Roots of Common Terms in Plant Biology
Roots: words and plants both have them.
(L – Latin, G – Greek)
Angiosperm
angio = case or capsule (G); sperm = seed (G)
Antheridium
(plural antheridia): anthe = pollen or bloom (L); idium = small (G)
Apical
apex = top (L)
Collenchyma
from kolla = glue (G); enkhuma = infusion (G)
Cyte or cyto
cell (G) "Cyto" is found at the beginning of a word, "cyte" ends a word.
Dormancy
dormire = to sleep (L)
Diploid
di =two (G); ploid = number of sets of chromosomes (G).
Gametophyte
Gameto = gamete-producing, from gamete (G); phyte = plant (G). Gametes are sperm or eggs. "phyt-" can be used at the beginning of a word ("phyto…") or at the end ("sporophyte", "epiphyte")
Gymnosperm
gymno = naked (G); sperm = seed (G)
Lateral
side (L)
Microstrobilus
micro= small or tiny (G); strobilos from strephein = to twist (G)
Megaspore
mega = big (G); spore = seed (G)
Meristem
from meristos = divisible (G)
Mesophyll
meso = middle (G); phyll = leaf (G)
Parenchyma
from parenkhuma = "something poured in beside" (G); para = beside (G); enkhuma = infusion (G)
Phloem
phloos = bark (G); in trees, phloem is located just inside the bark and old layers of phloem cells make up bark
Photosynthesis
photo = light (G); synthesis = putting together (G)
Phyllotaxy
phyllo = leaf (G); taxis = arrangement (G)
Sclerenchyma
sclero from skleros = hard (G); chyma = infusion (G)
Sporophyll
sporo = spore-producing (G); phyll = leaf (G) In the sections that follow, you’ll encounter at least three spore-producing things: You’ll see sporophytes (plants that produce spores), sporophylls (leaves that bear spores) and sporocytes (cells that produce spores)
Tracheophyte = tracheo
artery (G); phyte = plant (G)