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
biotic factor
An environmental factor associated with, or resulting from, the activities of living organisms.
biotic potential
1. The maximum possible number, or intrinsic rate of natural increase, of offspring produced by an individual under ideal conditions.
2. The capacity of a population of living organisms to increase under optimal environm4ntal conditions.
Environmental factors; such as, limitation of resources, predation, and disease mean that the biotic potential is seldom realized.
biotics
The science concerned with the functions of life, or vital activity and force.
biotome, biotomy
1. The study of animal and plant structure by dissection; vivisection.
2. A biopsy instrument passed through a catheter into the heart to obtain pieces of tissue for diagnosis.
biotope
1. The smallest geographical area providing uniform conditions for life; the physical part of an ecosystem.
2. The smallest geographical unit of the biosphere or of a habitat that can be delimited by convenient boundaries and is characterized by its biota.
3. The location of a parasite within the host’s body.
4. An ecological niche, or restricted area, the environmental conditions of which are suitable for certain fauna and flora. A tree with its associated organisms is a biotope; a forest is a biochore.
biotopic
A reference to a portion of a habitat characterized by uniformity in climate and distribution of biotic and abiotic components; such as, a tidal pool or a forest canopy.
biotoxic
A reference to a poisonous substance produced by a living organism.
biotoxication
An intoxication resulting from a plant or animal poison (biotoxin).
biotoxicology
1. The study of poisons produced by living organisms (plants or animals), their causes, detections, and their effects, and of the treatment of those conditions produced by them.
2. The branch of toxicology concerned with biotoxins (poisons produced by and derived from the cells or secretions of a living organism, either plant or animal).
biotoxin
1. Any toxic substance formed in an animal body, and demonstrable in its tissues or body fluids, or both.
2. Any poison produced by and derived from the cells, or secretions, of a living organism; either plant or animal.
biotransformation
1. The conversion of molecules from one form to another within an organism, often associated with change in pharmacologic activity; refers especially to drugs and other xenobiotics. Also, biodegradation..
2. The change of one chemical into another while within a living organism.
3. The chemical alterations that a substance undergoes in the body.
biotrepy
The study of the body by means of its reactions to chemical substances.
biotron
1. A chamber with a controlled climate; used in experiments to determine the effects of environment on organisms.
2. A place in a laboratory in which temperature and several other environmental conditions can be controlled.
3. A controlled laboratory environment designed to provide uniform experimental conditions with the aim of producing uniform organisms for use in experiments.
biotroph, biotrophic, biotrophy
1. A reference to a parasite deriving nutrients from the tissues of a living host.
2. An organism that can live and multiply only on another living organism; such as, parasitic or symbiotic bacteria and fungi, carnivores, herbivores, etc.
biotropism
An obsolete term for a theory that a drug eruption may be due to activation of a latent allergy by the drug.

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Related life, live-word units:
anima-;
-cole;
vita-;
viva-.