishVocabulary. Senior Scribe Publications, 2003 to2006. http://www.wordinfo.info.

Gribbin, John. The Scientists. New York: RandomHouse, 2002.

Herron, W. B., and N. P. Palmer. Matter, Life, andEnergy. Chicago: Lyons & Carnahan, 1972.

Hurd, Charles, and Eleanor Hurd. A Treasury of GreatAmerican Letters. New York: Hawthorn Books, 1961.

Knowles, Elizabeth. The Oxford Dictionary of Quota-tions, 6th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Little, R. John, and C. Eugene Jones. A Dictionary ofBotany. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed.Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2006.

Palmer, E. Laurence, and H. Seymour Fowler. Fieldbookof Natural History. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1975.

Peterson Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals. New York:Houghton Mifflin, 1998.

Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus, 3rd ed. New York:Houghton Mifflin, 1995.

Sagan, Carl. Broca’s Brain. New York: Random House,1979.

Sagan, Carl. Cosmos. New York: Random House, 1980.

Schuster, M. Lincoln. A Treasury of the World’s GreatLetters. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1950.

Thompson, Ida. The Audubon Society Field Guide toNorth American Fossils. New York: Alfred A.Knopf, 1982.

Whitaker, John O., Jr. The Audubon Society Field Guideto North American Mammals. New York: Alfred A.Knopf, 1980.

Wikimedia Foundation. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclope-dia. 2006. http://www.wikipedia.com.

WordNet 1.7.1. Princeton University, 2001.

About the Author

JOSEPH S. ELIAS is an Associate Professor ofScience Education at the Kutztown University ofPennsylvania. He holds a BS in biology (Kutz-town University, 1971), an MS in science educa-tion (Temple University, 1976), and a doctorate inscience education (Temple University, 1989). Hehas been teaching pre-service secondary educa-tion science majors for over 14 years. He also is auniversity supervisor of secondary education clin-

ical students and teacher interns. Dr. Elias teachesin the graduate school at Kutztown University aswell. His graduate courses include methods ofresearch in biology and methods of teaching sci-ence to middle and high school students. Prior toteaching at Kutztown University, Dr. Elias taughtas an adjunct faculty member in the biologydepartments of Cedar Crest College and LehighCarbon Community College.