World Languages: Latin Roots in Science and Medicine
Using Latin word parts to understand scientific and medical vocabulary
World Languages: Latin Roots in Science and Medicine
Using Latin word parts to understand scientific and medical vocabulary
World Languages - Grade 6-8
- 1
The Latin root aqua means water. Explain how the root helps you understand the meaning of the word aquatic.
Think about animals that live in lakes, rivers, or oceans.
The root aqua means water, so aquatic means related to water or living in water. - 2
The Latin root bio means life. In science, what does biology mean, and how does the root bio help you know?
Biology means the study of life. The root bio shows that the subject is about living things. - 3
The Latin root corpus means body. A doctor might discuss corpuscles, which are tiny bodies or cells in the blood. Use the root to explain the word corpuscle.
Connect the root meaning to the idea of a small part found in the body.
A corpuscle is a tiny body, such as a small blood cell, because corpus means body and the ending can suggest something small. - 4
The Latin prefix sub means under or below. What does subcutaneous mean in medicine if cutaneous means related to the skin?
Subcutaneous means under the skin because sub means under and cutaneous means related to the skin. - 5
The Latin root dent means tooth. Write a sentence using the word dental that shows its meaning.
Use dental to describe care, health, or tools related to teeth.
A correct sentence should show that dental means related to teeth, such as, A dental checkup helps keep your teeth healthy. - 6
The Latin root cardi or cord means heart. Explain the meaning of the word cardiovascular.
Cardiovascular means related to the heart and blood vessels. The root cardi points to the heart, and vascular relates to vessels. - 7
The Latin root manus means hand. In medicine, a manual exam may be done by hand. Explain how manual connects to the root manus.
A manual task is often done without a machine.
Manual means done by hand or related to the hands, which connects to the Latin root manus meaning hand. - 8
The Latin root lumen means light. In anatomy, the lumen can mean the open space inside a tube where light or material can pass. Explain how the root meaning connects to this use.
The lumen is the open inner space of a tube, and the root lumen meaning light connects to the idea of an opening or passage where light could pass through. - 9
The Latin root aud means hear. What does auditory mean in a science lesson about the ear?
Think of an audience listening to a speaker.
Auditory means related to hearing. The root aud helps show that the word is connected to sound and the ear. - 10
The Latin root port means carry. Explain how the word transport uses this root in science.
Transport means to carry something from one place to another. In science, it can describe how materials move through cells, blood, air, or water. - 11
The Latin prefix inter means between. In the word intercellular, cell means a small unit of life. What does intercellular mean?
Separate the word into inter and cellular.
Intercellular means between cells because inter means between and cellular means related to cells. - 12
The Latin prefix intra means within or inside. How is intracellular different from intercellular?
Intracellular means inside a cell, while intercellular means between cells. The prefix intra means within, and inter means between. - 13
The Latin root viv means live. Use the root to explain the meaning of the science word viviparous, which describes animals that give birth to live young.
Focus on the part of the word that means live.
Viviparous means giving birth to live young. The root viv means live, which helps show that the young are born alive rather than hatched from eggs. - 14
The Latin root vid or vis means see. In medical science, vision is the ability to see. Name one other English word with vid or vis and explain how it connects to seeing.
A correct answer could be visible, which means able to be seen, or video, which shows images that people can see. - 15
Match each Latin root to its meaning, then use one root in a science or medicine word: aqua, dent, aud, port. Meanings: tooth, carry, water, hear.
Use roots from earlier problems to help you match them.
Aqua means water, dent means tooth, aud means hear, and port means carry. A correct example could be aquatic for aqua, dental for dent, auditory for aud, or transport for port.