Biology Prefixes and Suffixes: phago- or phag-

Definition:

The prefix (phago- or phag-) means to eat, consume, or destroy. It is derived from the Greek phagein, which means to consume. Related suffixes include: (-phagia), (-phage), and (-phagy).

Examples:

Phage (phag-e) - a virus that infects and destroys bacteria, also called a bacteriophage.

Phagocyte (phago-cyte) - a cell, like a white blood cell, that engulfs and digests waste materials and microorganisms.

Phagocytosis (phago-cyt-osis) - the process of engulfing and destroying microbes, such as bacteria, or foreign particles by phagocytes.

Phagodynamometer (phago-dynamo-meter) - an instrument used to measure the force required to chew various food types.

Phagology (phago-logy) - the study of food consumption and eating habits. Examples include the fields of dietetics and nutrition science.

Phagolysis (phago-lysis) - the destruction of a phagocyte.

Phagolysosome (phago-lysosome) - a vesicle within a cell that is formed from the fusion of a lysosome (digestive enzyme containing sac) with a phagosome. The enzymes digest material obtained through phagocytosis.

Phagomania (phago-mania) - a condition characterized by the compulsive desire to eat.

Phagophobia (phago-phobia) - an irrational fear of swallowing, typically brought on by anxiety.

Phagosome (phago-some) - a vesicle or vacuole in a cell's cytoplasm that contains material obtained from phagocytosis.

Phagotherapy (phago-therapy) - the treatment of certain bacterial infections with bacteriophages (viruses that destroy bacteria).

Phagotroph (phago-troph) - an organism that acquires nutrients by phagocytosis (engulfing and digesting organic matter).