Biotic vs. Abiotic

The words biotic and abiotic are both adjectives based on the Greek root "bio," which means life. However, the words are opposites, as the prefix "a-" means not.

Biotic means relating to life or caused by living organisms. The word is formed from the Greek root "bio," meaning life and the suffix -tic (equivalent to -ic), which means relating to. It can be used to describe the living components of an environment, in contrast to the non-living components.

Abiotic means not biotic or not relating to living things. The word is formed by combining a common prefix, root word and suffix. The prefix a- means not or opposite of. The Greek root "bio" means life and the suffix -tic (equivalent to -ic), means relating to. Therefore, abiotic means not relating to life. The word describes components of an environment that are non-living.

The word abiotic is often used in science to describe environmental factors such as light, temperature, climate, and moisture. The word biotic is used to describe living or once-living organisms. Soil, for example can be made up of biotic elements like worms, leaves, and bacteria as well as abiotic elements like rocks, plastic, and clay.