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
neurobiology
1. The biology of the nervous system or the branch of biology that deals with the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the nervous system.
2. A branch of biology that is concerned with the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system.
neurobiotaxis
The theory that nerve cell bodies may move toward, or their axons may grow toward, the area from which they receive the most stimuli.
obligate symbionts
An organism that cannot function unless it is combined with another organism.
ornithobiograph
ornithobiography
The descriptive life-history of a bird or birds.
orthobiosis
1. Correct living, both hygienically and morally.
2. Sound and correct living including all of the factors that may affect longevity and well-being.
3. Living in accordance with proper hygienic principles.
otiobiosis
Infestation by Otobius (spinous ear ticks).
otobiosis
The presence of larvae and the characteristic spiny nymphs of Otobius megnini in the external auditory canal of cattle, horses, cats, dogs, deer, coyotes, and other domestic and wild animals.

They may remain in the ear for several months before dropping out to pupate and mature. Several records of human infection are known.

paleobiography, palaeobiography (s) (noun); paleobiographies, palaeobiographies (pl)
The written descriptions of the distribution of fossil plants and/or animals.
paleobiologist, palaeobiologist (s) (noun); paleobiologists, palaeobiologists (pl)
Someone who studies or is a specialist in the science of extinct plants, animals, and micro-organisms.
paleobiology (s) (noun), paleobiologies (pl)
The study of the life forms of extinct plants, animals, and micro-organisms: Paleobiology focuses on interpreting and reconstructing the life activities of fossil organisms.
parabiosis
1. Fusion of whole eggs or embryos, as occurs in conjoined twins.
2. Surgical joining of the vascular systems of two organisms.
3. Either the condition of living together, applied variously to mixtures of species of similar habit as man and the rat or to the union of two individual animals; or the condition of symbiosis between two species of ant in which colonies of neighboring nests are contiguous but do not mingle.
4. The natural or artificial anatomical union of a pair of organisms; for example, male and female organisms that share the same circulatory system; anatomical union.
parabiotic
parasymbiosis
1. When one symbiont damages another. It is similar to parasitism.
2. The ability of two different types of organisms to exist closely with one another without giving an advantage or disadvantage to the other.
3. The relationship between a free-living lichen and another lichen or fungus which infests it and establishes a symbiotic relationship with the algae of the lichen.
pathobiology (s) (noun), pathobiologies (pl)
The branch of biology that relates to pathology: Pathobiology places more importance on the biological than on the medical aspects of research.
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-.