What does "oligo" signify in terms of quantity?

The term "oligo" comes from Greek origins, meaning "few" or "scanty." In various scientific and technical contexts, it is used to describe a small quantity or a limited number of something. This is consistent across different disciplines, such as biochemistry, where "oligonucleotide" refers to a short sequence of nucleotides, indicating that it is composed of only a few units.

In this context, the other choices do not align with the meaning of "oligo." For example, "all" would suggest a complete or total quantity, which directly contradicts the idea of scarcity implied by "oligo." Similarly, "half" implies a division of something into two equal parts, while "new" indicates a sense of freshness or recentness, neither of which relates to the notion of a small or limited quantity. Therefore, the significance of "oligo" as "scanty" or "little" is the most accurate interpretation.