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
biovar
A group (infrasubspecific) of bacterial strains distinguishable from other strains of the same species on the basis of physiological characters. Formerly called biotype.
biozone
1. In terms of time, the period of existence of a species.
2. In lithic terms, an abstract zone that includes all strata deposited during the period of time that a given taxon lived.
3. The range of a single taxonomic entity in geologic time as reflected by its occurrence in fossiliferous rocks.
calobiosis
A form of symbiosis in which one species becomes temporarily the guest of another.
catabiotic
Used up while carrying on of the vital processes other than growth, or in the performance of function, referring to the energy derived from food.
catachronobiology (s) (noun) (no pl)
The study of the deleterious effects of time on a living system: Mrs. Rush was doing research in catachronobiology to find out the harmful consequences of time on living organisms.
caustobiolith
A combustible organic rock, such as coal peat, of plant origin.
cenobium, coenobium
Used to describe plant or animal organisms occurring in colonies of discrete individuals.
chemicobiological
chemicobiology
The chemistry of living matter.
chemobiodynamics
Study devoted to elucidation of correlations between the chemical constitution of various materials and their ability to modify the function and morphology of biological systems.
chemobiotic
Having a combination of therapeutic properties for chemotherapeutic and antibiotic objectives.
chronobiology (s) (noun), chronobiologies (pl)
The scientific study of the effect of time on living systems: Chronobiology is that aspect of biology that is concerned with the timing of biological events, especially repetitive or cyclic phenomena in individual organisms.

Chronobiology can also pertain to the biological rhythm of a woman's menstruation that repeats itself almost every 4 weeks.

colacobiosis
Parasitism; life in which one species lives as a parasite in the community of another species, as found among social insects.
conjunctive symbiosis (s) (noun), conjunctive symbioses (pl)
1. A symbiosis (relation between two different species of organisms that are interdependent and each gains benefits from the other) characterized by the bodily union between the symbionts or one of two different organisms that live together.
2. Ordinarily symbiosis where the association is advantageous, or often necessary, to one or both, and not harmful to either.
3. When there is a bodily union in extreme cases so close that the two form practically a single body, as in the union of algae and fungi to form lichens, and in the inclusion of algae in radiolarians (any of various marine protozoans of the group Radiolaria, having rigid skeletons usually made of silica).
coprobiont
Any animal (coprozoite) or plant (coprophyte) living or feeding on dung.
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-.