myco-

Myco- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “mushroom, fungus.” It is used in many medical and scientific terms, especially in biology—as well as in a branch of biology known as mycology, as we’ll discuss below.

Myco- comes from the Greek mýkēs, meaning “mushroom, fungus.”

What are variants of myco-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, myco- becomes myc-, as in mycotic.

The closely related combining forms myceto- and -mycete both also indicate “mushroom, fungus.” The combining form -mycin used in the names of antibiotics, usually those derived from fungi.

You may be familiar with the word mycology, meaning “the branch of biology dealing with fungi.” It features the combining form myco-.

The first part of the word, myco-, means “fungus.” (Fungi is a plural form.) The second element, –logy, may look familiar to you. Ultimately from the Greek lógos, meaning “word, saying, discourse,” -logy is commonly used to name fields of study. So, mycology literally translates to “the study of fungus.”

What are some words that use the combining form myco-?

• mycobacteria (using the equivalent form of myco- in New Latin)
• mycocecidium (using the equivalent form of myco- in New Latin)
• mycodermatitis
• mycogenous
• mycoparasite
• mycophage
• mycorrhiza

What are some other forms that myco- may be commonly confused with?

• myo-
• myelo-
• myxo-

Flora means “the plants of a particular region or period.” With this in mind, what are mycoflora?