BIO-

combining form (Environment) (Health and Fitness) (Science and Technology) Part of the words biology and biological, widely used as the first element of compounds relating to biology or biotechnology; frequently used as a shortened form of biological(ly). Etymology: Formed by abbreviating biology and biological; in both words this part is ultimately derived from Greek bios 'life'. History and Usage: Compounds relating to 'life' have been formed on bio- in English for over three centuries, and even the ancient Greeks used it as a combining form. During the second half of the twentieth century, however, advances in biotechnology and the increasing interest in green issues caused a proliferation in popular language of compounds in these areas, alongside the continuing use of bio- in scientific terminology. Like eco-, bio- was particularly productive in the late sixties and early seventies, and many of the compounds which had been well known then came back into fashion during the eighties, often undergoing further development. The development of plastics and other synthetic products which were biodegradable, that is, those that would decompose spontaneously and hence not become an environmental hazard, led during the eighties to the verb biodegrade. Biomass, originally a biologists' term for the total amount of organic material in a given region, was later also used of fuel derived from such matter (also called biofuel, or, in the case of the mixture of methane and other gases produced by fermenting biological waste, biogas; this was burnt to produce what became known as bioenergy). By contrast, biofeedback, the conscious control of one's body by 'willing' readings on instruments (such as heart-rate monitors) to change, reappeared in the eighties as one of the techniques used in autogenic training. Computer scientists continued to speculate that micro-organisms could be developed that would function like the simple logic circuits of conventional microelectronics, thus paving the way for biocomputing with biochips. Biological warfare, a more disturbing application of biotechnology, became sufficiently familiar to be abbreviated as biowar. Concern about the effect of even peaceful technology on the biosphere (the component of the environment consisting of living things) was expressed in the philosophy of biocentrism, in which all life, rather than just humanity, is viewed as important (much as in Gaia theory). Direct and sometimes violent opposition to such aspects of biological research as animal experimentation and genetic engineering was organized by biofundamentalists (see also animalist° and fundie). As a result of the Green Revolution, the public was made more aware of the threat posed by intensive cultivation of particular species to biodiversity, the richness of variety of the biosphere. Towards the end of the decade bio- began to be used indiscriminately wherever it had the slightest relevance, either frivolously or because of its advertising potential (just as biological had once been a glamorous epithet for washing powder). The prefix is sometimes even used as a free-standing adjective in this sense, meaning little more than 'biologically acceptable'. Examples include biobeer, biobottom (an 'eco-friendly nappy cover'), bio house, bio home, bioloo, bioprotein, and bio yoghurt. The term bio-chip, coined only about four years ago, already means different things to different people. In the United States, where the word arose, researchers generally use it to refer to chips in which the silicon transistors would be replaced by single protein-like molecules. Such a molecule could be stable in one of at least two different forms of...charge distribution, depending on its external environment. But some scientists, particularly in Europe, now seem to use bio-chip more widely to refer to any 'smart' system small enough to interact with a cell. The Age (Melbourne) 28 Nov. 1983, p. 5 Even medical insurance companies are now beginning to recognize the value of a veritable A-to-Z of 'holistic' therapies..., including acupuncture, biofeedback and chiropractic. John Elkington & Julia Hailes The Green Consumer Guide (1988; paperback ed. 1989), p. 260 The bio-diversity campaign is an attempt to bring the seriousness of the global situation to the attention of people in all walks of life. The Times 31 Mar. 1989, p. 5 German architect Joachim Ebler has designed a range of 'bio homes'...The buildings are made with timbers from sustainable sources and are not treated with chemical preservatives. Green Magazine Oct. 1989, p. 14 Therapeutic properties...are ascribed to the presence of the live lactic acid bacteria, particularly in the bio-yoghurts, said to promote the friendly bacteria in the gut which can be affected by the overuse of antibiotics. Healthy Eating Feb./Mar. 1990, p. 37 The 43-year-old Californian has chosen to have a second child because her teenage daughter has leukaemia and will die without a transplant of bone marrow...Biofundamentalists claim emotively that she wants to use the baby as 'a spare part'...Bone marrow will be extracted for implanting into her 17-year-old sister. Daily Telegraph 9 Apr. 1990, p. 16