Understanding Scientific Terms/Importance

Understanding Scientific Terminology Greek and Latin Roots of Scientific Terms.

Lessons:

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Lesson 0 - Why learn Greek and Latin Word roots?

Scientific and Technical terms are often long, complicated words. Many people are scared when they are reading and they come upon one of these terms such as electromyogram .

If one has an understanding of the roots of words, however, these terms need not be fearful even if you have never seen them before.

Electromyogram is made up of three word roots.

electr/o: having to do with electricity.

my/o  : muscle

-gram : a record or result

Therefore an electromyogram is a record of the electrical activity of a muscle. It is made by a machine called an electromyograph.

graph means a device for measuring something.

Long ago, any person learned in the Arts and Sciences took the classical languages (Latin and Greek). In fact, even in the twentieth century a formal description of a new plant species was required to be written in Latin. So many technical terms were coined in these classical languages.

Scientific terms can be made of Greek, Latin, or both mixed together.

An understanding of even a few word roots can go a long way in making science classes easier.