Name Date Class

Activity
Word Analysis and ELA7: R1.2

21 Vocabulary Development
Directions: Read the passage and examine the chart. Then answer the questions.
Greek and Latin root words often are used in scientific terminology. Some sci-
entific words are the same in English as they originally were in Greek or Latin.
For example, the Latin words species, genera, spectrum, bacillus, and coccyx are
still used today in their original form. Other words use Greek or Latin prefixes or
suffixes. The chart below lists some commonly used prefixes and suffixes and
their meanings.

Latin or Greek prefix Meaning

a–, an– lack of, negative
bi– twice, double
bio– related to life
bronch– windpipe
chlor– green
chrom– color
endo– within
exo– outside
gravi– heavy
herpe– reptile
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

hyper– excess
hypo– under
intra– inside
leuko– white
micro– small
macro– large
neuro– nerve
ortho– straight, upright
proto– first
Latin or Greek suffix Meaning
–derma skin
–ectomy to cut out
–emia blood
disease or
–itis
inflammation
–logy study
–osis disease

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Name Date Class

Activity 21 (continued)

Multiple 1. What is a tonsillectomy?

Choice a. a disease of the tonsils
b. study of the tonsils
c. cutting out of the tonsils
d. an inflammation of the tonsils
2. A disease that affects the skin is called
a. leukemia.
b. bronchitis.
c. dermatitis.
d. neuritis.
3. The study of reptiles is known as
a. biology.
b. neurology.
c. chromatography.
d. herpetology.
4. In Greek, the word therme means heat. If someone’s body heat or
temperature was too low, what word could you use to describe this
condition?
a. thermometer
b. thermotropic
c. hyperthermia
d. hypothermia

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Short 5. What is the difference between an endoskeleton and an exoskeleton? A
Answer microcyte and a macrocyte?

6. Why do you think scientists rely on Greek and Latin words and names
for classification?

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