Root Words

Week #2

Av, avi

• Bird• Aves, aviation• Aves is the class of animals composed of birds.

Bio

• Life• Biology, biochemistry• Biology is the study of living things.

blast

• Germ, embryo• Blastula, blastocyst• The blastula is an early stage of embryonic

development.

bol

• Clod• Bolus, metabolism• A bolus is a clod of food in the digestive tract.

brachi

• Arm• Biceps brachii• The biceps brachii is a two-headed muscle of

the arm.

calor

• Heat• Calorie• A calorie is a unit of heat energy.

Cap, cep

• Head• Triceps, decapitate• The triceps is a muscle with three heads.

cardi

• Heart• Pericardium, cardiac arrest• The pericardium is the sac around the heart.

carp

• Wrist• Carpal bones• The wrist is made up of carpal bones.

Cep, cept

• Take• Receptor, forceps• Receptors take and transmit information on

the environment.

cephal

• Head, brain• Electroencephalogram• An electroencephalogram is a record of brain

wave activity.

chlor

• Green• Chlorophyll• Chlorophyll is the green pigment in plant cells.

chond

• Cartilage, granular• Mitochondria, condroblast• Mitochondria appear as granular objects in

the cell.

chord

• A chord, string• Chordata, notochord• Chordata is the phylum of animals with dorsal

nerve chords.

chrom

• Color• Chromosome, monochrome• Chromosomes appear as colorful bodies when

stained.

Cide, cis

• To kill, to cut• Pesticide, Incision• Pesticides are used to kill agricultural pests.

cili

• A small hair• Ciliary muscle, cilia• Ciliary muscles are small hairlike muscles of

the eye.

circ

• Ring, around• Circulatory System, Circa• The circulatory system conducts blood around

the body.

Co, com

• Together• Community, Communicate• A community is a group of organisms that live

together in the same environment.

coel

• Hollow• Coelenterate, blastocoel• Coelenterates have hollow bodies.