bio-, bi-, -bia, -bial, -bian, -bion, -biont, -bius, -biosis, -bium, -biotic, -biotical

(Greek: life; living, live, alive)

Don’t confuse this element with another bi- which means "two".

The most important things in life are not things.

—Anonymous
biosphere
1. All of the regions of the earth’s crust, waters, and atmosphere that are occupied by living organisms; occasionally, the living organisms themselves.
2. The realm or sphere or life in which the total biological process takes place.

The earth's surface and the top layer of the hydrosphere (water layer) have the greatest density of living organisms.

The geosphere, or nonliving world, is made up of the lithosphere (solid earth or stone), hydrosphere, and atmosphere.

3. In Arizona, USA, an enclosed, supposedly self-contained experimental eco-system designed to provide environmental insights.

The initial two-year test, started in 1991, was called "Biosphere 1"; the second one was called "Biosphere 2", and was started in 1994.

biospheric
biostabilizer (s) (noun), biostabilizers (pl)
A composting system that is comprised of a drum in which wet solid waste is crunched or mashed and tumbled for a few days: After using the biostabilizer for the first time, Mr. Black noticed that the garbage and debris had turned into a very fine and dark mulch!
biostasis (s) (noun), biostases (pl)
The capability of an organism to endure alterations in its environment without undergoing an adaptive change itself: Biostasis, or cryptobiosis, is found in living things that inhabit areas which possibly face unfavorable conditions of survival, for example freezing temperatures, drought, and modifications in pressure.
biostat
A vessel in which the biomass of a continuous culture is monitored by parameters other than turbidity.
biostatics
1. The science of the relation between structure and function in organisms.
2. The study of the structure of organisms in relation to their functions, as opposed to biodynamics.
biostatistics (s) (noun) (no plural)
1. A devision of biology that collects and interprets facts that are applied to biological and medical analysis: Violet was very interested in mathematics and the study of life and decided to use her talents in pharmaceutical biotechnology and biostatistics.
2. A part of biometrics which is involved with demography: While in college, Ted took a course in biostatistics dealing specifically with vital statistics, or the data relating to marriages, deaths, births, health, and diseases of people.
biostereometrics
Three-dimensional measurement of the body utilizing two stereo cameras to make bodygrams, used in medical diagnosis and anthropological research.
biostitution
biostratigraphic
biostratigraphy (s) (noun), biostratigraphies (pl)
The study and classification of rock sections based on their fossil contents.
biostratinomy
The study of the relationship between fossils and their environments.
biostrome
An accumulation of fossils that are distinctly bedded but do not form a mound-like or reef-like structure (bioherm); a fossil bed having no pronounced topographical relief.
biosynthesis
1. Formation of a chemical compound by enzymes, either in the organism (in vivo) or by fragments or extracts of cells (in vitro).
2. The production of organic compounds by living organisms.
3. Chemical reactions in which a living cell builds up its necessary molecules from other molecules which are present.
biosynthetic
Quiz If you would like to take a series of self-scoring quizzes over some of the words in this bio- unit, then click this Life, Live, Living Quiz link so you can check your knowledge. You may also try several additional quizzes in this listing.

Related life, live-word units: anima-; -cole; vita-; viva-.