• Engineering and Architecture
  • Management and Business Administration
  • Medicine and Allied Sciences
  • Law
  • Animation and Design
  • Media, Mass Communication and Journalism
  • Finance & Accounts
  • Computer Application and IT
  • Pharmacy
  • Hospitality and Tourism
  • Competition
  • School
  • Study Abroad
  • Arts, Commerce & Sciences
  • Learn
  • Online Courses and Certifications
Biology Root Words Starting with Ab or Abs

Biology Root Words Starting with Ab or Abs

Irshad AnwarUpdated on 02 Jul 2025, 05:28 PM IST

Many root words have the prefixes ab-, abs-, a-, and apo-. These prefixes have the Latin meaning of "away, from," which is where these root words come from.

Biology Root Words Starting with Ab or Abs
Root Words for Ab-, Abs- in Biology

Examples of Root Words Starting with Ab-, Abs-

A few examples of words that begin with ab, ad, or abs in Biology:

  • Abscission,
  • ablation,
  • adaxial, and
  • aphasia

What is Abscission?

The word "abscission" comes from the Latin words "ab," which means "away," and "scindere," which means "to cut." It is a cutting-off action or procedure. It is the organic separation of plant components, such as fruit ripening and dropping. It is a biologically defined program of controlled cell separation at the abscission zones (AZs) at certain locations on the plant body. Some phytohormones and environmental elements regulate abscission.

Abscission zone has the following traits:

  • Their cytoplasm is thick.

  • They may differ in the cell's composition and have smaller intercellular gaps.

  • Walls.

  • They react differently to plant hormones like auxins and ethylene.

NEET Highest Scoring Chapters & Topics
Know Most Scoring Concepts in NEET 2024 Based on Previous Year Analysis.
Know More

Mechanism of Abscission

Abscission is one of the important physiological processes and plants that involves the shedding of various organs such as leaves, fruits and flowers. It is also important as it plays a very important role in the development agent and response to the environmental stimuli of the plant. Some important mechanism of Abscission is discussed below:

Type of Abscission

Explanation

General Mechanism

  • In this process is the breakdown of starch due to a rise in turgor pressure in the different zones of the cells which causes the middle lamela to break.

  • The abscission zone cells also help in producing a defence mechanism against the new cell walls and protein to prevent infection.

Fruit Abscission

  • Once the fruit has been mature there is fruit Abscission (MFA) takes place through the expression of genes in the abscission zone.

  • It involves the action of sterols and sphingolipids.

Leaf Abscission

  • Once the base of the petiole happens it consists of thin cell walls which increases the activities of pectinase and cellulase enzymes. This is responsible for the breakdown of the middle lamella and primary cell walls that lead to the separation of cells.

  • In the end, the petiole detaches itself due to its weight and went pressure.

Abscission Signaling

Abscission signaling in plants is influenced by several factors including environmental stresses and production of reactive oxygen species. Some of the basics of Abscission signalling are discussed below:

  • Environmental stresses such as UV exposure, cold, salt, bright light and pathogen infections lead to the production of reactive oxygen species which include H2O2 superoxide singlet Oxygen and hydroxyl radicals.

  • It requires the expression of the cell wall which degrades enzyme cellulase that functions downstream of ethylene in the abscission signaling.

  • Increased in the level of H2O2 also guesses the execution of the space which indicates the environment of cell wall degradation.

What is Ablation?

Ablation in biology is the removal of a biological structure or functionality, such as an organ or a cellular component. Ablation of genes and organs are two examples. Genetic slicing is also known as gene ablation.

What is Abaxial?

It refers to a position away from the axis or the opposite side of the axis. It is used in botany to describe the various positions of the plant. Example: the abaxial surface of a leaf.

Other Interesting Topics of Biology:


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What does "abaxial leaf curling" indicate about plant water status?
A:
"Abaxial leaf curling," where leaves curl with their lower (abaxial) surface outward, often indicates water stress. The "ab-" in abaxial emphasizes that this is the surface away from the stem, and its curling is a response to water loss.
Q: How does "aberrant cell division" in cancer biology relate to the "ab" root?
A:
"Aberrant cell division" refers to abnormal or uncontrolled cell division in cancer. The "ab-" prefix suggests a deviation or moving away from normal cell division patterns, consistent with the root meaning.
Q: How does "abortive colony" in microbiology relate to the "ab" root?
A:
An "abortive colony" in microbiology is a bacterial colony that fails to develop fully. The "ab-" prefix suggests a moving away from or failure to complete normal colony development.
Q: What's the significance of "abscission-induced gene expression" in plants?
A:
"Abscission-induced gene expression" refers to genes activated during the process of plant part separation. The "abs-" in abscission emphasizes the separation or moving away aspect that these genes facilitate.
Q: What does "abaxial leaf spot" mean in plant pathology?
A:
An "abaxial leaf spot" is a disease symptom appearing on the lower (abaxial) surface of a leaf. The "ab-" in abaxial emphasizes that this surface is away from or opposite to the stem.
Q: How does "abscission zone formation" relate to leaf senescence?
A:
"Abscission zone formation" is part of the leaf senescence process, preparing for leaf shedding. The "abs-" in abscission emphasizes the upcoming separation or moving away of the leaf from the plant.
Q: What's the connection between "abortive fruit" and plant resource allocation?
A:
"Abortive fruits" are fruits that fail to develop fully, often as a result of the plant's resource allocation strategy. The "ab-" prefix suggests a moving away from or failure to complete normal fruit development.
Q: How is "abscission-promoting factor" related to plant hormone balance?
A:
An "abscission-promoting factor" is any substance that encourages the shedding of plant parts. The "abs-" prefix in abscission highlights the separation or moving away aspect of this process, influenced by hormone balance.
Q: What does "abaxial greening" mean in leaf development?
A:
"Abaxial greening" refers to the development of chlorophyll on the lower (abaxial) surface of leaves in some plants. The "ab-" in abaxial emphasizes that this surface is away from or opposite to the stem.
Q: How does "aberrant splicing" in genetics relate to the "ab" root meaning?
A:
"Aberrant splicing" refers to incorrect processing of mRNA. The "ab-" prefix suggests a deviation or moving away from normal splicing patterns, consistent with the root meaning.
Articles
Previous
Next