mio-, meio- +

(Greek: smaller, less, fewer)

meiobenthos (s) (noun) (no pl)
That section of the benthos that includes animals neither small enough to be grouped with the microfauna nor large enough to be grouped with the macrofauna: Small benthic organisms, termed the meiobenthos, can pass through 1 mm mesh sieve, but are retained by a 0.1 mm mesh.
meiobutyric
As a diet, low in butter.
meiofauna (s) (noun), meiofaunas (pl)
1. The smaller, invertebrate animals of sea bottoms.
2. In zoology, a classification of animals that are intermediate in size between those that can easily be seen with the naked eye (macrofauna) and those that are microscopic (microfauna).
meioflora
Small benthic plants ranging in size between macroflora and microflora.
meiogyrous
Slightly coiled inwards.
meiomery
Having fewer than the normal number of parts.
meiophase
The stage during which meiosis occurs so that the chromosome number is reduced from diploid to haploid (set of chromosomes containing only one member of each chromosome pair).
meiophyly
Suppression of one or more leaves in a whorl.
meiosis (s), meioses (pl)
1. That process in the division of germ cells by which the number of chromosomes is reduced from the double or diploid number typical of somatic cells to the halved or haploid number characteristic of gametes.
2. The nuclear changes which take place in the last two cell divisions in the formation of germ cells.

The chromosomes separate from one another once, but the cell body divides twice with the result that the nucleus of the mature egg, or sperm, contains the reduced (haploid) number of chromosomes.

3. In rhetoric, an understatement, often giving the effect of irony or humor, by representing a fact, thing, deed, etc., as being smaller than it really is.
meiosporangium
A thick-walled diploid sporangium, producing haploid zoospores.
meiospore
General term for a spore (microscopic, unicellular, asexual, or sexual reproductive units of cryptogams and fungi) produced by meiosis.
meiostemonous, miostemonous
Having fewer stamens than petals or sepals.
meiotherm, meiothermy
A plant which thrives in cool temperate habitats or environments.
meiothermic, meiothermal
1. A reference to a plant in a temperate habitat or environment.
2. Pertaining to those temperature conditions now prevailing on earth; especially, as compared with past geological periods which were warmer or colder.
meiotrophic
Requiring fewer amino acids or other nutrients than the parent strain as in certain bacterial mutants.

Related "few, small, less, little" word units: micro-; mini-; nano-; oligo-, olig-.