Skip to content

Latin Guide

Most chemical, medical and scientific fields use Latin-based words and terms in some way. This short guide may help you understand the meaning of these words more easily.

Cyto

Damage or kill (cells)

Geno

Damage the genetic information (DNA) (within cells)

Hydro

Related to water. Chemical properties related to water attraction or repellent, water-derived power and others.

Examples;

  • hydrophilic - in chemistry, a molecule attracted to water
  • hydrophobic - in chemistry, a molecule repelled by water (e.g. fats and oils); hydrophobic surfaces do not get wet in the same way as hydrophilic surfaces (consider a fresh plant leaf compared to a piece of paper from a book). Superhydrophobic surfaces are even harder to wet. Soil often becomes hydrophobic when subject to high heat, sunlight or wildfire.
  • hydroelectricity
  • hydroelectric power
  • hydropower
  • hydrodam

Hygro

Related to humidity; the moisture content of air.

Examples;

  • hygrometer - measures the humidity of air

Metadata

Created: 2026-08-25

Last Updated: 2026-09-07