The Greek root word bio means ‘life,’ and gives rise mostly to words from the realm of the ‘life’ sciences.
We’ve all taken biology (or bio) classes, in which you learn all about ‘life.’ Biological processes have to do with the way ‘living’ organisms function. Microbiologists study small ‘life’ forms, such as bacteria, viruses, and other one-celled organisms.
Speaking of life forms, amphibians, such as frogs and salamanders, can ‘live’ both in water and on land. Amphibious military vehicles, such as tanks, can also operate or ‘live’ in both water and on land.
A biography (or bio) is a book that tells all about the events in someone’s ‘life,’ written by an author other than the subject of the ‘life’ history. An autobiography, on the other hand, is a history of a person’s ‘life’ written by that person.
The adjective aerobic refers to the oxygen a ‘life’ form requires in order to ‘live.’ Aerobics are simply exercises which cause ‘living’ organisms, such as yourself, to breathe faster as your body consumes more oxygen. Anaerobic exercise almost completely depletes the oxygen from a ‘living’ organism’s body, such as an all-out sprint which leaves you gasping for air!
Symbiotic organisms ‘live’ together, each needing the other to survive. An example of a mutually beneficial symbiosis or ‘living’ together is between the clownfish and the anemone (think “Finding Nemo”). In this relationship which increases survival rates, the clownfish gets a protective home, and the anemone gets cleaned by the clownfish.
And just where can living organisms live and thrive? Why, in a biosphere of course, or those parts of the Earth that support and allow the existence of ‘life.’
You can now add the knowledge of this handy root word bio to your, well, knowledge bio, which will hopefully make the rest of your vocabulary ‘life’ a bit more livable!
- biology: study of ‘life’
- microbiology: study of very small ‘life’ forms
- amphibian: ‘life’ living in water and on land
- biography: a ‘life’ history
- symbiosis: two ‘life’ forms living together
- aerobic: pertaining to air for ‘life’ to exist
- anaerobic: lacking air for ‘life’ to exist
- biosphere: part of the Earth where organisms ‘live’